Elaine Merk Binder, one of the last surviving actors who played a Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz has died.
The childstar was 94, with her daughter Annette Phillips confirming her death. No cause of death has been revealed.
Elaine turned eight-years-old when she filmed the beloved 1939 movie. She was one of eight children who danced and sang as part of the Munchkin ensemble.
She can be seen during the performances of Come Out, Come Out and Off to See the Wizard as one of eight dancers in a pavilion.
Speaking about her 1938 audition for MGM, Elaine recalled: ‘For me it was scary. It was my first big call for girls from a major studio.’
‘I was relieved when Bud told the dance director, “She’s OK.” I did not have to perform like the others did. And they selected me as one of the eight who would both dance and sing.’
Elaine Merk Binder, one of the last surviving actors who played a Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz has died
The childstar was 94, with her daughter Annette Phillips confirming her death
‘We learned later that they had added girls to the Little People because they had the mistaken impression that the Little People were not athletic.’
As a teenager Elaine was offered a contract from Paramount studios but she declined and went on to study at college, graduating with degrees in music and education.
She went on to study computer science and theology, and worked as a computer consultant for USC and First Interstate Bank.
Fan paid tribute on X, with one writing: ‘A piece of Hollywood history fades away Elaine Merk Binder reminded us how timeless “The Wizard of Oz” truly is. Rest in peace.’
Another added: ‘The Famous Wizard of Oz Will Continue forever Rip Elaine Merk.’
The Wizard of Oz, based off of L. Frank Baum’s novel, titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, hit theaters in 1939 and went on to become one of the most popular movies of all time.
In 2023 Betty Ann Bruno, who also played a Munchkin, died at the age of 91.
In Baum’s 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, he describes the Munchkins only as shorter than usual in stature and clad from top to toe in blue.
Elaine was just eight-years-old when she filmed the beloved 1939 movie. She was one of the eight children who danced and sang as part of the Munchkin ensemble
Speaking about her 1938 audition for MGM, Elaine recalled: ‘For me it was scary. It was my first big call for girls from a major studio’
MGM decided they wanted to cast little people in the roles – and needed as many as 350 performers to act in the movie, alongside Elaine and the seven other children.
Many of the actors playing the Munchkins had led exceedingly difficult lives.
Some were from Germany and had been forced to flee the country by the Nazis’ doctrine of ‘social hygiene’, which demanded the elimination of disabled people.
About 170 came from New York. Most were old enough to have learned to survive in the city during the years of the Great Depression.
