10 Movie Myths You Probably Believed

3. The Wizard Of Oz - The Dead Munchkin Isn't Real

Gladiator plane
MGM

To another rather grim myth we go now as we take a stroll down the yellow brick road that is the infamous tale of a munchkin apparently taking their own life due to some unrequited love in the midst of a family favourite feature.

Everyone likely remembers the moment they stumbled upon this particularly grisly legend, and you've probably already gone out of your way to pause this very moment during one of your many re-watches of the out-and-out classic that is The Wizard of Oz. Yet, there's one rather vital piece of information that renders this age-old myth entirely false.

The munchkins in question hadn't even been hired at the time of shooting this specific scene.

On top of this, in later editions of the film that were polished and freshened up for modern screens, it has become increasingly clearer that this was anything but an actor dangling from a tree. Instead, the shadowy figure resembles something much closer to a large bird that was roaming around set on the day; backed up by the fact that a number of feathered creatures were borrowed from the Los Angeles Zoo for the shoot.

Contributor
Contributor

Lifts rubber and metal. Watches people flip in spandex and pretends to be other individuals from time to time...