Showing posts with label unexplained. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unexplained. Show all posts

Saturday, February 11, 2012

The Our Gang Curse: Tragic Deaths of the Little Rascals

Curses. Nothing strikes our curiosity more than when tragedy strikes several people who all have a common connection. Soon we speculate as to the reason why such a dark cloud descended upon them.  Is it karma? Is it a curse?

Curses that surface from the entertainment industry are much more common, simply because the public is engulfed in entertainment every day. One “curse” that is particularly disturbing is that of Hal Roach’s Our Gang series. Personally, I remember watching the show as a child and I enjoy them just as much as an adult. The talent of the young actors of that time made the Our Gang series fiercely popular which resulted in 221 films that were made in a span of 22 years from 1922-1944.


Throughout that time, 176 children starred in the series. Some actors, such as Spanky, Alfalfa, and Darla became the cornerstones of the series, while many other characters came and went. Banking on the popularity of Our Gang, many thought their careers would flourish, and, as many child actors realize, breaking into films as an adult, is much more difficult.

These are the stories of some of the actors of the Our Gang series and their unfortunate ends that have led many to call it The Our Gang Curse.

Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer

Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer – Switzer found bit parts as an adult actor which included the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. Failing to make any substantial money as an adult actor, Switzer took many odd jobs to make a living such as a bartender, dog trainer, and hunting guide. Switzer was shot and killed at the age of 31 while involved in a fight with his business partner over $50. His death was ruled justifiable homicide because his partner acted in self defense.





Harold Switzer




Harold Switzer – Harold is Carl’s older brother and also appeared in the Our Gang series. He committed suicide in April 1967 after murdering his girlfriend.







William "Buckwheat" Thomas



William “Buckwheat” Thomas – Thomas became a film technician for Technicolor Corporation. A neighbor, concerned when he didn’t see Thomas for several days, entered his home and found him dead. Thomas died of a heart attack at the young age of 49.







Robert "Wheezer" Hitchens


Robert “Wheezer” Hitchens – Hitchens became a cadet in the Army Air Corps. A few days shy of his 20th birthday, he crashed while landing his plane during a training exercise and was killed.





Matthew "Stymie" Beard


Matthew “Stymie” Beard- Beard dropped out of high school and soon found himself in and out of prison for the next several years. Beard wrestled with a heroin addiction for 20 years and reportedly became clean in the 1970’s. Developing pneumonia following a stroke claimed his life in 1981 at the age of 56.




Darla Hood


Darla Hood – Hood contracted acute hepatitis during minor surgery. She died suddenly of heart failure due to the hepatitis in 1979 at the age of 47.






Norman "Chubby" Chaney
Norman “Chubby” Chaney – Chaney suffered from a glandular problem that resulted in him gaining more than 300 pounds by the age of 17. He underwent surgery that corrected the problem and brought his weight down to approximately 130 pounds. The surgery proved to be too late. Chaney never regained his health and died in 1936 at 18 years of age.




Scotty Beckett
Scotty Beckett –A history of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, trouble with the law, and two failed marriages plagued Beckett’s adult life. He checked himself into a Hollywood nursing home in 1968 when  an unknown person or persons physically assaulted him. Beckett died two days later. A suicide note and an empty bottle of pills were found by investigators, but the coroner never stated whether it was the beating or the pills that ended his life. He was only 38 years old.





William "Froggy" Laughlin



William “Froggy” Laughlin – Laughlin’s life ended at the tender age of 16 when a truck struck the back of his motor scooter while he was delivering newspapers.







Richard "Mickey" Daniels


Richard “Mickey” Daniels – Daniels, estranged from his wife and children, died alone at the age of 55 in a San Diego hotel room in 1970 of cirrhosis of the liver. At the time of this death, Daniels was labeled a John Doe due to lack of identification. His family identified his remains 21 years later and Daniels is now buried in an unmarked grave.






