Dona Massin facts for kids

Dona Massin (born 18 February 1917–26 May 2001) was a talented film choreographer. She is best known for her amazing work on the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. Dona Massin appeared in more than 100 films during her career.

Early Life and Talent

Dona Massin's family moved to Los Angeles, California when she was eight years old. She started her career in show business as a child. At the age of eight, she sang the song "My Man" at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles. The audience loved her performance and gave her a standing ovation.

After this, a talent scout named Maurice Kosell discovered her. He was so impressed by her natural talent that he gave her free dancing lessons. When Dona was 14, she signed a contract with MGM Studios. She worked on many musicals there. She also worked for other big studios like 20th Century Fox, Universal, Warner Bros., and Columbia Pictures.

Working on The Wizard of Oz

In 1939, when Dona Massin was 21, she joined the team making The Wizard of Oz. She worked as a choreographer, helping Bobby Connolly create the dances. The movie took six months to finish.

Dona Massin was actually the first person to sing the famous song "Over The Rainbow". She strongly believed the song should be in the film. She also created the special skip that the characters do down the yellow brick road. This skip is a ballet step called "pas de basque". However, Massin made it much faster than it usually is.

You can even see Dona Massin in the movie! She appears in the scene where the Lion is getting groomed in the beauty shop. The director, Mervyn LeRoy, put her in that small part to bring good luck to the film.

Later Life and Family

Dona Massin married Don Carn. They had one daughter, Jodie Carn, who became a talk show host. Jodie hosted shows like Jodie L.A. and Jodie in Malibu, which were filmed in Los Angeles.

Dona retired from show business when she was 30 years old. She wanted to focus on being a wife and mother. In her later years, Dona and her daughter Jodie often visited Wizard of Oz Festivals. These festivals were held in places like Chesterton, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Chicago. At these events, Dona would sometimes be joined by some of the little people who also appeared in the film.

In 2001, Dona Massin filmed Memories of Oz, where she played herself. She also gave interviews for books and television shows towards the end of her life. Dona passed away from natural causes in 2001. She was living in Malibu, California with her daughter Jodie.