10 Craziest Movie Myths (That Turned Out To Be True)
5. Charlie Chaplin's Body Was Stolen And Held For Ransom
Theres an oft-repeated rumour that - in the last years of his life - Charlie Chaplin entered a Chaplin lookalike contest and only came in third. It's a fun story that has never been verified by anyone, with all the evidence pointing to it being little more than a rumour.
What is true however is that shortly after his death two men dug up his body and held it to ransom. They reburied his coffin in a field and then tried to extort money out of Chaplin's estate for its location. The saga went on for days but - as they weren't the smartest guys in the world - the police quickly tracked them down. They quickly confessed and were sentenced to jail for "disturbing the peace of the dead."
When Chaplin was buried again the family made sure nobody else tried the scheme; they covered his coffin in six feet of concrete.