Here are 10 Bizarre Myths About Movies That Stayed With Audiences Long After They Left Theatres

Beyond telling stories on screen, these movies have also spawned myths that lived on

Although the internet is instrumental in exposing hoaxes, the flipside is that social media can also be used to peddle myths faster than anyone can contain rumors. But in an era with no online channels, there was hardly any way to debunk hoaxes, especially if they were related to films and celebrities. Today we are looking at the most pervasive movie myths and hoaxes of all time that have retained popularity over several decades.

1. The death of the actress painted gold in "Goldfinger"

In the 1964's Bond movie titled, "Goldfinger" Sean Connery discovers a girl's corpse covered entirely in gold paint. In the movie, it was explained that covering her entire body in gold is what killed her, and fans lapped up the theory that the actress died from skin suffocation in reality. The legend held pretty strong until the late 1990s when the internet confirmed that it wasn't true. It was also revealed that when Shirley Eaton, the actress who was covered in gold was shooting the sequence, there was a doctor present to ensure her safety.

2. Brandon Lee's death being part of the final cut of "Crow"

"Crow" was undoubtedly Brandon Lee's best performance but the film is most remembered for the tragic fate of its star, who was killed close to the end of production by a prop gun that misfired and fatally wounded him. This led to rumors at the time that the scene in which Lee was shot dead was used in the final cut of the movie. However, it held no truth, and reports said that the footage was destroyed without even being developed. It was also reported that when he died, Lee was carrying a bag of groceries and there was no such scene in the movie, indicating that this was just a hoax.

3. "The Blair Witch Project's" real life inspiration

Released in the late 90s when the world was adopting the internet, this movie was one of the first projects to use viral marketing techniques to sell itself to audiences. The makers launched an online campaign claiming that the three stars of the film Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard, had genuinely gone missing in the Burkittsville woods while shooting the supposed "documentary". It was a legend that was written by writer-directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez for the movie, and they used the website BlairWitch.com to present it as a myth that was centuries old. Although today's audiences, more acquainted with the prevalence of fake news on the internet, can see through the marketing tactic, the masses back in 1999 bought into it.

4. Real deaths in "Ben-Hur's" chariot race sequence

William Wyler's 1559 biblical epic is known for its chariot sequence which cost almost $1 million and took five years to shoot. The violence was so believable in the sequence that it made many people think that stuntmen were killed during the racing sequence. Stuntman Nosher Powell was responsible for circulating the rumor about the death, claiming that it happened right in front of him. But there's no actual evidence for his claims, which were rejected by Charlton Heston in his autobiography.

5. Death of a woman searching for the "Fargo" money

Unlike the others on this list today, this rumor has nothing to do with the production of the movie but is a story that followed its release. In November of 2001, more than half a decade after the film's release, a 28-year-old Japanese woman named Takako Konishi was found dead in icy woodlands 50 miles from Fargo. Authorities later revealed that she was attempting to track down the fictional fortune that was shown in the movie. However, later, the woman's death was ruled a suicide based on further evidence. 

6. A ghost appearing in a sequence of "Three Men and a Baby"

A particular sequence in the movie about three men forced to take care of a child, features the appearance of a boy who is believed to be the ghost of the boy who used to live in the house where the movie was shot. While it looks like a boy, it was later revealed that it was a cardboard cutout of Ted Danson's character which was intended to be used in a subplot. Even though it was successfully debunked, the urban legend still endures among people obsessed with paranormal myths.

7. Claims of murder in "Cannibal Holocaust"

The film is undoubtedly controversial for its numerous sequences of real violence against animals, but apart from reports of 6 animals being killed, many media outlets also claimed that human deaths in the movie were also real. The director was later charged with murder, but actors clarified on Italian TV that the film used impressive special effects, and the charges were finally dropped in court.

8. Heath Ledger was Killed because of playing the Joker

Heath Ledger's untimely death was a shocker that triggered speculation about what happened to the actor who played The Joker in "The Dark Knight." What followed was a rumor that he used drugs to become the character he was playing. Many said that he was spiraling into a depression and had locked himself in an apartment for weeks and even wrote a journal in character. Later, it was revealed that he died because of an accidental overdose, but his portrayal of the Joker is still being linked to his death. 

9. The curse of "The Omen"

Rumors started circulating that Richard Donner's 1976 genre classic "The Omen" was cursed, since its star Gregory Peck's son committed suicide just two months before the shooting of the film began. Apart from this, the plane that was carrying the actors was struck by lightning and almost crashed. Later, Donner's hotel was bombed by the IRA and he also met with an accident. In a chilling incident after the movie's release, its costume designer John Richardson was involved in a car crash which led to the decapitation of his assistant Liz Moore.

10. Appearance of a dead dwarf in "The Wizard of Oz"

A rumor associated with the movie is that when Dorothy (Judy Garland), Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), and the Tin Man (Jack Haley) are skipping along the Yellow Brick Road, a heartbroken dwarf who hanged himself is seen in the background. When the musical was released, the rumor became a legend. However, when the film was later released on DVD, the myth was debunked. It was revealed that the object was a prop bird moving around.