How much did everyone earn on The Movie? Is it true Judy Garland received the lowest salary of all the cast members?
To answer that second part first, sort of. Back in the old days of the Hollywood studio system, lead actors were usually paid weekly during the production of a picture, rather than a set amount per film and/or a portion of the box office as happens today. Judy Garland’s contract at the time stipulated that she would receive $500 per week, which was therefore her salary for The Movie. In comparison, Charley Grapewin and Clara Blandick were paid $750 per week, Billie Burke $766.67, Margaret Hamilton $1000, Buddy Ebsen (while he was working on The Movie) $1500, Bert Lahr and Frank Morgan $2500, and Ray Bolger and Jack Haley $3000. However, Terry and her trainer, Carl Spitz, were paid $125 per week, and the little people playing the Munchkins $100 each, half of which they had to give to their manager, Leo Singer. So while Garland’s weekly salary was the lowest of the principal human cast, it wasn’t the lowest of the entire film. There are two factors to consider, however, when calculating
