Karl
Slover Karl was barely a teenager in the Czech Republic
when he was spotted by Leo Singer who wanted to sign him up to
be a part of his traveling troupe called "Singer's Midgets."
At that time, Karl was the worlds shortest man at about 3 1/2
feet tall. A few years later, in 1939, he and the other
118 midgets (most of the midgets who inhabited the planet at that
time) were summoned to Culver City near Hollywood to inhabit Muchkinland
for the all-time great screen spectacular "Wizard of Oz," He was paid $100 per week for his services
as a munchkin but the greedy Singer kept $50 of it. After he finished
his trek along the yellow brick road, Karl did comedies and movies
with Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Laurel and Hardy among others. In the late 40's, he joined a traveling carnival.
At one time, the Ringling Circus family tried to hire him away
from Singer but now he was on his own. Eventually, he ended up
working for Southern Amusement Enterprises, where owner Bob Slover
adopted him and put him to work in his shows. Karl, now 83, spends most of his time on airplanes...making
his way to personal appearances on television talk shows and at
Wizard of Oz conventions. He always has a big smile and lots of
Wizard stories to tell if you've got time to listen. He now lives with relatives in the Hyde Park
area of Tampa and can often be seen walking along the Howard Avenue
business district as part of a doctor-ordered exercise program.
He has been featured in many national magazines,
including People, Life and Newsweek, and on numerous television
shows and documentaries. |