The Munchkin Suicide Humbug

Somewhere around 1989 rumors began spreading that an actor portraying a Munchkin in the Wizard of Oz killed himself on the set while the cameras were rolling and the suicide was caught on film. The rumor claims that you can see this alleged suicide in the scene where Dorothy meets the Tin Man, just as they are dancing and singing down the Yellow Brick Road. What people are actually seeing is a crane that spreads its wings.

YouTube is full of videos of people showing the scene and claiming it is either a Munchkin or a crane. But, those videos prove nothing. I present a few facts that explain why I believe the rumors about angsty Munchkins are false.

The music is a fun ragtime piece by Kevin MacLeod.

The rest of it is by me.

Artword (c) 2008 by Adrian D. Puck

Cartoon characters (c) 1997-2008 by Adrian D. Puck

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• munchkin
• suicide
• hanging
• wizard
• of
• oz
• mgm
• midget
• dwarf
• hung
• man
• bird
• hanged
• dead
• urban
• legend
• controversy
• suicidal
• killed
• set
• actor
• death
• crane
• creepy
• scary
• rope
• noose
• tin
• cottage
• yellow
• brick
• road
• directors
• son

[MBeats64]

actually people are looking in the wrong place.its right behind the house and for a split second you see his body swing out into view.from what i have heard he killed himself because he wanted to be immortal and since he is on a major motion picture he is.they kept that because no one noticed this is what i saw and heard look it up if you have to

[TheBlueFlamingo]

Look it up... where? Why don't you provide valid proof to back up your story? I've done my research and found that there was no suicide. If you want me to believe your cockamamie story, provide some real detail and some proof of it. "From what I heard" - hearsay is not proof. "He killed himself" WHO? Doesn't "he" have a name? "He wanted to be immortal" Since when does suicide make anyone immortal? "They kept that" Who kept what? "No one noticed" No one noticed WHAT?

[MBeats64]

@TheBlueFlamingo ok seriously this is just what i heard and what i saw.When I said kept that I meant they kept the scene because no one noticed.But I DID MY RESEARCH.One of the stage hands fell and got caught on the wire BUT he didnt die.The only person who died out of this whole movie was the tin man and that was after the movie was made.

[TheBlueFlamingo]

Which stage hand? Got caught on what wire? What does this have to do with anything? And, yes, Jack Haley (the actor that played the Tin Man) is dead. He died in 1979, a full 40 years after the movie was released. All the other actors and everyone else associated with the movie is still alive? You better do some more research. They're pretty much all dead by now, but that's really not that remarkable since the movie is over 70 years old.

[TheBlueFlamingo]

If you're suggesting that someone can kill themselves in a movie studio full of people with cameras pointing right at them and on one would notice, you really need to rethink this. No one noticed a dead body when they struck the set? Anyway, I am not going to believe your story just 'cause you heard this somewhere (from where?) If you want me to believe this crap, give some solid evidence. A newspaper article about the story from 1938 would be a great start.

[XxSadisticWraithxX]

Please look up 'Wizard of Oz 2011: Hanging Munchkin Found on VHS Tape'

I did too see this when I was a younger child and it scared the crap out of me. I know the difference between a bird and a hanging person so I don't even know how people would try to trick you with that crap.

[TheBlueFlamingo]

Yep. Someone added a digital image to the film. I'd like to see them take the "tape" from the box, put it in a VCR and then see what is on the screen.

At any rate, the "object" in the video, even if it really was there in the original print, is not clear. 'Could be a side of beef for all I can tell. I'd still like to know the name of the person that hanged themselves and see a legitimate news story. Why is it so hard for you guys to present some solid PROOF?

[rosabaca21]

wow you really gave good evidence that it was just a humbug!thank you!i never even believed it was a munchkin hanging himself anyway!

[kittykatt03176708]

@TheBlueFlamingo thank you for this cute story.everything u made on here makes sence,ive tried looking it up on google ,now come on,u can find anything and everything on google,no name no nothing,so im convinced it was untruthful,thank you for this short truth u made ;)

[AnARTIST719]

Great story! Love It!

[gypsybayarea415]

Thanx for explainig and making it clear now i no it wasint a guy hanging