Elaine Merk Binder, who played one of the munchkins in The Wizard of Oz, has died.
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Binder’s daughter, Annette Phillips, confirmed her mother’s death to TMZ. The cause of death has not been disclosed. The outlet pointed out that Binder was one of the last surviving actors from the classic 1939 film. She was 94 years old.
Elaine Merk Binder, one of the last surviving actors in ‘THE WIZARD OF OZ’, has sadly passed away at the age of 94. pic.twitter.com/WTXF06Be3U
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 21, 2025
Variety reports that Binder auditioned for The Wizard of Oz in 1938. She was then selected as one of eight children to dance and sing as part of the Munchkin ensemble. She turned 8 years old on the MGM studio lot during production.
In the film, Binder appears as one of the background dancers in the pavilion, wearing a dark green outfit and hat, just before the cast starts the song “You’re Off to See the Wizard,” according to TMZ.
“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,” Binder recalled, per Variety. “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 Merk Binder Also Appeared in “Our Gang” Shorts
Before The Wizard of Oz, Binder appeared in the “Our Gang” shorts. Binder also appeared in 1937’s Nothing Sacred with Carole Lombard and Frederic March.
Paramount later offered her a contract as a teenager, but she declined to study at Occidental College, graduating in 1951. She then earned her master’s in music and education from Cal State Los Angeles in 1953.
Later, she studied computer science and theology, working as a computer consultant for USC and First Interstate Bank.
Binder is survived by her son, George, her daughter, Phillips, and six grandchildren.