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Elaine Merk Binder, One of the Last ‘Wizard of OzMunchkins, Dies at 94

Her daughter Annette Phillips confirmed her death, with no cause disclosed.

Overview

  • Binder was among the few surviving performers from the 1939 film’s Munchkin ensemble, according to multiple reports citing her family.
  • She auditioned in 1938 and was chosen as one of eight children who both sang and danced, appearing at age 8 in the “Come Out, Come Out” sequence wearing a dark green dress and hat.
  • As a teenager she declined a Paramount contract, later graduating from Occidental College and earning a master’s at Cal State Los Angeles before working as a computer consultant for USC and First Interstate Bank.
  • Her early credits included Our Gang, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Barnyard Follies, and she most recently appeared in the 2024 documentary Mysteries of Oz.
  • She is survived by her son George, her daughter Annette Phillips, and six grandchildren.