Wizard of Oz – Margaret Hamilton, best baddie ever

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Google’s doodle today celebrates the 71st birthday of the classic movie The Wizard of Oz. I saw it as a wee lad and the performance of Margaret Hamilton, who played Miss Almira Gultch and also the Wicked Witch of the West, has stayed with me down the years.

Although Ms Hamilton was only on screen for about 12 minutes, she had a massive impact on the audience, especially the children. Several minutes were cut out of her performance, because the producers thought them too scary for kids and dogs named Toto.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Hamilton appeared regularly on television. She did a stint as one of the What’s My Line? Mystery Guests on the popular Sunday Night CBS-TV program. She reprised the image of Almira Gulch for her role as Morticia Addams’ mother Hester (Granny) Frump in The Addams Family. (She was offered the role of Grandmama but turned it down.

During the 1960s she was a regular on the CBS soap opera, “The Secret Storm,” playing the role of Grace Tyrell’s (Marjorie Gateson) beloved housekeeper, “Katie.” In the early 1970s, she joined the cast of another CBS soap, “As the World Turns,” playing “Miss Peterson,” affectionately called “Pete” by her millionaire boss, “Simon Gilbey” (Jerry Lacy.) She had a small role in the made-for-TV film The Night Strangler (1973) and appeared as a befuddled neighbor on Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.

She also appeared as herself in an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. She continued acting regularly until 1982. Her last role was a guest appearance as a veteran journalist on an episode of Lou Grant.

Throughout the 1970s, Hamilton lived in New York City’s Gramercy Park neighborhood and appeared on local (and some national) public service announcements (PSAs) for organizations promoting the welfare of pets. Her most visible appearances during this period were as general store owner Cora, in a national series of television commercials for Maxwell House coffee (“I think it tastes best.”).

“I’ll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!” was No 99 in Premiere Magazine’s top 100 movie quotes.