Wasn’t she an unknown, while they were all famous stars, though?
The same happens today.
“The cast of Moana earned a total of $56 million. Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced the title character, made $200,000. Dwayne Johnson, who voiced Maui, earned $21 million. Temuera Morrison, who voiced Moana’s father, earned $2 million.”
I’m not excusing any of the ways they abused Garland. But it made her a star and she earned far more in future roles, just like Cravalho now commands a much higher salary.
So wouldn’t the fees be proportional to the price? The added taxes on a tiny cheap holiday home would be cheap too.