There have been rumors for decades that the Poltergeist” movies are cursed, and the debate is still going on. Let’s dig in. We will cover some of the reasons why it’s believed the three movie franchises are cursed, then cover the deaths that are associated with the curse, and end with opinions and/or theories.
What Curse?
A couple different curses (or rumors) have been circulating. One is to the effect that making movies about poltergeists invited evil spirits to this side of the veil. A second version is that the curse of untimely deaths of actors stems from actual human skeletons being used in the pool scene in the first film. One of my personal favorites that is clearly false is that all the actors are dead who played in these films. No, wait, only those who played in the first movie. No, back to all of them. That rumor goes back and forth, depending on the whim of the tellers.
Debunking the Poltergeist Movie Curse
Are any of the rumors true? Do any of them at least have some factual basis? That would be a firm nope! None are real. None are even loosely based on facts, although it’s true that some of the skeletons in the first movie were real human skeletons.
It’s also true that some of the actors have passed away. Two of the four deaths were unexpected but not related to a curse. I will explain all four deaths shortly. The majority of the actors from the trilogy are still alive today. Or let me rephrase that—as of the time I researched this post.
Deaths of the Poltergeist Movie Actors
There have been a total of four deaths of cast members in the Poltergeist trilogy. Two actors from the second movie installment, Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986), one actress from only the first installment, Poltergeist (1982), and a fourth actress who appeared in all three installments have since passed away.
Dominique Dunne (the Big Sister, Dana Freeling)
The death of the first actress was a complete shock and surprise to everyone. Dominique Dunne (November 23, 1959 – November 4, 1982) was born and raised in Santa Monica, California. She was only twenty-two when she was murdered.
She had left her abusive boyfriend shortly after filming was completed for the first Poltergeist movie. Her ex-boyfriend, John Thomas Sweeney, showed up at her home, and Dominique agreed to speak with him outside. He said he wanted to reconcile, but he instead strangled her for about four to six minutes (depending on sources). Dominique collapsed in her driveway, where John left her to die. Initially, Dominique fell into a coma. She passed away shortly after being declared brain-dead, on November 4, 1982.
John Sweeney was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to six and a half years in late 1983. He was released in 1986 after serving only three years and eight months of his sentence.
Julian Beck (the Evil Spirit Kane)
The second actor’s death wasn’t unexpected since he had been battling stomach cancer for eighteen months. Julian Beck (May 31, 1925 – September 14, 1985) was born in Manhattan and founded The Living Theatre there in 1947. He played the evil spirit of Kane from Poltergeist II: The Other Side. Julian passed away at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York on September 14, 1985, and the second movie wasn’t released until May 1986.
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Will Sampson Jr. (Taylor, the Good Spirit)
Will Sampson Jr. (September 27, 1933 – June 3, 1987) was the third cast member to pass away. He was a native of Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, and was a member of the indigenous Muscogee people. He suffered from a chronic condition called scleroderma, which affected his heart, lungs, and skin. Will was fifty-three when he suffered kidney failure after a heart and lung transplant. He was suffering preoperatively from malnutrition, which was also a factor. This wouldn’t have been unexpected, nor do I believe it’s tied to a curse, as his pre-existing medical conditions necessitated these procedures.
Heather Michelle O’Rourke (Carol Anne Freeling)
Heather was born in San Diego, California, on December 27, 1975. She is by far the most iconic actress of all three of the Poltergeist movies, famous for her line from the first movie: “They’re here.”
Her death was unexpected, but I don’t believe it was related to a curse. In 1987, she contracted the parasitic disease giardiasis from well water at her family’s home in Big Bear Lake and was subsequently diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Some sources speculate that this was a misdiagnosis, though.
During the filming of the third movie, she had an intestinal obstruction that required surgery. She developed sepsis as a complication from this obstruction and passed away after suffering cardiac arrest on February 1, 1988, at the age of twelve.
Later, during the autopsy, it was discovered that Heather had suffered from congenital stenosis (narrowing) of the intestine. The third movie, Poltergeist III, was released four months after she passed away.
What Do You Think? Is the Poltergeist Movie Trilogy Cursed?
I have laid out why I don’t think the Poltergeist movies are cursed, but I also want to hear your thoughts. Do you think they are? If so, why?
This next part is my opinion only. I think many of us would like to think the movies are cursed. I saw the first one when I was very young, and to this day, I have traumatic flashbacks and can’t eat normal fried chicken. Truth! I was also scared of a clown doll my grandmother gave me since it was very similar to the one in the first movie.
Because I feared this movie, I wanted to believe it was cursed. Maybe in some twisted way, it might justify my childish fears? I don’t think I’m alone in this; others might not have the same issues, but the fear is there. Just ask someone in the United States who is in their forties if they have seen the original. Watch and laugh.
Twisted humor aside, these movies touch on things that many of us believe could have dire consequences, such as dishonoring burial grounds, interacting with demonic spirits, and children being susceptible to entities. The curse might not be real, but these movies still have a high creep factor. I think that several of the actors and actresses passing away before each movie’s release only adds to the curse idea.
Thanks for Spending Time With us!
Some final thoughts: First, we’re so glad you stopped by.
Next, if you want to read on, we have some other creepy posts you might enjoy, like The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. Perhaps you might fancy a bit of the weird and strange? Then check out our post, Double, Double I See Trouble.
Lastly, we hope to see you again soon.
Sources:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/70638/16-spooky-facts-about-poltergeist
https://urbanlegends.fandom.com/wiki/Poltergeist_Curse
www.snopes.com/fact-check/poltergeist-curse/
https://www.biography.com/news/the-poltergeist-curse-its-heeere
