Summary
Overview
In this Saturday Selects episode from November 2017, Josh and Chuck explore the phenomenon of supposedly cursed movies, examining notable cases from Hollywood history where multiple tragedies occurred during or after film productions. They discuss whether these events are truly supernatural or simply statistical coincidences, while sharing fascinating and sometimes disturbing stories from classic films like The Wizard of Oz, The Omen, and Poltergeist.
The Nature of Movie Curses and Early Hollywood Dangers
The hosts establish the foundation for discussing movie curses by acknowledging that accidents and deaths were unfortunately common on early film sets due to primitive safety standards and dangerous working conditions. They examine how selective memory and confirmation bias contribute to curse narratives, while also recognizing that some clusters of tragedies do seem statistically unusual. The early days of filmmaking involved genuinely hazardous conditions that modern audiences might find shocking.
- Ed Grabianowski, the article writer, repeatedly emphasizes that curses aren't real and these events have rational explanations
- The 1928 film Noah's Ark used 600,000 gallons of water in one take, resulting in three extras drowning and one requiring leg amputation
- In the 1941 film They Die with Their Boots On, three extras died during a cavalry charge scene, including one who was impaled on his own sword
- The 1983 Twilight Zone movie resulted in the deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two child actors when they were killed by a helicopter blade
" This happened on a movie set. "
The Poltergeist Curse
The Poltergeist franchise is examined as a textbook example of how curse narratives are constructed. While several cast members did die, the hosts note that when you account for natural causes, pre-existing health conditions, and the passage of time, the deaths become less mysterious. However, the clustering of deaths and their proximity to the productions does create an eerie pattern that fuels the curse legend.
- Dominique Dunne was murdered by her boyfriend John Sweeney just months after the first Poltergeist in 1982, serving only three years in prison
- Young star Heather O'Rourke died at age 12 in 1988 after Poltergeist III from an intestinal blockage misdiagnosed as flu, suffering heart attack and sepsis
- Will Sampson, who played the medicine man in Poltergeist 2, died in 1987 following a heart and lung transplant, but had a history of health issues
- Julian Beck, who played the terrifying preacher Kane, died of stomach cancer before Poltergeist 2 was released, after a long battle with the disease
" It's also a textbook example of why the idea of curses is silly. "
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