Cadence Roth

Cadence Roth, the 31-inch actress who played the title role in the Philip Blenheim film “Mr. Woods,” died Tuesday at age 30.

Roth died at Medical Center of North Hollywood of respiratory problems and heart failure, said a longtime friend.

Roth was discovered by Blenheim at the Farmers Market in Los Angeles and hired on the spot to play the elf in the now-classic film.

Although the director had urged silence about whether the special effects of Mr. Woods were inhabited, Roth publicly stated that she had played the character in scenes that required movement, while a mechanical Mr. Woods was used in close-ups.

There are no survivors.

Services are scheduled for tomorrow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in North Hollywood.