Nelson (Steve Freeling), Jo Beth Williams (Diane Freeling), and Tom Skerritt (Bruce Gardner) are all very much alive. A more extreme version of the rumor had some claiming that every actor who played a main character in the film had died. Rumors about which members of the cast would die next began swirling about (and were more difficult to debunk before the advent of the internet): For a time, some mistakenly believed that Oliver Robins, the actor who played Carol Anne's brother Robbie Freeling in the first two films, had died in a car crash or had been mistakenly strangled by the mechanical clown doll in the first movie, according to Snopes, a fact checking website that covers urban legends, and Bloody Disgusting, a website that covers horror films. The shocking nature of O'Rourke's death solidified for many that something suspicious was afoot. Her death is not usually connected to the so-called curse, as she was not exactly cut down in her prime. There was one other death as well: actress and activist Zelda Rubinstein, who played the plucky, diminutive psychic in the three original films, passed away from natural causes at the age of 76, according to CNN. O'Rourke was pronounced dead on February 1, 1988. Doctors had been attempting to repair an acute bowel obstruction caused by congenital stenosis of the intestine, but could not save the young thespian in time, according to the LA Times. Not long after that, Heather O'Rourke, the young actress who played protagonist Carol Anne in all three films, would pass away rather suddenly. He died on June 3, 1987, after a lengthy illness caused by a chronic degenerative condition, according to The Herald Journal. Will Sampson had played a kindly ghost named Taylor who protected Carol Anne in the second film of the series. Next in the string of spooky deaths was that of Julian Beck, who played the aforementioned apocalyptic prognosticator Kane in "Poltergeist II." Beck would not live to see the release of the sequel, which would be his final film: He passed away at the age of 60 after a battle with stomach cancer on September 14, 1985, according to The New York Times.Ī third death of an actor associated with the film started rousing spectral suspicions. Sweeney would go on to be found guilty of voluntary manslaughter, sparking outrage amidst the perpetrator's family, who had hoped less serious charges would be pursued, according to a 1983 article from The Freelance Star. According to a New York Times article at the time, Dunne was put on life support after the attack from her former beau but passed away five days later. Actress Dominique Young, who made her debut in "Poltergeist" as the elder sister of Carol Anne, was strangled to death by her former boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, in the wake of an argument between the two. The legend of the so-called Poltergeist Curse began the same year the first movie was released. Photo by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images Nelson holds Oliver Robins in a scene from the film "Poltergeist," 1982. Gifted with a magical essence, the youngest daughter of this average suburban household, Carol Anne, is relentlessly pursued by a cavalcade of malicious spirits, including that of a sadistic doomsday cult leader named Kane. The original "Poltergeist" trilogy tells the story of the Freeling family and their terrifying encounters with the supernatural. That's because many fans of the film believe these scary movies, in reality, are cursed. "Poltergeist" would go on to spawn several sequels (and a critically reviled reboot) - but each attempt at continuing the franchise is met with considerable fear. Using inventive special effects and compelling character development, the movie is frequently ranked amongst the greatest entries into the genre of all time. Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg's 1982 film "Poltergeist" is a beloved horror classic. And most bizarrely of all, a handful of mysterious deaths. Spiritual mediums battling the forces of evil. A house built on an ancient Native American burial ground.
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