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The Poltergeist I -II -III Movie Curse! Actress Heather O'Rourke (1975-1988 RIP)
"The Poltergeist I -II -III Movie Curse! Actress Heather O'Rourke (1975-1988 Rip)"
The little young girl actress Heather O'Rourke who played the character Carol Anne in all 3 Poltergeist films died at the age of 12 years old. Date of birth (December 27, 1975 & died on February 1, 1988) She was such a talented actress and i will miss her very much. What a beautiful girl, what a shame that she had to die so young. Even though i've never met her before, i did enjoy her movies in all of the scary Poltergiest movies. They say there's a curse cause 4 actors in the film have died from bad death. Anyways please read down below, which i copied & paste from another site. I hope u enjoyed this thread & please leave comments & feedback, thank u. P.s. The video down below will make u cry. Rest in peace Heather O'Rourke!
B@rbie Swallows
O'Rourke became ill in early 1987 and was misdiagnosed by Kaiser Permanente Hospital as having Crohn's disease. She was prescribed medicine to treat the Crohn's, which allegedly "puffed up [her] cheeks."On January 31, 1988, O'Rourke suddenly became ill again, vomiting and unable to keep anything down. The next morning she collapsed while trying to leave for the hospital and her stepfather called paramedics. O'Rourke suffered a cardiac arrest en route to the hospital, and after resuscitation was airlifted by helicopter to Children's Hospital And Health Center in San Diego,where she died later that afternoon.
Speaking to reporters, O'Rourke's manager David Wardlow initially announced that it was believed O'Rourke died of influenza.However, hospital spokesman Vincent Bond announced that O'Rourke died during surgery to repair an acute bowel obstruction (caused by congenital stenosis of the intestine) complicated by septic shock this report was corroborated by the San Diego County coroner's office on February 3, two days after her death.Later reports changed the specific cause of death to cardiac arrest caused by septic shock brought on by the intestinal stenosis.
Speaking to reporters, O'Rourke's manager David Wardlow initially announced that it was believed O'Rourke died of influenza.However, hospital spokesman Vincent Bond announced that O'Rourke died during surgery to repair an acute bowel obstruction (caused by congenital stenosis of the intestine) complicated by septic shock this report was corroborated by the San Diego County coroner's office on February 3, two days after her death.Later reports changed the specific cause of death to cardiac arrest caused by septic shock brought on by the intestinal stenosis.
- 1982: Dominique Dunn who played the older sister in the first Poltergeist movie was murdered by her ex-lover shortly after the film's release (and no it wasn't on set). For the exact details surrounding this, head to IMDB.
- 1985: Julian Beck who played the 'bad spirit' in Poltergeist II, died of stomach cancer. It was not unexpected as the cancer had been diagnosed in early 1984.
- 1987: Will Sampson who played the 'good spirit' in Poltergeist II, died after receiving a heart-lung transplant. Will was also known as the tall 'mute' Indian in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's nest
- 1988: the young girl in all three movies was played by Heather O'Rourke. She died of a septic infection due to a bowel blockage that cause bacterial toxins to enter her system. Originally it was thought she had the flu, as all the early symptoms were the same. Within 24 hours, she died on the operating table while they tried to remove the blockage.
- These four deaths occurred over a six year period. Diehards would probably assume that there is some curse linking all these characters, but ponder some of these points before jumping to any further conclusions:
- Considering all the horror and supernatural films out there, it makes little sense to simply say that Poltergeist was the only film 'that offended the spirits'. For other examples, see Evil Dead, Hellraiser or The Exorcist.
- Typically there are hundreds of people that work on a movie and apart from the four deaths, the remaining main actors, directors and producers from all three films are still alive and kicking almost 20 years after the movies started to appear.
- Two of the deaths were from terminal illnesses diagnosed even before pre-production of the films began.
- None of the deaths occurred 'on set' or in ways that would be considered particularly spooky or exceptionally connected.
- It is always possible to create possible links to events, no matter how tenuous. A good example is the game 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon'.
- Why on earth would the 'offended spirits' responsible for this curse only target a few of the actors? Why not, for example, burn down the set of the second film?
Looking at the information above, the only link between the deaths is that they are all unfortunate. There have been many unfounded rumours circulating that the deaths occurred during shooting (they were all completed) and that the entire cast was dead. If this ever had happened, then yes it would suggest a curse.
