Urban Myths, Hollywood-style

The Wizard of Oz has many myths surrounding it, one of which is that a Munchkin's suicide was captured on film in the scene just after Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) and The Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) meet The Tin Man (Jack Haley). As they set off down the yellow brick road something can be seen moving in the distance behind the trees. People thought it was one of the dwarf actors committing suicide by hanging himself, however, "the hanging Munchkin" is, in fact, a large bird stretching its wings, one of many birds which were used to give the outdoor scenes a more realistic feel.

It was widely believed that the ghost of a young boy can be seen in Three Men and a Baby during the scene where Jack Holden (Ted Danson) is talking to his mother (Celeste Holm). People thought the figure, which can be seen in the background, was the ghost of a 9-year-old boy who had died in the apartment in which the scene was filmed. In reality Three Men and a Baby was shot on a soundstage and the "ghost" was a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Ted Danson's character.

Following the release of Back to the Future Part II in 1989 rumours circulated that the Hoverboards seen in the film were real, with director Robert Zemeckis (jokingly) claiming that Hoverboards had "been around for years". Further reports suggested toy manufacturer Mattel were planning to release them in shops but their plans were held up by parental concerns over safety. The rumours were, in fact, false. The Hoverboards were basically wooden props and the hovering was the result of special effects wizardry.