The types of legends that surround films are too numerous to categorize. Here is a but a small selection of tales about altered endings, ghostly images, mysterious objects, and deaths, both on-camera and off.
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Back to the Future II
The 1989 film Back to the Future II correctly predicted the outcome of the 1997
World Series.*
The hoverboards used in Back to the Future II were real.
Ben-Hur
A stuntman was killed during the filming of the chariot race scene in 1959's Ben-Hur.
The Blair Witch Project
The film The Blair Witch Project is based on documentary footage shot by three student filmmakers who mysteriously disappeared.*
Casablanca
Ronald Reagan was the actor originally selected to play the role of Rick Blaine in Casablanca.
The Deer Hunter
Showings of The Deer Hunter have inspired Russian Roulette suicides.
Deliverance
Chance encounter between autistic child and film actor results in "dueling banjos" scene.
Dr. Zhivago
A stuntwoman's legs were amputated when she fell under a train.
For Your Eyes Only
One of the women in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only used to be a guy.
Goldfinger
An actress in Goldfinger died from asphyxiation after being covered with gold paint.
How the West Was Won
A stunt man was killed during the filming of a fight scene.
Key Largo
A character in the 1948 film Key Largo makes a prescient comment about Florida politicians.
King Kong vs. Godzilla
The Japanese and American versions of King Kong vs. Godzilla had different endings.
The Madness of King George
The distributors of The Madness of George III changed its title to The Madness of King George because they were afraid Americans would think it was the third installment of a "Madness of George" film series.
The Manchurian Candidate
The film The Manchurian Candidate was withdrawn from distribution in 1963 due to the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
Napoleon Dynamite
The Idaho legislature passed a resolution praising the producers of Napoleon Dynamite.
A Night in Casablanca
Warner Bros. threatened to sue the Marx Brothers over their use of the word "Casablanca" in the film title A Night in Casablanca.
Patton Mules were shot during the filming of the bridge scene in the 1970 motion picture Patton.
Poltergeist
A number of unusual deaths have occurred to the cast of the Poltergeist trilogy of films.
Pulp Fiction
The mysterious briefcase contained Marsellus' soul.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
A case of the trots led to one of the film's most memorable scenes.
Smokey and the Bandit
The third Smokey and the Bandit film was originally shot with Jackie Gleason playing both the Sheriff and the Bandit.
Star Wars
A Star Wars trading card was altered to depict the droid C-3PO with an oversized penis.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was based on a true story.
Three Men and a Baby
The ghostly image of a dead boy appears in a window.
Twister
A tornado ripped through a drive-in while Twister was playing on the screen.
The Wizard of Oz
A munchkin's on-set suicide was captured on film. Buddy Ebsen was slated to play the Tin Woodman but had to be replaced when the makeup made him ill.
A second-hand coat purchased for Professor Marvel's costume was later discovered to have been owned by L. Frank Baum.
Young Frankenstein
The reaction of horses to housekeeper Frau Blucher's name is a subtle in-joke.
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= true
= false
= multiple truth values
= undetermined
= unclassifiable veracity