You know the scene. Dorothy’s house has just flattened a tyrant, the flowers are giant, and suddenly, this little guy in an indigo robe and a massive, curly-brimmed hat steps forward. He’s got a scroll. He’s got a handlebar mustache made of dyed yak hair. And then he says the line that’s been stuck in our collective heads since 1939.
"As coroner, I must aver, I thoroughly examined her. And she's not only merely dead, she's really most sincerely dead."
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Honestly, it’s one of the most quoted moments in cinema history. But the man behind the Coroner Wizard of Oz role, Meinhardt Raabe, lived a life that was way more interesting than a thirteen-second cameo. People usually just see a "Munchkin." They don’t see the guy who was an accountant, a World War II pilot, and a literal hot dog icon.
The Man Behind the Certificate
Meinhardt Raabe wasn't some Hollywood regular. He was a 22-year-old kid from a German-American dairy farm in Watertown, Wisconsin. Imagine that transition. One day you're tending cows and studying for an accounting degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the next, you're on an MGM set with Judy Garland.
He actually had to beg for a leave of absence from his job at Oscar Mayer to do the movie.
Think about that. He already had a career. He was "Little Oscar," the world’s smallest chef. He was the first person to ever drive the original Wienermobile. He spent decades traveling the country in a giant hot dog on wheels, but he’s immortalized because of a certificate of death and a rhyming couplet.
Raabe was about three-and-a-half feet tall during filming. Interestingly, he actually kept growing later in life, eventually reaching about 4’7”. He was one of only nine Munchkins with an actual speaking part. Though, if we’re being technical, his voice was dubbed and sped up to give it that "Munchkin" chipmunk quality. Most of the actors in those roles had their voices altered to fit the fantasy vibe.
That Iconic Death Certificate
The prop itself is a piece of movie history. If you look closely at high-res stills or replicas, the "Wicked Witch of the East Certificate of Death" is actually quite detailed. It’s issued by the "Munchkin Coroner" (sometimes spelled Renroc Nikhcnum backwards on props).
It officially attributes the death to a house falling from the sky. Cause of death: blunt force trauma.
There's a weird bit of trivia here too. In the scene, the Mayor’s pocket watch is visible. It's set to 5:00 PM. Fans have spent way too much time calculating that the Witch actually met her end at approximately 4:45 PM, given the time it took for the Munchkins to come out of hiding and the Mayor to finish his song-and-dance intro.
Life After Munchkinland
Raabe didn't stay in Hollywood. Why would he? He had a master’s degree from Drexel. During World War II, he joined the Civil Air Patrol. He served as a pilot and a ground instructor, teaching meteorology and navigation.
He was a literal war-era aviator.
He didn't just fade away into "former child star" territory either. Raabe was a huge part of the Oz community until he passed away in 2010 at the age of 94. At the time, he was the last surviving cast member with a speaking role. He’d go to conventions, sign autographs, and "aver" that the witch was dead for thousands of fans.
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He was also kind of a plant nerd. In his retirement community in Florida, he became a Master Gardener. People would see him walking around identifying plants and telling neighbors exactly how to prune them. He liked being the expert.
Why the Coroner Wizard of Oz Still Matters
It’s easy to dismiss these roles as "novelty" characters. But Raabe and his fellow actors were professionals in an era that wasn't exactly kind to people of short stature. He often talked about the discrimination he faced in the business world before Oscar Mayer gave him a shot.
The Coroner Wizard of Oz gave him a platform that he used for seventy years.
He wrote an autobiography called Memories of a Munchkin because he wanted people to know the reality of the set. It wasn't all gumdrops and rainbows. The costumes were hot. The makeup was grueling. Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch) famously got burned. It was a tough shoot.
When you're watching the movie next time, look at the dignity he brings to that tiny role. He doesn't play it for laughs. He plays it like a serious government official performing a grim duty. That's why it sticks.
Actionable Insights for Oz Fans
- Check the Dubbing: Listen closely to the Coroner’s lines. You can hear the "tape speed" effect used by the sound engineers to raise the pitch.
- The "Dead Munchkin" Myth: While you're looking at the Coroner, ignore the old urban legend about a "hanging Munchkin" in the background of a later scene. It’s a bird. A crane, specifically, on loan from the Los Angeles Zoo.
- Visit the History: If you're ever in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, remember that’s where the film had its first public showing. Raabe’s home state pride ran deep.
- The Prop Details: If you buy a replica death certificate, look for the signature. It’s usually signed by the "Coroner" and the "Mayor." It’s a fun piece of layout design from a 1930s art department.
Meinhardt Raabe lived a long, full life that spanned from the dairy farms of the Midwest to the heights of the Civil Air Patrol. He was a lot more than a guy in a big hat. He was a survivor of a Hollywood era that’s long gone. And yeah, he really, most sincerely, did a great job.