Born on September 21,1920, and a professional performer since the tender age of 13, Mary Ellen's diminutive stature, along with her talents in tap, ballet, toe and acrobatic dancing, made her a natural for a show business. She was employed by famous troupes including Rose's Royal Midgets, Fred Roper & His Wonderful Midgets, Henry & Dolly Kramer Midget Troupe, and Nate Eagle's Hollywood Midgets. The next big roundup of Little People took place when MGM put out a nationwide casting call for characters to populate Munchkinland for the 1939 extravaganza The Wizard Of Oz. – wizardofozfestival.tripod.com