Trivia of Margaret Hamilton

 Trivia of Margaret Hamilton (9 December 1902 - 16 May 1985)

*Hamilton made her debut as a "professional entertainer" on December 9, 1929, in a "program of 'heart rending songs'" in the Charles S. Brooks Theater at the Cleveland Play House. Before she turned to acting exclusively, her parents insisted she attend Wheelock College in Boston, which she did, later becoming a kindergarten teacher.

*Hamilton made her screen debut in the MGM film Another Language (1933) starring Helen Hayes and Robert Montgomery.

*In 1939, Hamilton played the role of the Wicked Witch of the West, opposite Judy Garland's Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz, creating not only her most famous role, but also one of the screen's most memorable villains. Hamilton was cast after Gale Sondergaard, who was first considered for the role, albeit as a more glamorous witch with a musical scene, declined the role when the decision was made that the witch should appear ugly.Later, Hamilton often signed her autographs with the notation of WWW (Wicked Witch of the West).

*She was injured while filming The Wizard of Oz (1939), when a delayed trap-door opening during a fiery exit resulted in second-degree burns on her face and a third-degree burn on her hand.

Hamilton spent six weeks recovering from the incident and refused to do any more fire-related stunts on the film set.

*When asked about her experiences on the set of The Wizard of Oz (1939), Hamilton said her biggest fear was that her monstrous film role would give children the wrong idea of who she really was. In reality, she cared deeply about children, frequently giving to charitable organizations. She often remarked about children coming up to her and asking her why she had been so mean to Dorothy.She became very concerned about the role's effect on children, and finally did a guest spot on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968) to explain that the Witch was just a character in the film, and not herself.

*She wore the same costume for two productions, 26 years apart. The dress she wore as Miss Gulch in The Wizard of Oz (1939) was worn again when she played Grandma Frump in The Addams Family (1964) in 1965.

*For many years, she appeared in Maxwell House coffee commercials as the feisty storekeeper who declares, "It's the only brand I sell!"