Wizard of Oz star Elaine Merk Binder dies aged 94

By James Moules

One of the last remaining stars of the timeless film The Wizard of Oz has died aged 94.

Elaine Merk Binder was one of the last surviving munchkins from the beloved classic.

The news of her passing was confirmed by her daughter Annette Phillips to TMZ.

No cause of death has yet been revealed.

Binder was cast as one of eight kids to be part of the Munchkin cast in the classic movie.

She successfully auditioned for the role in 1938.

Reflecting on the audition, she previously told the Mirror US: “I tried out for the Wizard of Oz Munchkins.

“I was relieved when Bud told the dance director, ‘She’s OK’.

“I did not have to perform like the others did. For me it was scary. It was my first big call for girls from a major studio.

“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.”

She was just eight years old when she filmed her scenes at the MGM studios.

Binder can be seen in the scene that features the song ‘Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are’.

She is in the second small house, on the way up the stairs.

The timeless movie stars Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale and Frank Morgan as the Wizard of Oz.

It grossed $US3,017,000 ($A4.58m) during its initial release in the US and Canada.

This article originally appeared in the The Sun and was reproduced with permission

Published at News.com.au, September 23, 2025