The Movie, The Myth, The Legend

Munchkin Suicide

In a scene in The Wizard of Oz (1939) when Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man head down the yellow brick road, on their way to Emerald City, a dark figure can be seen deep in the background, with many claiming it to be a hanged munchkin.

The story says that he was upset because the female munchkin that he loved didn’t feel the same way for him. He then decided to kill himself right on set.

The Poltergeist Curse in the "Poltergeist" Franchise (1982-88)

"The Poltergeist" film series is cursed and has seen several strange deaths occur among its cast members. Four cast members (including 12 year old Heather O'Rourke) died in the half a dozen years between the releases of the 3 films.

The film used real human skeletons rather than fake ones, which many believe to be a reason for the legend.

Little Mermaid Poster

The original cover of Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989) home video displays a, erm, 'phallus', on the cover. It was thought that this was deliberately drawn by a disgruntled artist working on the film.

The laserdisc release of the film, which was later issued, featured a cover containing an altered version of the infamous spire.

Take Off Your Clothes

In the film Aladdin (1992), there is a scene where Aladdin can be seen sneaking onto Princess Jasmine's balcony, when Jasmine's tiger Rajah threatens him and backs him up against the railing.

When Aladdin tries to shoo off the creature, many have alleged that the hero whispers, "Good teenagers, take off your clothes."

1. Bikini Girl Poster and 2. 'S-E-X' in The Sky

1. The poster of The Lion King (1994) sharply resembles a woman's figure

2. In a scene where Simba falls on the ground, dust comes up into the sky and forms a word that appears to be "SEX".

Three Men and A Baby Ghost

In the film 3 Men and a Baby (1987), the ghostly image of a boy who died in the home where the movie was filmed can actually be seen in the finished movie.

Stanley Kubrick and the Moon Landing

The Documentary Room 237 (2012) had several conspiracy theories regarding legendary director Stanley Kubrick, among them:

1. Kubrick filmed the fake Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, and confessed to it in The Shining (1980) through many subtle hints.

2. Kubrick made the movie an allegory for the US attempted genocide of the Native American population.

3. Kubrick used the film as a means of dealing with the holocaust, seeing - an example is the number 42 recurrently appearing, alluding to the year 1942, when the horrors amidst the Holocaust began.

Based on a True Story (Documentary)

The movie The Blair Witch Project (1999) is based on footage shot by three student filmmakers who mysteriously disappeared while making a documentary about the legend of the Blair Witch.

The Exorcist Curse in the "Exorcist" Franchise (1973-)

The story in The Exorcist (1973) is supposedly based on loose facts, and nine people involved in the film's production died during its time.

There was a fire that destroyed one of the sets and many people got very sick during the initial screenings, with one woman reporting a miscarriage.

The Superman Curse in the "Superman" Franchise (1952-)

The Man of Steel has long been believed as a cursed role. George Reeves, who starred in Adventures of Superman (1952-1958) on television, died of a gun shot wound to the head.

Christopher Reeves, who starred in 4 films, died at 52, 9 years after he was paralyzed in a horseback riding accident.

Painted Death

In the scene in Goldfinger (1964) where Bond discovers Jill Masterson’s lifeless body on the bed, painted in gold, it was rumored at the time that actress Shirley Eaton actually died while filming that scene, because the paint covered and clogged all of her pores, preventing her from breathing.

Death during the Chariot Race

It has been speculated that during the filming of the now famous chariot race scene in Ben-Hur (1959), a stuntman was killed and his death was actually left in the final cut of the movie at the wishes of his widow.

Topless Woman

A hidden image of a topless woman appears in the home video version of Disney's The Rescuers (1977).

Disney announced a recall of the home video version of their 1977 animated feature The Rescuers because it contained an "objectionable background image."