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In the 1939 movie THE WIZARD OF OZ, TOTO (Nov. 17, 1935 - Sep. 1, 1945) was played by a female brindle Cairn Terrier whose real name was Terry. She was paid a $125 salary each week, which was far more than many of the human actors (the Singer Midgets who played the Munchkins reportedly received $50 to $100 a week).
During production, Terry's foot was broken when one of the Winkie guards stepped on it. A second dog had to be used while she healed. Due to the popularity of the movie, and because that role was the one she was most remembered for, her owner changed her official name to Toto. She actually appeared in 13 different films. She died at age 10 or 11. Willard Carroll wrote her "autobiography," I, TOTO (2001).
When she died in 1945 her owner and trainer Carl Spitz buried her on his ranch in Studio City, CA. However, the construction of the Ventura Freeway in 1958 destroyed her resting place.
On June 18, 2011 a permanent memorial for Toto was dedicated at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.
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