Betty Danko

Betty Danko
Born
Bertha Danko

(1903-09-19)September 19, 1903
DiedFebruary 3, 1979(1979-02-03) (aged 75)
Occupation(s)Stuntwoman, stunt double
Years active1927—late 1950s

Bertha "Betty" Danko (September 19, 1903 – February 3, 1979) was an American stuntwoman and stunt double. She doubled for many leading actresses of the 1930s and 1940s, but is best known for having doubled for Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. During the filming of the skywriting scene, a pipe attached to the Witch's broomstick exploded, landing Danko in the hospital with a serious leg wound. Her career was cut short by a non-stunt accident in the late 1950s when she was struck by a car while waiting for a bus. She resided in a Hollywood bungalow for 50 years with her widowed mother.