Poltergeist (1982)
Main article: Poltergeist (film)
In the first and most successful film (released on June 4, 1982), a group of seemingly benign ghosts begin communicating with five-year-old Carol Anne Freeling in her parents' suburban California home via static on the television. Eventually they use the TV as their path into the house itself. They kidnap Carol Anne, and most of the film involves the family's efforts to rescue her. Eventually they do, but then the spirits, led by a demon known only as The Beast, go on a rampage.
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
Main article: Poltergeist II: The Other Side
This sequel attempts to explain in much greater detail why Carol Anne was targeted in the first film. Contradicting the first film, the Freelings' house in the first movie was built over a massive underground cavern that was the final resting place of a utopian cult that died there in the early 1800s. This cavern was even below the graveyard that wasn't relocated in the first film. The cult was led by Rev. Henry Kane, who did not have the best intentions. He was power hungry, and anxious to control the souls of his followers in both life and death.
Poltergeist III (1988)
Main article: Poltergeist III
Apparently, between the second and third films, the Freeling family has had quite enough of all supernatural activity, and have decided to cut it off at the source: Carol Anne is now living with her aunt Pat (whom Carol Anne insists on calling Trish, a common nickname for Patricia; this is important later in the film as a way of identifying an impostor Carol Anne) and her uncle Bruce. Kane comes back to take Carol Anne by taking over peoples reflections in mirrors and taking them to the other side. But Aunt Trish and Bruce have to rescue them because this time, Kane does not want to let Carol Anne go.
Heather Michele O'Rourke was born December 27, 1975 in San Diego California. Her discovery was right out of a fairy tale. She was eating lunch in the MGM commisary with her sister Tammy and mother when Steven Spielberg approached their table.
He was looking for a child and was not having much luck, he spotted Heather and approached there table. Heather was more interested in lunch than in the stranger who was talking to them. Heather initially failed the screen test for Poltergiest I (1981) when laughed instead of being afraid at a stuffed animal. Steven thought she was just too young. Heather was 5. He wanted a six year old. He saw something in her, and called her back asking her to bring a scary storybook. He asked her to scream, and she screamed and screamed, until she started to cry and couldnt do it anymore.
She had the part after the second screen test. Incidently, it was Drew Barrymore who Steven was originally considering for the part. During all the horrors that proceeded during the filming of Poltergeist, the only one scene that really scared her was the scene in her bedroom where she had to hold on to the headrest while the wind blew, toys flew about and the closet opened up behind her. She fell apart and Spielberg stopped everything, put her in his arms, and said she did not have to do the scene again.
Over the next few years, Heather became a familiar face on t.v. and at the movies. She made guest appeariences in Happy Days -1982 (she was Heather Pfister), Chips-1982, Fantasy Island , the tv movie Massarati and The Brain 1984 , Rocky Road-1984, Webster-1983, the tv movie Surviving-1985 (this was quite possibly the most exciting aspect of her career, the role was major and we got to see her in a role outside of Poltergiest), Our House-1986 , New Leave it to Beaver-1986 (Heather, she had a real nasty character in this one.) and of course Poltergiest I, II, III (as Carol Anne).
In real life, Heather loved to go shopping, but according to her mother Kathy (interview on Current Affair), shopping with her was a tremendous effort. Heather had to have everything match, from shoes to earrings. Heather loved to make and eat sweets. For a pet, she had a St. Bernhard. She was the student body leader of her school. And in her words "I never watch horror films as a rule". Heather would also make home movies and she was leaning more toward directing than acting.
Cast mates described Heather as having a calming influence in the set. They also described cast meetings with her, everyone would be quickly leafing through the the script, while Heather was sitting calmly. Being able to memorize 60 pages a script in an hour, she had already memorized the script.
During the filming of Poltergieist III, Heather suffered flu like symptoms. They took her to a specialist but they still did not catch the intestinal blockage that would eventually claim her life. On the night of January 30, she woke up and crawled into bed with parents, complaining that she didnt feel well. She got up the next day, tried to eat some toast, saying that she was going to school. She then fainted. Her fingers turning blue. They flew her in to the emergency room, but it was too late, she died on the operating table at 2:43 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1st, 1988.
