Hollywood Memorial

He is best remembered for his role of the ‘Tin Man’ in the 1939 film, ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ Actor Buddy Ebsen was originally cast in the role, but had to drop out when he proved to be allergic to the metal makeup. Haley began his career by auditioning as a singer for a music-publishing firm. Using the money from that job, he learned to tap dance, and shortly afterwards, found a small job on the vaudeville stage in Hoboken, New Jersey, working as a singer and dancer in a touring company musical. He was able to meet and make friends of many future stars, including George Burns, Gracie Allen and Jack Benny. Haley continued to make films through the war years, with his last major film in 1946. He died in Los Angeles in 1979 following a sudden heart attack. He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, not far from the mausoleum containing his Scarecrow co-star, Ray Bolger. Bert Lahr