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| Olive Brasno |
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born:
17 October 1917 Old Bridge Township, Madison, New Jersey, United States of America |
died:
25 January 1998 Lakeland, Florida, United States of America (age 80) |
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American midget actor, the sister of Richard Brasno and George Brasno. She had a long career performing with many "big name" performers in vaudeville and television. She married Gus Wayne in 1960. He had been one of the Munchkins in "The Wizard of Oz". There was a shortage of actors to play Munchkins. She said she was offered $75 a week to play one and turned it down because she was making $150 per week in vaudeville. Richard, George, and Olive Brasno were "midget" siblings. Of the 8 children born to George Sr. and Anna Brasno, 3 were midgets and the others were "normal" size. Their sister, Elizabeth (Betty), was 5'11" and performed as a trapeze artist for Ringling Bros.Circus for 15 years. As part of the Buster Shaver Act, the "little people" toured Europe and the US as a successful vaudeville act. Their Father died in 1944 in an accident when he fell down the cellar stairs to go down and fetch coal for the landlady. Their mother died in Las Vegas in 1965 where she and 2 of the boys had been since 1960 operating a bar they owned. |
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Height: 4'0" (adult) |
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography. |
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Acknowledgements & sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_Brasno https://www.newspapers.com/image/358901769/?terms=brasno (1959 Feb: bio: ht.4': sister 5'11") https://www.newspapers.com/image/221856198/?terms=brasno (1965 March: obit: death of Mom Anna) https://www.newspapers.com/image/314718862/?terms=brasno (1944 Nov: accidental death of Father) Jim Jarvis (research and information) This page was last updated on: 04 April 2020 |