Bobby Blake
Bobby Blake (Mickey Gubitosi) – Blake may be best known for starring in the 70s show Barretta as an adult. Blake found trouble when he met Bonnie Lee Bakely in the 1990s. Bakely, an alleged con artist, wanted to have a child with a famous actor and apparently hooked Blake. Bakely gave birth to their daughter in 2000 and five months later Blake and Bakley married. A year later, on May 4, 2001, after having dinner at a restaurant, Bakely was shot and killed while waiting for Blake in their car. Blake, arrested for the murder, was found not guilty in March 2005. Many believe Blake got away with murder. He says, because of his legal trouble, he is now destitute.

Robert "Bonedust" Young



Robert “Bonedust” Young – In 1951, Young fell asleep in bed while smoking a cigarette which led to the fire that claimed his life. Young was 33.






Jay "Pinky" Smith


Jay “Pinky” Smith – Smith bought a paint store upon returning home from serving in World War II and was able to retire to the islands of Hawaii. Smith soon found his way to Las Vegas and befriended a homeless man. In 2002, at the age of 87, Smith’s body was found in the desert outside Las Vegas. The homeless man stabbed Smith to death and then dumped his body.




Dorothy Dandrige


Dorothy Dandridge – Dandridge starred in the “Teacher’s Pet” episode of Our Gang. She went on to become a famous actress and singer, but she cut her life short in 1965, when she committed suicide by overdosing on drugs. Her death came after losing all of her money in a phony investment scheme.






Kendell "Breezy Brisbane" McComas



Kendell “Breezy Brisbane” McComas- McComas became an electrical engineer and worked at the U.S. Naval Weapons Center in China Lake California. He committed suicide in 1981 at the age of 64, two weeks before being forced into retirement.






Darwood "Waldo" Kaye




Darwood “Waldo” Kaye – Kaye, a Pastor, died in 2002 at the age of 72 when he was struck and killed while walking on a sidewalk.







Pete the Pup



Pete the Pup – An unknown assailant poisoned the first dog that played Pete in 1930.








Several other Our Gang cast members lost the fight to cancer:
Johnny Downs – Age 81
Mary Kornman – Age 58















Jackie Condon – Age 59
Harry Spear – Age 84

Allen “Farina” Hoskins – Age 59
Many Our Gang cast members were never touched by the “curse” and others passed away of natural causes. Whether their demise resulted from their own hand, their bad choices, forces beyond their control, or their carelessness, it is unsettling that a group of children who brought so much joy to so many, had such tragic events touch their lives.

Do you believe in the Our Gang Curse?

Kerri L. Schultz

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

On this Day - Devon's Devil Footprints

The hillsides of Devon, England are the playground of the Devil, or so some people believe. February 8 , 1855, citizen’s awoke to find single tracks of cloven hooves decorating the hillsides newly fallen snow. Panic arose in the town quickly when the tracks couldn’t be identified. They weren’t simply spanning across fields, hoof prints were found on houses, roofs, haystacks and other odd places where it would be almost impossible for a hoofed animal to walk on.

The tracks spanned almost 100 miles and were reported as being 4 inches long, 3 inches across and 8 to 16 inches. Rumors of sightings of a devil-like figure roaming around the area fueled the panic that among Devon’s inhabitants. People found comfort in arming themselves, and groups hunted the creature with no success.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Ironic and Unusual Physical Deaths

Prior to incarnating on earth, it is believed that our soul creates a contract detailing what lessons we will focus on learning while on the physical plane. These contracts also include contracts with other people, geographic location, who will be our family, etc. Built into this contract, of course, is free will, and it is believed that in each contract we build in 5 exit points or events where we can choose to leave our physical bodies and cross over to the other side. I do believe this concept, however, I personally also believe the God’s will also plays a part.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Jamaican Boy's Haunting Caught on Tape?

This story was originally reported in 2010, but it is nevertheless, startling and intriguing. An 11 year old Jamaican boy was being tormented by ghost or a Duppy as it is called in Jamaica and some disturbances were caught on video. Unlike some videos claiming paranormal activity that typically appear on a television show, this video was actually reported by the area’s local news.

