Wage disparity in Hollywood, especially with the gender pay gap, is an ongoing concern, but in the case of The Wizard of Oz, Toto the dog made more than some of the human actors. The Wizard of Oz is a timeless masterpiece brimming with imagination and whimsy, which boasts an ensemble of cherished characters. Among them is Judy Garland's captivating portrayal of Dorothy Gale, who embarks on a journey to find her way home with her loyal companion Toto. The film's release in 1939, also known as "Hollywood's Golden Year," saw numerous classics come to the big screen.
Within this lineup, The Wizard of Oz stands out due to its delightful songs, captivating characters, and controversies surrounding The Wizard of Oz, including stories of dangerous makeup and workplace harassment. The film also had significant wage gaps; Terry the dog, cast as Toto, was paid more weekly than several of her human co-stars.
Toto Was Paid $125 A Week For The Wizard Of Oz
The Dog Also Performed Her Own Stunts
The cairn terrier, Terry, worked on the production of The Wizard of Oz with her trainer, Carl Spitz. She was paid $125 per week for her role of Toto, which when adjusted for inflation, translates to $2,729.38 today. Given Terry's canine status, all the earnings naturally went to her trainer, Spitz. Terry's weekly earnings sured those of certain human actors on set, but she is an integral part of the whole film and performed her own stunts.
Terry was also injured on set, getting a broken foot due to a Winkle guard accidentally stepping on her. Terry was experienced in performing on set, as she had participated in seven films prior to her work on The Wizard of Oz, notably Bright Eyes, where she shared the screen with Shirley Temple. The film studio's requirement for a canine performer matching the description for L. Frank Baum's original book series makes it understandable that Terry was paid well for The Wizard of Oz.
How Old Judy Garland Was In The Wizard Of Oz
Judy Garland catapulted into the spotlight at a young age for her role as Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz, but the role came with difficulties too.
How Much Toto's Salary Was Compared To Other Wizard Of Oz Actors
The Animal Actor Made More Than A Specific Group Of Humans
While Terry made more than certain actors on set, she did not make more than Garland, whose $500 weekly earnings would equate to almost $11,000 after adjusting for inflation.
In contrast, the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) and the Tin Man (Jack Haley) made six times that of Garland, with $3,000 per week, while the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) made $2,500. Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, earned $1,000 weekly. As well as the pay disparity between the male and female actors in the film, the Munchkin performers earned less than Toto, with most receiving approximately $50 per week.
Those with speaking roles among the Munchkins made around $75, and a select few who were directly hired by the studio, MGM, managed to get $100. Unbelievably, the Munchkin actors made less than Toto, even though they had to sing, dance, and often take on multiple roles to bring this classic to life. Information has surfaced in the years since the production, however, that many of the Munchkin performers had the same agent, who may have been skimming money from their salaries as well.
Notably, while Toto's compensation exceeds theirs, the Munchkin actors earned a collective star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, commemorating the 124 performers who played a role in making The Wizard of Oz a timeless classic that endures today.
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Have Other Animals Gotten Paid More Than Actors In Hollywood?
Big-Name Animal Actors Have Made More Than Their Costars
There are quite a few instances of animal actors being paid more than their costars, though Toto might be the most ed.
...the canine was the recognizable audience draw.
Journalist Susan Orlean, who wrote a biography about the famous Hollywood German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin, also revealed in an article for saving Warner Bros. from closing.
For the 1924 movie The Lighthouse By The Sea, Rin Tin Tin earned a salary (in addition to his trainer’s) of $1,000 a week, while his human costar, William Collier Jr., earned only $150 a week for his work. It’s likely that his salary was comparable throughout the 1920s, though most records of what human and animal actors made for their work at the time have been lost.
Rumor has it that Pal, who played Lassie in the 1943 movie Lassie Come Home, was paid more than Elizabeth Taylor, who was just starting out as a child actor at the time, though she would become one of the biggest actors of old Hollywood. Pal’s official salary, however, has not been confirmed. It was not uncommon for animals to make more than young costars or costars whose agents and parents were making more money than they were at the time.
It might be a bit rarer in modern cinema for animal actors to make more money than their human costars, but it does happen.
Crystal the capuchin monkey is a very sought-after animal actor in Hollywood. She got her start in 1997’s George of the Jungle and has been in the Night at the Museum and Hangover movies. She also was one of the stars of the shortlived sitcom Animal Practice. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Crystal the monkey was paid $12,000 per episode for her time on the show - which was more than the human stars of the show were making.
It’s still entirely possible, though less likely, for animal actors to make substantially more than their human costars, just like Toto in The Wizard of Oz.
The Wizard of Oz
- Release Date
- August 25, 1939
- Runtime
- 102 minutes
- Director
- Victor Fleming
Cast
Margaret Hamilton-
Jack Haley
WHERE TO WATCH
Based on Frank L. Baum's book of the same name, The Wizard of Oz follows young Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) as she's swept away to the magical land of Oz. Upon arriving, she falls afoul of a witch, then enlists the help of a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion in order to find the Wizard and get home to her family.
- Writers
- Florence Ryerson, Noel Langley, Edgar Allan Woolf
Sources: LA Times, The New Yorker, The Hollywood Reporter
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