were real monkeys used in the wizard of oz
On October 4, 1938, Walshe was cast in the most prominent role of his career. He was to make his feature film debut in The Wizard of Oz. Due to Walshe's recognition for novelty performances dressed as animals and his expressive movement, Walshe was awarded the role of Nikko, the head of the Winged Monkeys. Unlike the other monkeys, Nikko was a featured role, serving as the Wicked Witch's (played by Margaret Hamilton) second in command and minion. Though Walshe had no spoken lines, performing his character through physical performance, he did receive an on-screen credit (which was rare for bit players at the time). Instead of the simple stage makeup that Walshe used in his shows, he had to wear complex prosthetics designed by Jack Dawn. While the other monkeys wore simple rubber masks, Walshe's needed to appear in close-ups, so instead a multi-piece prosthetic makeup was produced. The prosthetics were moulded to Walshe's features and then glued to his face, with some appliances protruding out. Walshe also wore a full fur body suit, with a short open tunic as well as a tail and wings. Walshe is listed in the end credits as playing Nikko, and despite being featured frequently in the movie, the name Nikko is never mentioned in the film. In the book, the character is simply called ``the Monkey King'', so many viewers were unsure as to who the character was. Some confused Nikko with the Captain of the Winkie Guards (played by Mitchell Lewis), though it is evident that he was in fact the monkey, since Walshe was 3'10'' (like the monkey) and was well known for his animal impersonations.
Pat Walshe