How did the cliché of getting hit by a falling piano or anvil come about?

Question

This seems to be a commonly used gag, especially in older movies. Where does it originate from?

In: Other

Answer 1

Pianos used to be a much bigger deal than they are now. A department store in my city used to have a whole floor dedicated to selling pianos. Getting them in your house is a big deal and often involves hoisting it up to a higher floor. As far as heavy things that could fall on you go, an instrument is pretty amusing, and the piano was not so outlandish as you might think.