Strangest things accidentally filmed in movie backgrounds
The Wizard of Oz – hanging Munchkin
By now, most people have at least heard of the urban legend of the “hanging munchkin” from The Wizard of Oz. During a scene in which Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman, and Toto merrily headed off to see the Wizard (and collect the Cowardly Lion along the way, of course), viewers noticed something upsetting going on in the background: deep in the forest of Oz, a dark human-shaped figure seemed to hang and sway, as though lifelessly suspended by a rope. Rumors soon spread that one of the actors portraying a Munchkin in the movie was depressed over his unrequited love for a lady co-star and decided to hang himself in the faux woods of the Tin Woodsman set.
According to these conspiracy theorists, the original home release version—the 50th anniversary VHS version that hit shelves in 1989—contained the true scene of the fatal fallout, which is how many at-home viewers noticed the sight and further spread the story. However, when MGM remastered and re-released the movie in 1998, the background looked very different than it had before. Instead of the hanging figure that’d caused so much hubbub, it appeared as though a large bird, like an emu or a crane, was stretching its wings and scuttling around in the backdrop. According to some, the size and location of the animal didn’t precisely match up with the figure seen on VHS, leaving some viewers convinced there was a cover-up. However, the new visual did support the official story that several zoo animals had been brought to wander on the set and offer authenticity to the landscape, as one of the Munchkin actors confirmed before the upgraded release dropped.
Skeptics offer a plethora of additional reasons for disputing the hanging story. The Munchkin actors weren’t even around the studio when the scene in question was filmed, and even if they were, the fake trees couldn’t support the weight of a person. Others also pointed out that it may have been a simple editing error that made the first visual appear as it did, since there’s evidence of a bird’s wing even in the spookier version of the scene. Even still, morbid fascination keeps this ancient Hollywood rumor alive because, well, it’s just more fun that way.
Strangest things accidentally filmed in movie backgrounds
Post a Comment