oz
Kovert

Frederick Kovert (June 10, 1895[1] - May 31, 1949), sometimes stylized as KoVert or Ko Vert, was a Pittsburgh-born actor, noted for female impersonations in 1920s silent films. He played the "Phantom of the Basket," a female assistant of the title character in The Wizard of Oz (1925), and did costume design for the film.

Leaving films in 1931, Kovert became a physique photographer. Kovert's nude photography business made him a target for the Los Angeles Police Department vice squad, and in 1945 he pled guilty to possession of obscene materials. Kovert died in 1949 by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

References

  1. Some references give his birth as 1894 or 1901. The records saying 1895 are considered more reliable.