Article content

For their presence in what is likely the most iconic American film in the history of cinema, the citizens of Munchkinland were paid less than Dorothy’s dog, Toto.

In the years following The Wizard of Oz, little people have made many strides forward in Hollywood, but the recent death of cabaret actress, Kimberly Tripp – known as ‘Mini Kim Kardashian’ – reveals the uncomfortable pace of evolving showbiz attitudes.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or The actors who played the Munchkins in the Wizard of Oz were paid less than Toto Back to video

Stephen Cox, author of The Munchkins of Oz, wrote in his 1989 book that in 1938, the Munchkins were paid US$50 per week, about US$900 in 2016. Meanwhile, Toto and her trainer earned US$125 per week, which would now equate to about US$2,100 per week. The Munchkin cast never even saw their names in the credits.

Leo Singer, a business man and leader of a little person theatrical troupe, bought little people outright from parents, who were typically poor farmers, to perform in top vaudeville theatres in the 1930s. He used the same method to hire the Munchkin cast after signing a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to provide 124 little people to play Munchkins in 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz.

Since Oz, the founding of the nonprofit organization Little People of America in 1957 has worked towards proper rights and compensation for little people in Hollywood.