<P> Mary William Ethelbert Appleton `` Billie '' Burke ( August 7 , 1884 -- May 14 , 1970 ) was an American actress , famous on Broadway and in early silent film and subsequently in sound film , best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the movie musical The Wizard of Oz . She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1938 for her performance as Emily Kilbourne in Merrily We Live and is also remembered for her appearances in the Topper series . Billie Burke was the wife of Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld , Jr. , of Ziegfeld Follies fame , from 1914 until his death in 1932 . Her voice was unique in intonation , which she accentuated in her later character roles as dim - witted , spoiled society types . </P>
<P> Mary William Ethelbert Appleton `` Billie '' Burke ( August 7 , 1884 -- May 14 , 1970 ) was an American actress , famous on Broadway and in early silent film and subsequently in sound film , best known to modern audiences as Glinda the Good Witch of the North in the movie musical The Wizard of Oz . She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1938 for her performance as Emily Kilbourne in Merrily We Live and is also remembered for her appearances in the Topper series . Billie Burke was the wife of Broadway producer Florenz Ziegfeld , Jr. , of Ziegfeld Follies fame , from 1914 until his death in 1932 . Her voice was unique in intonation , which she accentuated in her later character roles as dim - witted , spoiled society types . </P>
who played the good witch in wizard of oz
who played the good witch in wizard of oz
`` Billie '' Burke
`` Billie '' Burke