The story of Margaret Hamilton, best known for her iconic role as the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, was brought to life by actress Ruth Pangrace during a Home & Garden Club-sponsored program on February 12 at the Deercreek Country Club.
Nearly 100 people attended the program. Pangrace portrayed the actress, whose work encompassed five decades of stage, film, and television work; yet it was the 12-minute role as the green Wicked Witch that made Hamilton famous.
Originally, another actress was cast as the Wicked Witch in the film, but she withdrew when it was decided to portray the character as an ugly witch. Hamilton was then cast in the role that made her famous. Her performance in the film is ranked by the American Film Institute as the fourth-greatest villain of all time, behind Hannibal Lecter, Norman Bates and Darth Vader, and as the screen’s greatest female villain.
During the filming, Hamilton became close friends with Judy Garland and developed lifelong friendships with the actors who played the Munchkins. Pangrace provided lots of tidbits about making the film, which suffered multiple producers and injured actors, including Hamilton, who suffered burns when she exited Munchkinland in a burst of flames.
Margaret Hamilton, who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, taught school before becoming an actress, and often was heard to say, “In the soul of every teacher is an actor; and in the soul of every actor is a teacher ‘yearning to be on stage.’” She honed her craft doing children’s theatre and began her acting career at the Cleveland Playhouse. Hamiton embraced her role as a character actress, saying character roles received the best and most memorable lines. And it offered a longevity in her career that surpassed other stars of her time.
Hamilton’s acting career included a host of costars in the early years of film, including W.C. Fields, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, Bud Abott and Lou Costello. And later she thrived on radio, television and stage, including guest spots on ‘Sesame Street, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, late-night talk shows and soap opera roles.
Ruth Pangrace, who also grew up in Ohio, is a member of the Women in History organization that recreates the lives of notable American women. She, like Hamilton, is a retired teacher who dabbles in community theater. However, to Deercreek residents, Pangrace is known as the sister of Janice Malick, who along with her husband Steve, has lived in the neighborhood since 2001.
Pangrace has brought her one-woman shows to Jacksonville for the past five years. Her portrayals included Eleanor Roosevelt, Georgia O’ Keefe, and Julia Child.
In her portrayal of Hamilton, Pangrace began the show wearing modest clothing, looking much like a schoolteacher of the time. However, at the close of her act, she quickly flung on a black cape and witch’s hat, to the delight of the audience, who jumped to their feet in a standing ovation.
The evening also featured a 50/50 cash raffle to benefit HGC’s many community projects. Raffle tickets were enthusiastically sold by members– Sharon Juhasz, Linda George, Hyacinth Bohlinger and Mary Stoch–all dressed in witch’s costumes. The raffle raised $1,075 in all; the money was divided between the winner, Rich Bollini, and HGC, with the $538 designated for HGC projects.