The boy is claiming that he is being tormented by a classmate who passed away. Some are claiming that it is an evil spirit or even djinn that may be responsible. Viewing the news footage, as you can see below, it is quite unsettling what is happening to the boy. In one portion of the video, the young man is sitting on a chair being interviewed by the news crew when the chair suddenly is pulled back. The open doorway behind the chair makes this event questionable. Is it possible that something was rigged behind him?

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Stigmata: A Blessing or Sign of Mental Illness

All of us are in search of authentic proof that life continues after death and that ghosts, spirits, and angels, to name a few, actually exist. Religions of the world teach that we must have faith and believe that we continue once our physical body dies. The Catholic faith also teaches us to have this faith; however, there is a phenomenon that occurs for a rare few that brings the mystical into reality. This condition is known as the stigmata.

The stigmata is the appearance of the wounds that Jesus suffered during his passion of the cross. Jesus’ was nailed to the cross when he was crucified and it created a hole in both hands and both feet. Another wound was created in his side when a soldier pierced his to see if he was still alive. Those who claim to have the stigmata, have these same wounds Jesus suffered and for extended periods of time. Stigmata wounds never heal and are often reported to smell of a sweet fragrance. Accompanying this condition is the ability to go long periods of time with little or now food or water. It is taught in the Catholic faith that the stigmata is a blessing bestowed on the most holy and devout.


St. Francis of Assisi was the first Catholic saint that is reported to have had the stigmata. Several other saints have also had the stigmata, but St. Padre Pio is the most recent saint to exhibit the wounds. St. Padre Pio, was a miraculous healer and exhibited the stigmata for fifty years until his death in 1968. Both St. Francis and St. Padre Pio were subjected to tests and observation to validate their authenticity.

St. Padre Pio

Modern scientific research on the phenomenon believes that the stigmata was not mystical at all, but a result of possible dissociative identity disorders. These types of disorders have a link between self starvation, dissociative mental states, and self mutilation.

It’s very possible the stigmata was the result of nothing more than mental disorder. But to countless Catholics, it is physical proof that life not only exists after this world, but that the Divine is truly working within our reality.

Kerri L. Schultz

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Incorruptibility – Divine Souls that Don’t Decompose


St. Bernadette

Incorruptibility is a belief of the Roman Catholic Church that God intervenes to keep the bodies of those humans who are deemed saints from decomposing. The criteria for being recognized as a saint are three miracles. The miracles would be reported by a person who prayed to the would be saint and asked them to intercede on their behalf. One of these miracles included incorruptibility, but that is no longer the case. The Roman Catholic Church still recognizes, however, a corpse that does not decompose is a divine act of God.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Hand of God Intervenes in an Unjust Death Sentence

Anne Greene worked in the house of  Sir Thomas Read of Dunstew in the county of Steeple Barton, Oxfordshire in England in 1648 and 1650. While in Sir Read's employee, Anne was seduced by her master's grandson which resulted in the birth of a child. The child was allegedly stillborn, and despite medical evidence that provided proof that this was true, the infants death was suspicious due to the circumstances.

Greene was accused of committing infanticide in 1650 and condemned to death by hanging for murder. She was fearful of the execution, not of death, but of not dying. Greene had an eery precognition that her execution would not be successful and asked several friends to pull at her body and hit her to ensure she was dead. She was executed on December 14, 1650. Her body hung the usual amount of time and her friends followed her wishes and pulled and hit her body. She was dead.

Greene's body was delivered to the medical doctors for educational dissection. It was there, that the doctors discovered that Greene was breathing. The medical doctors nursed her back to health and the courts granted her a free pardon. Surviving an execution was deemed as the hand of God intervening on behalf of an innocent put to death. Her ordeal inspired many pamphlets and poems including the "Newes from the Dead, or a True and Exact Narration of the Miraculous Deliverance of Anne Greene" written by an Oxford Scholler.

Anne Greene married, had several children, and went on to lead a  full life. Whether her survival was of a divine nature or there is a biological reason the hanging was not successful,Greene cheated death and it could only be deemed miraculous!

