Jerry Maren (born January 24, 1920) is an American actor and one of the last surviving munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
Jerry Maren was born Gerard Marenghi in Boston, Massachusetts. He acted in The Wizard of Oz playing a member of the Lollipop Guild, handing the lollipop to Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland). When Jerry acted in The Wizard of Oz he stood three foot four inches. As a young man he appeared in a local act known as "Three Steps and One Half."
After The Wizard of Oz Jerry continued acting and appeared in many movies and television shows (including a walk-on role in an episode of Seinfeld). Some of these were several of the Our Gang comedy shorts, the Marx Brothers At The Circus and as an ape in Battle For The Planet of The Apes.
In the 1950s Jerry worked as a Little Oscar for the Oscar Mayer Company and as Buster Brown on television and radio commercials. Later he joined his friend Billy Barty in organizing Little People of America. Jerry has also portrayed Mayor McCheese and The Hamburglar in commercials for McDonald's.
In the late 1970s Jerry was the dapper little man on The Gong Show, heralding each show's big finish with an onslaught of confetti as Milton Delugg's band played "Hoop Dee Doo."
Jerry continues to occasionally act in movies and television shows as well as traveling the country appearing at Wizard of Oz festivals and autograph signings. He and his wife, Elizabeth (Barrington), currently reside in southern California.
Jerry has appeared at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg,NY. He is one of the biggest draws at the fair and has proven to be a kind and giving man to all his faithful fans.
Jerry has appeared for many years at the Minnesota State Fair, held in late August through Labor Day at the State Fairgrounds in Falcon Heights, a suburb of St. Paul. He is located on the bottom level of the State Fair Grandstand, near Dan Patch Ave and Underwood, closest to the Sweet Martha's Cookie Stand and the Turkey Legs. He is there to sign autographs yearly.
Jerry is a recurring guest at the Oztoberfest Wizard of Oz celebration in Liberal, Kansas, signing autographs and meeting his fans.
Jerry appeared at a Wizard of Oz play and at some rehearsals. He took autographs and appeared onstage to make a small speech.
Jerry Maren is scheduled to appear at Lucy's Birthday Celebration that is devoted to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. They are holding a "We Remember Lucy" seminar and they are going to talk about Lucy, the episode he guest starred in on "Here's Lucy" and a little bit of "The Wizard of Oz".
On November 21, 2007, Maren appeared with six other survivng Munchkin actors including Meinhardt Raabe at the unveiling of a Hollywood Star for the Wizard of Oz Munchkins on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
