“Poltergeist” Curse or Not?

Posted by scarygeek on January 28, 2010 at 13:43 pm

I was reading the news articles today on Yahoo, and I found out that Zelda Rubinstein died from complications, after suffering a heart attack only two  months ago.  She was only 76 years-old.  She is probably best known for her part in one of my favorite movies, for its time, “Poltergeist..”  She played the medium that cleansed the house at the end of the movie, Tangina Barrons.  I remember her very distinctive voice as she said, “This house is clean!”  She played in many other parts on shows like “Picket Fences” and “Under the Rainbow.”  She was 47 when she got her first part, which is a little old to start and acting career.  She was only 4 ft. 3 inches tall, and had a unique look to her, and I always loved her part in the movie “Poltergeist.”  One thing that I did not know, was that there was supposedly a “curse” on the whole “Poltergeist” movie.  It was kind of like the Bruce Lee curse, but worse.  Several actors died from the time of the first movie in 1982 to the last in 1988. 

Dominique Dunne, who played the eldest daughter, was strangled by her abusive boyfriend in her driveway when she refused to reconcile with him in 1982.  She was only 22 years-old. 

Heather O’Rourke was the youngest daughter in the movie, and in she became ill in 1987 and was misdiagnosed with Crohn’s disease.  She had actually had a bowel obstruction which caused her to become septic, and died when she went in to cardiac arrest during her surgery. 

Will Sampson, died in 1987 at the age of 53.  He was ill prior to the filming of Poltergeist.  He was in need of a kidney transplant, and died of kidney failure.

Julian Beck had a major role in Poltergeist II, and was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1983, and died two years later at the age of 60.

Lou  Perry was murdered at his home in South Austin, Texas, in 2009. 

I guess most of these can be labeled coincidence, but during those few years between 1982 and 1988 they are not so sure.  They call it the “Polergeist” curse……Rest In Peace, Zelda!