The cast of the 1939 classic film "The Wizard of Oz" contained many singers and extras. There were those in costume as well as those working behind the scenes. And there was the star, Terry. She was born in 1933 during the Great Depression and took to acting early, with stars such as Shirley Temple in 1934's "Bright Eyes." Terry's big break would come in The Wizard of Oz where her performance was so perfect that she is cemented in the national psyche.
At the time of The Wizard of Oz, Terry commanded a salary of $125 per week, more than most of the actors in the film and of most Americans at the time. Many on the set felt this unfair, as Terry was younger and "less-traditional" than the others. Despite this Terry retained her salary and performed well, even after an on-set accident broke her foot, requiring two weeks of recovery at Judy Garland's home.
Terry continued to make films up until her death in 1945 at the age of eleven, yet nothing would ever compare to her stellar performance in The Wizard of Oz; as Toto, Dorothy's dog.
-Professor Walter
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