Kerri L. Schultz



Sunday, August 21, 2011

On This Day: Knock County Ireland's Divine Vision


On August 21, 1879 at approximately 8pm fifteen people witnessed a miraculous vision at the south gable of Knock Parish Church in Ireland. The vision was that of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist, as well as an altar with a lamb and cross.

The witnesses’ account of the vision was quite detailed.  The Blessed Virgin Mary wore a beautiful crown with crosses that sparkled and glittered. She wore a billowing white cloak, her hands held to her shoulders with palms facing each other with her eyes looking toward heaven “deep in prayer”.  St. Joseph, also wearing a white robe, stood on the Blessed Virgin Mary’s right, facing her with his head bend forward in respect. St. John the Evangelist stood to her left in a long robe and wore a mitre. Witnesses say he appeared to be preaching and he held open a large book in his left hand. An altar with a lamb and cross standing on it stood to St. John’s left. Angels also flanked the altar.

The witnesses prayed the rosary for two hours in the pouring rain while observing the apparition. They reported that at first, when the vision appeared, the light of the day had been good, but even as the sky darkened with the incoming storm, the vision remained clear. The apparition did not move or flicker and although the ground was wet, the witnesses claim that the ground beneath the vision remained dry. One witness, Bridget Trench “went in immediately to kiss, as I thought, the feed of the Blessed Virgin; but I felt nothing in the embrace but the wall, and I wondered why I could not feel with my hands the figures which I had so plainly and so distinctly seen.”

The Archbishop of Tuam, Most Rev. Dr. John McHale established an ecclesiastical Commission of inquiry to determine the authenticity of the witnesses’ claims. The final verdict was that the testimony of all witnesses was deemed “trustworthy and satisfactory”. A second inquest was done with the surviving witnesses in 1936 who confirmed the evidence they testified to in the first inquiry. Based on both inquiries, the Catholic Church deemed this event authentic. A shrine dedicated to the vision was established and in 1979 Pope John Paul II visited the site and presented a Golden Rose which is a rarely bestowed symbol of papal honor and recognition. Mother Theresa of Calcutta visited the Shrine in 1993.

The National Marian Shrine, dedicated to the vision, was built on the site is now a popular pilgrimage destination for Catholics around the world.  Pope John Paul II visited the site in 1979 and presented a Golden Rose which is a rarely bestowed symbol of papal honor and recognition. Mother Theresa of Calcutta visited the Shrine in 1993. Based on the official site of the shrine, the site receives one and a half million pilgrims annually.

For more information visit the Ireland’s National Marian Shrine Website.

A Catholic and Psychic’s Perspective: I believe in miracles. I believe even more in the appearance of our Blessed Virgin Mary, and other saints, to people on the earth plane to not only give us hope, but to prove the existence of the divine.  While I have a strong faith, I also have a strong sense of discernment. That said, when I began reading about this vision, there were some blatant contradictions in the witnesses’ testimony that I couldn’t ignore.

·         The Apparition didn’t move or flicker – The Blessed Virgin Mary bestows messages on those she appears to, such as the three children of Fatima. The description of the vision appears more to be a picture than an actual apparition.

·         The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Eyes looking to Heaven – I have seen numerous pictures of the Blessed Virgin Mary portrayed in the same pose and with her eyes looking toward heaven.

·         The ground was dry under the figures although it was raining – This statement by witnesses leads one to believe that the figures were solid, however, one witness who tried to kiss the feet of the Blessed Virgin Mary admitted she fell right through. Why would a woman be able to go through an apparition and not rain? Was the ground really dry or did the woman simply fall?

      I am not saying that the vision was fake, but I am saying that some facts are questionable. Still we may never know the truth because of the passing of the witnesses and the passage of time. Yet, anything that restores faith and hope to people is always a blessing.
     
