Betty Ann Bruno
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
October 1, 1931
- Actress
- journalist
Betty Ann Bruno | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Betty Ann Cain October 1, 1931 Wahiawa, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Died | July 30, 2023 (aged 91) Sonoma, California, U.S. |
| Education | Stanford University |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | Craig Scheiner |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | 3 Emmy Awards |
Betty Ann Bruno (née Cain; October 1, 1931 – July 30, 2023) was an American child actress and journalist. She started her journalist career as a political talk show television producer and host and was an investigative reporter who worked for KTVU-Channel 2 in San Francisco for over 20 years, retiring in 1992.[1]
Betty Ann Cain was born on October 1, 1931,[2][3] in Wahiawa, Hawaii,[4] but grew up in Hollywood, California. She was the daughter of a Hawaiian–Chinese mother and a Dutch–Irish father.[5] She was a Stanford University graduate.[2]
Career
As a child, Bruno appeared in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz as one of the Munchkins.[6] Before that she had a bit role in John Ford's 1937 film The Hurricane. Her work in television won her three Emmy Awards.[7][2] After retiring from television in 1992, she became a hula dance instructor.[5] In 2020, she published her autobiography, The Munchkin Diary: My Personal Yellow Brick Road.[8] She appeared on television once again in an episode of To Tell the Truth which was broadcast in May 2022.[2][9]
Personal life and death
Bruno lived in California, was married to Craig Scheiner, a former KTVU photographer, and had three sons. She was reported in media as one of the few surviving cast members from The Wizard of Oz.[10]
Bruno died from a heart attack on July 30, 2023, in Sonoma, California, at the age of 91.[1][11]