Margaret Hamilton, most famous as the Wicked Witch in "The Wizard of Oz," discusses her long career and her love of animals in this rare TV interview with Sue Simmons and Jack Cafferty on New York's Live at 5.
I met Margaret Hamilton quite by chance in the very early 1970s while I was shopping in a store in NYC. She was gracious, polite, and one of the nicest Witches you could ever want to meet. They just do not make people like her anymore!
The Wicked Witch of the West only has about 11mins screen time in The Wizard of Oz, yet it’s probably one of the best remembered performances of all time.
One of cinema’s most famous villains. The Wicked Witch generations of kids, so it is fascinating to discover that Margaret Hamilton was a lovely women.
I did. In the 1970s, one of my college professors was doing a profile of her. She lived in the Gramercy Park section of New York City. She was very gracious.
This woman was on screen only 12 minutes and yet she set the tone for every witch to come . She was once a Kindergarten teacher before she became a wicked witch .
As a matter of fact, she borrowed rather heavily from Martha Wentworth, who played the Wintergreen Witch in the radio series "The Cinnamon Bear." And she had been an actress and teacher for some years.
Margaret Hamilton AKA Wicked Witch my all time favourite villain. I have collected a few wizard of Oz memorabilia of the wicked witch & the rest of the cast. It’s my all time favourite movie am a grown adult man but I don’t care it’s such a great movie.
I met her In the 1970s, one of my college professors was doing a profile of her. She lived in the Gramercy Park section of New York City. She was very gracious.
Her like will never be seen again. A fine human being very humble a credit to America. One of the most famous characters ever seen on the silver screen. Rip Margret H
A lady with class oozing from her, regrettably not the case from today's so called stars, the light from Margaret's star will shine long after the others have long since extinguished.
Frederick Combs you’re not kidding. This lady set the bar what what a witched witch is. Everyone’s image of a witch somehow stems from her portrayal in some way. Everything about her performance was impeccable and flawless from the voice, the cackle, everything. The tragedy was she wasn’t nominated for best supporting actress Oscar for that performance.
It surprises me how short that interview was. I thought today the interviews were short. She was remarkable and I love how she talks about big stars and she doesn't realize that she was and will always be a big star. She passed in 1885. I was just about to turn 4. Growing up it was my favorite movie. She was so funny and so kind. I think her advice I say spot on. Animals are very sensitive and they need love. Kids can be a bit crazy around them and you have to teach them how to behave around them and how to treat them. Christmas is not the time.
Thank you for posting this clip. I thought I'd seen every last Margaret Hamilton clip I could find, but I was wrong. I too, love pets and children. I thank you for providing this clip.
A lot of actresses, Linda Blair included, play villains and forces of evil, then in real life end up in charitable causes due to compassion. It’s incredible to watch.
True evil cannot see itself accurately. It is full of delusions of grandeur about itself. A type of blindness. It takes one with enough emotional intelligence and compassion to see a villain for what it truly is and to therefore play the role accurately.
I completely agree. Animals should not be given as Christmas or holiday gifts, and never unless you are positive you want to care for it. I have read how many chicks and bunnies are dumped after Easter if they are too much work or whatever.
Before Margaret was offered the Wicked Witch 🧹 her agent called and said MGM wanted her to screen test for a part in The Wizard of Oz. Margaret said, "great, for what part?" Her agent was silent, and was taken a back that Margaret asked that question. And he said, "Aah, the witch." As if she would be asked to play anything else!
Does anyone know that "ToTo" appeared again in an episode of the Three Stooges called "Malice in the Palace." The cat and dog in that episode was "Terry" who played Toto in the Wizard of Oz.
What a great interview she was and is so true young kids just dont need to be given an animal it is a living ,breathing life that should be took care of and most paents give kids too young a pet and the next thing you see is them being toted around like a handbag or a suitcase most adults dont know how to take care of a pet .
She was sweet ... people asking for funds from mailing lists of elderly people (who they are counting on having some level of confusion) should be outlawed, however. I know from my parents' experience, it is very common in the US. They get pleas for assistance from random groups in their mailbox every day. They cannot distinguish from a legitimate organization and a scam artist (who could?). *A good rule of thumb for the generous elderly: give to people you have sought out, not those who seek you out through third class mail*
It is absolutely insane that a little old lady that sweet and kind and grandmotherly was able to play the witch character. I have read somewhere that she regretted doing that role, because it gave children the wrong impression of her. She was actually a teacher who loved children.
Jack Cafferty lol. Putting in his 2c. Pompous. Regardless, what a delightful woman that Margaret Hamilton. Ironic she played one of the scariest characters to appear on screen, ever.
Margaret Hamilton was so upset by the Sesame Street episode (which aired in1976 and was banned because it terrified so many children) that she spent the last ten years of her life trying to appeal to children publicly, since she adored them so much personally.
wow she was only 36 when she played the wicked witch. that kinda blows my mind. Died in 1985 aged 83. Im glad she had a long life. Poor Judy died at just 47. Isnt that ironic watching the film?
You know what's amazing about hearing her talk is that when I was a little kid in kindergarten I Wachtel the wizard of oz and I am not going to lie I always hated her because I was a fan of Judy garland and when Judy garland play Dorothy and I use to compare her to the good witch I was a fan of the good witch but looking at her here I wonder if of corse I'm not that old but If I was you g during this time and actually meet Margaret Hamilton and hear her talk I wonder if I actually would like her in a way I wish she was my grandmother
