Why Judy Garland Earned Less Than Margaret Hamilton In ‘Wizard Of Oz’ Despite Playing The Lead

Judy Garland famously played Dorothy Gale in the 1939 movie adaptation of Frank L. Baum’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She starred alongside The Wicked Witch of the West’s Margaret Hamilton, who already gained fame as a Broadway star before Wizard of Oz. 

Despite playing the lead role and having more screen time, Judy was paid less than Hamilton. The highest-earning Wizard Of Oz castmate was Ray Bolger, who played the Scarecrow. Like Hamiton, he was already a known stage actor with appearances in Broadway and Radio City Music Hall.

How much did the ‘Wizard Of Oz’ stars make?

Judy’s initial contract with MGM Studios in 1935 stated her payment to be $100 per week; however, it was increased to $500 while filming Wizard of Oz. In total, she made $9,600, which is about $218,000 today. Though a lot of money at the time and for teenage Judy, it was a wide gap from Hamilton’s $21,000 salary, which is nearly half a million today.

According to Oz expert John Fricke, who wrote The Wizard of Oz, The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History and The Wizard of Oz, An Illustrated Companion to the Timeless Movie Classic, Bolger’s salary added up to $72,000. His counterparts Bert Lahr, who played Lion, and Jack Haley, who played Tin Man, received similar amounts.

Why did Margaret Hamilton earn more than Judy Garland?

Aside from being an established actress, Hamilton reportedly got a higher salary than Judy Garland due to the burns she suffered while filming a scene with fire. MGM acknowledged the accident and ordered that she be paid for each week whether she worked or not.

However, Haley also suffered health problems due to his costumes, which included aluminum dust. He had an allergic reaction to the substance and ultimately got diagnosed with lung failure and eye infections, but there was no significant increase in his earnings compared to Hamilton. The terrier that played Dorothy’s dog, Toto, was also paid $125 per week.