10 Things You Didn't Know About Poltergeist
5. Oliver Robbins Almost Died
The film Poltergeist may have helped the cause of the common phobia of clowns, especially for child actor Oliver Robbins, who had a nasty experience with the toy clown scene.
When Robbie is being strangled, the clown’s arms became extremely tight and Robbins started to choke. He screamed out “I can’t breathe” but director Tobe Hooper interpreted it as all part of the act and simply instructed him to look at the camera.
It was not until he started turning purple that Steven Spielberg clocked on that Oliver was being genuine and freed him.
As for the clown puppet, it is currently on display in Planet Hollywood in Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas.