15 Strange Hollywood Myths, And The Reality Behind Them

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15 Strange Hollywood Myths, And The Reality Behind Them

MGM, Lucasfilm

It's no secret that Hollywood is full of myths. Some of these are true, while others are false. In this list, we explore some of the truths behind them. 

The first myth is about Frankie Muniz, from the show Malcolm in the Middle. There was a rumor going around that he couldn't remember filming the show due to concussions. However, this is not entirely accurate. He clarified that he has a bad memory in general and did suffer from concussions, but there are still some things he remembers about being on set..  

The second one surrounds Elvis Presley's death. It was originally believed that he had died of cardiac arrhythmia. however Dr. George Nichopolous revealed his belief that it was chronic constipation, perhaps caused by Hershberger’s disease.

Lastly, the third myth is Natalie Wood's death being an accident. However, new evidence suggests Robert Wagner pushed her off their boat after a fight, leading many to believe she was murdered.

Michael Kahn, Spielberg’s editor at the time, is likely responsible for this due to Amblin film style.

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did Steven Spielberg direct Poltergeist? It has been widely accepted that Poltergeist is more Spielberg's movie than Tobe Hooper's. This is largely due to the fact that it feels like a classic Amblin picture, which is attributed to Spielberg's editor at the time, Michael Kahn. CRACKED

MGM

Vanity Fair

Harrison Ford didn't get a job on 'Star Wars' thanks to doing carpentry on set.

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did Harrison Ford land Star Wars because he was a handsome carpenter? Ford was offered Han Solo after helping George Lucas audition other actors for the principal parts. Не accepted because it would allow him to pick and choose from the acting jobs that were being offered at the time, as well as giving him money to invest in tools for carpentry. CRACKED

Lucasfilm

Harrison Ford/Reddit

'The Dark Knight's hospital explosion scene was planned and rehearsed, not improvised.

Hollywood Rumors and Myths EMERGEN Did Heath Ledger DENT improvise the hospital explosion scene in The Dark Knight? While Ledger's improvisational skills have been widely praised, the scene was actually planned and rehearsed. Special effects supervisor Chris Corbould worked with Nolan to come up with a scenario that would allow for the destruction of the building while keeping Ledger safe. CRACKED

Warner Bros.

Screen Rant

Patricia Ward Kelly debunked myths about her late husband's iconic movie 'Singin' in the Rain.'

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did Gene Kelly dance in milk for Singin' in the Rain? Many people believe that milk was added to the water for the movie's most iconic scene, and that actor Donald O'Connor was seriously injured on set. Kelly's widow set the record straight: no milk, just really terrific cinematography, and O'Connor was just goofing around with some props. CRACKED

MGM

RadioTimes.com

In 2017, Morgan Spurlock admitted that he lied in the film 'Super Size Me' about not drinking alcohol.

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did McDonald's give Morgan Spurlock the liver of an alcoholic? In 2004's Super Size Me, Spurlock claimed to eat only McDonald's food for 30 days. In 2017, Spurlock admitted that he actually had been drinking, which could certainly have affected his medical tests. CRACKED

Samuel Goldwyn Films

The Center for Consumer Freedom

Natalie Wood was most likely murdered by Robert Wagner, according to new evidence.

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did Christopher Walken kill Natalie Wood? Her death was no accident, and new evidence suggests Robert Wagner pushed her off their boat after a fight. Three men were on the boat that night, and none of them called for help when she went missing. CRACKED

MGM

Vanity Fair

There's an urban legend that if you look closely, you can see a Munchkin hanging themselves during one scene in 'The Wizard of Oz.'

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did an actor hang himself on the set of The Wizard of Oz? There's an urban legend that if you look closely, you can see a Munchkin hanging themself during one scene. However, this myth is most likely just a combination of poor resolution and people seeing what they want to see. CRACKED

MGM

Little White Lines

No dead rats here! Jared Leto sent Margot Robbie vegan cinnamon buns while they worked on 'Suicide Squad' together.

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did Jared Leto send Margot Robbie a dead rat? While filming Suicide Squad, the notoriously twisted actor actually sent her vegan cinnamon buns from a bakery in Toronto. CRACKED

Warner Bros.

Insider

The actress who played Jill Masterson in ‘Goldfinger’ died of skin asphyxiation (but not really).

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did an actress die for real in Goldfinger? When Jill Masterson tries to double cross Goldfinger, he paints her gold, killing her via skin asphyxiation. Many people somehow believed that actress Shirley Eaton actually died in real life, because of how realistic the scene looks. CRACKED

Eon Productions, United Artists

BBC

The true story of Hinkley, CA is darker than in ‘Erin Brockovich.’

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did Erin Brockovich have a happy ending? Former Hinkley resident Roberta Walker and her family were exposed to chromium 6 in the water supply for years, and she has had numerous surgeries and illnesses as a result. Her character in the film was awarded $5 million dollars, but Walker says she saw very little of that money. CRACKED

Universal Pictures

ABC News

Elvis Presley may have had a disease that caused paralysis of nerves in the colon.

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did Elvis die from drugs and heart trouble? Dr. George Nichopoulos said he believes that chronic constipation is the main culprit. Specifically, he may have suffered from a condition called Hershberger's disease, or paralysis of nerves in the colon, caused by viruses. CRACKED

Wiki Commons

Fox News

No one died during the filming of ‘Ben-Hur’ (except for several horses).

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did a stuntman die filming Ben-Hur? The rumors were perpetuated by the director of the chariot scene, Andrew Marton, telling reporters that 20 men and 100 horses died. In reality, one horse died filming the 1925 version, five horses died filming the 1959 version, and exactly zero humans died filming either one. CRACKED

MGM

Snopes

'Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat' was the first documentary film, but reports of people panicking when watching it are likely fabricated.

Hollywood Rumors and Myths Did an 1896 Lumière film cause a stampede? The 50-second documentary Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat is said to have caused audiences to panic at the sight of the oncoming train. It's likely that these stories were invented as a way to describe the emotional power of cinema (or as class commentary on how trashy films affected uncultured people). CRACKED

Société Lumière

Atlas Obscura

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