Elaine Merk, one of the last surviving Munchkins from The Wizard of Oz, died at age 94, her family announced on Sept. 21 (never say “last”—there will be one or two surviving Munchkins to point and laugh at your mistake!). Merk also acted in two Our Gang shorts, and the features Nothing Sacred, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and The Sisters. After leaving the show business, Merk her got her master’s in music and education at Cal State, and later worked as a computer consultant for USC and First Interstate Bank. “I tried out for The Wizard of Oz,” she said. “For me it was scary. It was my first big call for girls from a major studio. 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.” (I have never been able to stomach the phrase “little people,” as it sounds so insulting and demeaning—I understand why “midget” is objectionable, but will someone please come up with a better word?
