Meinhardt Raabe, Jay Novello, Marcia Jones

Who was born on this date:

Actor Meinhardt Raabe was born on September 2, 1915 in Watertown, Wisconsin. He was one of the last surviving Munchkin actors in The Wizard of Oz, and was also the last surviving cast member with any dialogue in the film. He portrayed the coroner of Munchkinland who certified the death of the Wicked Witch of the East. He died on April 9, 2010 in Penney Farms, Florida and is buried at the Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery in Farmington, Wisconsin.

Who died on this date:

On September 2, 1982, actor Jay Novello died. He was born on August 22, 1904 in Chicago, Illinois. He began his career as a radio actor, playing Jack Packard on the Hollywood version of I Love a Mystery for a brief period, circa 1944. In film, Novello alternated between pompous or fussy professionals and assorted ethnic roles, often as Italian or Hispanic characters. One of his earliest and more familiar film appearances is in the 1945 Laurel and Hardy comedy The Bullfighters.  Though prolific in the movies, Novello was limited mostly to bits in minor films, one of his more noteworthy assignments being the officious Spanish consul in Frank Capra’s, Pocketful of Miracles. He also made numerous television appearances. He died on September 2, 1982 and is interred at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, California.

On September 2, 2007, actress Marcia Jones died. She was born on August 1, 1924 in Los Angeles, California. Jones made her film debut at the age of two in the 1926 film Mannequin. She appeared in films such as King of Jazz (1930), Street Scene (1931), and Night Nurse (1931) before rising to child stardom in the 1930s with roles in The Champ (1931) and, alongside Shirley Temple in Heidi (1937) and the Little Princess (1939). She also starred in films such as The Garden of Allah (1936), These Three (1936), and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938). As a young adult she continued to work in motion pictures, notably in Nine Girls (1944) and Arson, Inc. (1948). Like many familiar faces of the 1940s, she appeared on numerous television programs. Her last major role was in The Way We Were (1973). She died on September 2, 2007 from complications of pneumonia. Her remains were cremated and given to family, final disposition is unknown.