Today's mini profiles feature two famous people who resided briefly in Painesville, Ohio. One was a kindergarten teacher whose students included William Windom (actor) and Jim Backus ( Mr. Magoo, Thurston Howell III et al.). The other was a prolific scribner whose work 'The City on the Edge of Forever' is a classic Star Trek episode.
Margaret Hamilton 'WWW'
Margaret Hamilton was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Hathaway Brown in Shaker Heights. Her parents insisted she attend college. Upon graduation she became a teacher and maintained a lifelong commitment to Public Education. It was however her stage career that brought Margaret her notariety. Just six years into her career as an actress, it was the year 1939 that became her signature moment. She accepted a role as the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz. Her favorite book led to a role that would follow her forever. Not even stints as Granny Frump on the TV series 'The Addams Family, Cora for Maxwell House Coffee, or a role on the soap opera 'The Secret Storm' could ever etch the roll of the wicked witch from the minds of the public. She reprised the roll one last time for a Sesame Street episode before returning to the field of education as a school board member in NY. In case you are wondering about the 'WWW', Margaret often signed her autograph with that acronym. It stood for Wicked Witch of the West.
Harlan J. Ellison
Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1934 Harlan spent his childhood in Painesville, Ohio. He became one of the country's most prolific writers. He has over 1700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, and essays to his credit. His genre is speculative fiction. His most celebrated works were the anthologies 'Dangerous Visions.' Screenplays/ teleplays receiving recognition include I Robot and the Star Trek episode 'The City on the Edge of Forever.' Other famous awards he has received include the Edgar Allan Poe Award, Bram Stoker Award, Hugo Award, Nebula Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award in writing.
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