      Kerri. L. Schultz

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Cause of Death - "Compelling Unknown Force"

Creatures of civilization, we often forget about the perils of the wilderness. Only when we see unfortunate news headlines such as "Hikers Missing Presumed Dead" are we reminded that beyond our comfortable homes Mother Nature’s ruthlessness has never waned. Weeks later, the news stirs our memories with reports that the hikers are found with details of their demise. Their death blamed on loss of direction combined with weather conditions leading to exposure then hypothermia then death. The hiker’s cause of death is typical for their predicament, but what if the cause death was unusual? What if, their cause of death could not be attributed to exposure, accident, murder or even suicide? What if doctors determined their cause of death as a "compelling unknown force"?


Igor Dyatlov

The "compelling unknown force" was determined to be the cause of death for several members of a group of ski hikers in 1959 on the Kholat Syakhl mountain (a Mansi name, meaning Mountain of the Dead) which is part of the Ural mountains in Russa. The party was led by Igor Dyatlov and consisted of students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnical Institute. The hikers set out January 31st. The goal was to Otorten mountain, but the season of the year determined the trek to be the most difficult. Still, a confidence and relaxed atmosphere surrounded the group who were all experienced in long ski tours and mountain hikes. The group consisted of:
 




Igor Dyatlov, the group's leader
Zinaida Kolmogorova
Lyudmila Dubinina
Alexander Kolevatov
Rustem Slobodin
Yuri Krivonischenko
Yuri Doroshenko
Nicolai Thibeaux-Brignolle
Alexander Zolotarev
 
Dyaltlov, as the responsbile leaders, agreed to send a telegraph to the group's sports club when they returned to the city of Vizhai. The expectation was that the telegraph would not be sent later than February 12. The date of February 12 came and went, but, as typical of difficult hiking expeditions, it was thought the group was delayed. The family members of the hikers grew more worried and pressed authorities to send a rescue party to search for their loved ones. Teachers and students from the Ural Polytechnical institute volunteered to search, however, soon police and military were called in to assist.

On February 26, searchers found the abandon camp of hikers and the badly damaged tent. Footprints led toward the edge of a nearby woods and under an old pine they found the remnants of a fire and the bodies of Krivonischenko and Doroshenko. Both were shoeless and dressed only in their underwear. Dyatlov, Kolmogorova and Slobodin were found separate distances from the camp, but all seemed to be in poses trying to get back to the tent. The remaining 4 hikers were not found until May 4 in a ravine in a valley that was not far from the large pine tree.

The cause of death for Krivonischenko, Doroshenko, Dyatlov, Kolmogorova and Slobodin was hypothermia. One had a small crack in the skull, but doctors determined this was not significant enough to cause death. The cause of death for the 4 found in May, was a little more suspicious.
Three of the four sustained fatal injuries. Thibeaux-Brignolle had major skull damage, and both Dubunina and Zolotarev had major chest fractures. Dr. Boris Vozrozhdenny who examined the bodies said that the force to cause the chest fractures was extremely high and likened more to a car crash. What was even more confusing was that there were no external wounds. It looked more like a high level of pressure crippled the hikers. Adding to the mystery was that one woman was found with her tongue missing.
The investigation started to unveil more unusual circumstances surrounding the dismal fate of the group:
  • High doses of radiation contamination were on the clothes of few of the victims. The cause of the radiation was never determined.
  • Dr. Boris Vozrozhdenny stated the fatal injuries suffered by three of the hikers could not have been caused by a human being
  • All died 6 to 8 hours after eating their last meal.
  • Relatives claimed the victims skin looked a strange brown tan color.
  • Another group of hikers claimed to see several orange "spheres" above the area on the mountain where the group perished. These spheres were also reported by the meteorology service and the military between February and March 1959.
The mountain pass where the group lost their lives was renamed the Dyatlov Pass in honor of the victims. The Dyatlov Foundation was formed to convince the Russian officials to reopen the case since the cause of the deaths was never successfully solved.


Speculators believe that due to the radiation found that the military were conducting experiments in the area and were unaware of the groups presence. Others believe that the spheres were UFOs and they killed the hikers. Comparisons have been made to the Cattle Mutilation phenomena which is also blamed on extraterrestrials. Cattle Mutilations are incidents where cattle have been stripped of flesh and muscle with incredible precision in a matter of minutes. The cattle usually have no indication of bleeding and sometimes appear to have been dropped at a significant height due to the indentations in the group beneath. The Cattle Mutilations are eerily similar to the injuries of the hikers with the chest fractures and tongue missing. Still, no one has solved the mystery of the Dyatlov party, unless of course, it's been covered up?

