Original Wizard of Oz star dies
One of the last surviving Wizard of Oz cast members, Elaine Merk Binder, has died at the age of 94.
The Wizard of Oz actress Elaine Merk Binder has died.
The passing of Elaine - who was one of the last surviving cast members from the 1939 classic movie - at the age of 94 has been confirmed by her daughter, Annette Phillips.
She auditioned for the musical in 1938 and was one of the eight children selected to dance and sing as part of the Munchkin ensembles and she previously recalled how "scary" the process was.
She said: “I tried out for the ‘Wizard of Oz’ Munchkins. 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 O.K.’ 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. 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.”
Elaine was just eight years old when she filmed The Wizard of Oz and can be seen in a scene that features the song Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are.
Before The Wizard of Oz, she performed in the Our Gang shorts and she also appeared in the film Nothing Sacred with Carole Lombard and Frederic March.
Paramount offered Elaine a contract as a teenager, but she declined in order to study at Occidental College. After graduating in 1951, she completed her master's degree at Cal State Los Angeles two years later with qualifications in music and education.
She then went on to study computer science and theology, and worked as a computer consultant for USA and First Interstate Bank.
As well as Annette, Elaine is survived by son George and six grandchildren.
