This actress died by suicide, so we provide a link to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline.
Anna Laughlin (October 11, 1885 – April 5, 1937) was a stage actress who became the very first person cast to play Dorothy Gale through the 1902 production The Wizard of Oz. She coincidentally shared the same exact birthday as Buster Brodie who played a flying monkey in the 1939 film.
She met her husband Evan Monroe while still on tour as Dorothy with their daughter Lucy Monroe becoming notable for singing the Star Spangled Banner thousands of times at patriotic events that even included performances for U.S. Presidents. Such influence probably stemmed from Evan being a descendant of President James Monroe. An article about Lucy from Radio Guide dated May 27, 1937 erroneously stated that the role was named Dorothy Dale.
In 2022 as part of their 100 birthday celebration for Judy Garland, the OZ Museum in Kansas decided to also honor “120 years of Dorothy” starting with her to reflect on those who have played the iconic character.