Kerri L. Schutlz

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Movie Curses - Real or Coincidence?


There is nothing more intriguing than a movie curse that plagues actors and crew members with strange misfortunes, sometimes even deadly misfortunes, simply because of their part in a film. I cannot say that I believe that there is a dark cloud of negativity hovering over the production of the movies I’ve researched, but the events certainly appear more than just coincidence.

The question that repeatedly sounded in my mind was “Why?”. What would cause these groups of people, who were brought together to create entertainment for others, be drawn into a web of ill fate? Is it possible that the subject matter attracted the negativity? Collectively, I am positive the cast and crew focused on the fear of the films they were making, and those types of emotions can easily generate a thoughtform and attract situations of fear into their lives. The cause of movie “curses” may never be known, but the facts are worth reviewing.

Let me know what you think!

Are the circumstances involving these films merely coincidence or is there something more sinister lurking about?

Twilight Zone the Movie

July 23, 1982 in Ventura County, California, production was set to film a scene with Vic Morrow who played the role of Bill Connor, a racist, who is taken back in time and placed in various situation where he is the victim of racism. The movie had scenes of Bill Connor being a Jewish man during the holocaust, a black man about to be lynched by the Ku Klux Klan, and a Vietnamese man trying to escape from United States soldiers.
This particular day was the filming of the scene of the Vietnamese man who was attempting to escape from a US Army helicopter with two Vietnamese children. The two Vietnamese children were played by My-Ca Dinh Le, age 7, and Renee Shin-Yi Chen (age 6). In the scene, the helicopter was to hover over the three actors while an explosion occurred nearby. The scene began filming, and the helicopter hovered only 25 feet above them. This was too close to the pyrotechnic explosions which damaged the helicopter and caused it to crash on top of the actors. Morrow and Le were decapitated and Chin was crushed underneath the helicopter. No one in the helicopter was injured.

Is it possible that the negativity involved in the subject matter had something to do with the incident? Or was the helicopter crash a very unfortunate and tragic accident?

Superman
The first victim associated with the alleged curse of Superman is George Reeves who played Superman on television in the 1950’s. Reeve died of a gunshot wound to the head in 1959 which was considered a suicide. An investigation later revealed there were no finger prints on the gun which would lead one to believe it was a murder, but the authorities continue to rule his death a suicide.

Christopher Reeve played Superman in 4 major motion pictures beginning in the late 70s through the late 80s. Reeve, whose name is eerily similar to Reeves last name, did not have any tragedies occur during the filming of the Superman movies. The alleged Superman curse struck on May 27, 1995 when Reeve was thrown from a horse while in an equestrian competition in Virginia. He suffered a cervical spinal injury that paralyzed him from the neck down making him a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. Reeve was admitted to the hospital early October 2004 to treat a pressure wound that was causing sepsis. Shortly after receiving an antibiotic for the infection, he went into cardiac arrest and then slipped into a coma. Reeves suffered another cardiac arrest eighteen hours later and died on October 10, 2004 at the age of 52.


Margot Kidder who played Lois Lane in the Superman franchise also fell on some troubled times. Kidder experienced a manic episode in 1996 and was found by Los Angeles police naked and cowering in undergrowth with bashed-in teeth. She was placed in psychiatric care and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It is reported that she has gotten her condition under control and has not had a manic episode in years.




Richard Pryor, who played Gus Gorman, a talented computer hacker in the 1983 Superman III, was yet another alleged victim of the Superman movie curse. Three years after Superman III, Pryor was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He also suffered from heart problems and in 1990 underwent a triple heart bypass. Nine days after his birthday, in 2005, Pryor suffered another heart attack and was unable to be resuscitated. He was 65 years old.


Poltergeist
Researching the alleged curse of the Poltergeist movies, I have found many mentions of the use of authentic skeletons in the pool scene. Apparently, this was confirmed by JoBeth Williams on E! True Hollywood Story about Poltergeist. Honestly, if there is any truth to this fact, I find it morbid, simply because the premise of the movie was based on the remains of people being desecrated. I would not attribute the “curse” to the use of authentic skeletons, but the death of 4 of the movie’s actors does appear suspicious.




Dominique Dunne, who played Freeling, the oldest daughter, was murdered in 1982 shortly after completing work on Poltergeist. Dunne met and moved in with a Los Angeles chef, John Thomas-Sweeney (born and raised in Hazelton, PA). The relationship soon became abusive and Dunne ended the relationship. On October 30th, Sweeney approached Dunne in the driveway of her home in hopes of reconciling. Dunne refused and Sweeney became enraged and strangled her, some report that this happened for at least 4 minutes. Dunne fell into a deep coma and died five days later on November 4 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.






No one will ever forget the creepy rendition of “God is in his Holy Temple” sung by Julian Beck as he played the ghost Rev. Henry Kane in Poltergeist II: The Other Side. Beck was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1983 prior to accepting his role as the revengeful preacher. He died just two years later at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City at the young age of 60.



Will Sampson, who played the Native American Shaman named Taylor in the 1986 movie Poltergeist II: The Other Side passed away on June 3, 1987. Sampson was in need of a heart and liver transplant. His death was due to post-operative kidney failure and pre-operative malnutrition problems. He was only 53 years old. Once of Sampson’s more famous roles was Chief Bromden in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.


Heather O’ Rourke, who played Carol Ann Freeling, the daughter who disappeared in the house, died on February 1, 1988 at the age of twelve. Her cause of death was intentional stenosis, septic shock and cardiac arrest. O’Rourke became ill in early 1987 and was allegedly misdiagnosed by Kaiser Permanente Hospital as having Crohn’s disease. The medicine that was prescribed to treat the condition made her cheeks puffy which is evident in many picture and in the last Poltergeist III movie. It was later discovered after her death that she did not have Crohn’s disease, but suffered from and acute bowel obstruction. Her family sued Kaiser Permanente Hospital and settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. Poltergeist III was her last performance.



There were also some unusual phenomena reported from the cast. JoBeth Williams said that each day she returned home from filming, the pictures on her wall would be crooked and she needed to fix them. A prop malfunction caused the clown to actually choke actor Oliver Robbins who played the brother, Robbie Freeling. Finally, during a movie photo shoot, a bright light covered the face the Zelda Rubenstein that could not be explained. She later acknowledged that at the same time the picture was taken, her mother passed away.

Rosemary’s Baby

A handful of misfortunes are attributed to the Rosemary Baby curse which I am sure received recognition based on the theme of Satan worship in the movie. The film’s composer died of a blood clot the year after making the film, which ironically, was the cause of death of one of the character’s in the movie. Soon after the film was released, producer William Castle suffered kidney failure. Most notably, the director Roman Polanski suffered a devastating loss when his wife, Sharon Tate, and unborn child, were murdered by Charlie Manson and his family. Curse or Coincidence?




The Omen
The cast and crew of the Omen, yet another movie centered around Satan, had numerous unfortunate events and close calls.

  • Script Writer David Seltzer’s plane was hit by lightning as was Gregory Pecks, and Executive Producer Mace Neufeld’s plane.
  • The IRA bombed a hotel Neufeld was staying at during filming. The hotel restaurant was also bombed which was where the director and actors were scheduled to eat that day. No one was killed.
  • Special effects consultant John Richardson crashed his car in Holland on Friday August 13, 1976. When he got out of the wreck he looked up and saw a sign that allegedly read “Ommen, 66.6km”.
  • One of the film’s tiger handlers died.
  • Gregory Peck’s son shot himself.
  • A plane scheduled for use in film production was rescheduled and the plane was used on a commercial flight. The plane later crashed killing everyone on board.
Curse or simply Coincidence?
Written by Kerri L. Schultz