Film myths/stories

Nibble · Jan 27, 2014

I love a good film anecdote. Two of my favourites I heard were..

On the set of The Greatest Story Ever Told there is a scene where John Wayne has to look up at Jesus on the cross and proclaim "You are indeed the Son of God". The director approached him after a few takes and said to him he needs to say it with more "Awe". On the next take John Wayne proclaimed "Awwww, You are the Son of God".

During the scene in Deliverance where Burt Reynold's character goes over the waterfall they used a dummy several times. John Boorman wasn't happy with the way it looked so approached Reynolds and said "It just looks like a dummy going over a waterfall, could you go over yourself?"

Burt Reynolds was a qualified stuntman and with hesitation agreed to do it himself. He suffered a broken leg, 4 cracked ribs and other injuries and was sent to hospital with filming put on hold for weeks. Boorman visited him in the ward a few days later but all Reynolds was interested in was "How did it look? How did it look?"

After some hesitation John Boorman replied..."It looked like a dummy going over a waterfall".

Anyone know any others, I love that stuff!

Buzzer · Jan 27, 2014

Film star related so hope it qualifies.

(For the purposes of this anecdote 'selt' = 'celt' but pronounced as in Celtic)

Richard Burton coming out of the Hollywood Hilton was accosted by a rather large and effusive American.

"Gee Mr Burton, we could be related - we're both selts"

"No, I think you'll find I'm a selt and you're a sunt."

readingstockport · Jan 27, 2014

Carrie Fisher on the set of Star Wars - Return of the Jedi had her breasts taped each day so she could get into THAT bikini. One story, apparently verified by her, is that she used to raffle the honour of removing the tape each day to a member of the film crew. So each day a member of the crew got to play with her breasts.

https://24.media.tumblr.com/43b879aefd4397a30684a40e28b3d45c/tumblr_mvuzpsxUJl1rti868o1_1280.jpg

Mowgli37 · Jan 27, 2014

Another Star Wars one. The boots that Peter Cushing wore for his role as Governor Tarkin were so tight that in the scenes where they weren't in shot George Lucas let him wear slippers instead. The Zeppelin set for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was so hot that in the scene where Jones and Jones Senior are talking at their table neither were wearing trousers.

Mellotron · Jan 27, 2014

Little known facts:

243. All of Tim Burton's films are actually IDENTICAL. Watch closely next time.

hybrid_x · Jan 27, 2014

Harrison Ford was a carpenter in the studio and stood in for a few of Han Solo's lines at audition time.....the rest is history.

Marxo · Jan 27, 2014

Not from film but from theatre, an anecdote often told by Ned Sherrin. In a stage production of The diary of Anne Frank the star of the show Pia Zadora was so woeful that when the Nazi's entered the house the entire audience shouted "She's in the attic!, She's in the attic!".

readingstockport · Jan 27, 2014

Marxo said:
Not from film but from theatre, an anecdote often told by Ned Sherrin. In a stage production of The diary of Anne Frank the star of the show Pia Zadora was so woeful that when the Nazi's entered the house the entire audience shouted "She's in the attic!, She's in the attic!".

Snopes reports that as alegend http://www.snopes.com/movies/actors/attic.asp so whilst not false snopes has it as not proved as being true I'm afraid.

Nibble · Jan 27, 2014

Love them all so far! Especially the Carrie Fisher one!

readingstockport · Jan 27, 2014

Somehow I thought you'd like that one.

Cheeky Monkey · Jan 27, 2014

Ernest was the stunt double for the opening scene from Betty Blue.

red star portslade · Jan 27, 2014

The YouTube clip of Sharon Stone in Fatal Attraction is the most paused in the history of YouTube. Not sure which bit though.

Acker79 · Jan 27, 2014

red star portslade said:
The YouTube clip of Sharon Stone in Fatal Attraction is the most paused in the history of YouTube. Not sure which bit though.

That's blatantly not true.

Sharon Stone isn't in Fatal Attraction.

red star portslade · Jan 27, 2014

Acker79 said:
That's blatantly not true.

Sharon Stone isn't in Fatal Attraction.

Sorry Basic Instinct.

Questions · Jan 27, 2014

During a particularly poor stage production, Noël Coward stood up and shouted," is there a doctor in the theatre " ?
When a man stood up an the back of the auditorium and proclaimed that was indeed a medical man and what was the problem..........Noël Coward shouted back... ...... " Doctor isn't this play awful"

vegster · Jan 27, 2014

Another Noel Coward quote..... While directing a scene in a film where the 2 main characters have an argument in front of several of the rest of the cast, Coward was being driven mad by a young supporting actress in the background crowd who kept interrupting to ask what she should be doing in the background ? and should she be listening to the main dialogue ? and how should she be reacting as the scene unfolded. Finally Coward lost his temper and said " For God's sake, don't just DO SOMETHING, stand there ! "

One Love · Jan 27, 2014

In 1973 McQueen flew to England to meet Oliver Reed and discuss a possible film collaboration. "Reed showed me his country mansion and we got on well," recalled McQueen. "He then suggested he take me to his favorite London nightclub." The drinking, which started at Reed's home, Broome Hall, continued into the night until Reed could hardly stand. Suddenly, and with no apparent warning, he vomited over McQueen's shirt and trousers. "The staff rushed around and found me some new clothes, but they couldn't get me any shoes," said McQueen. "I had to spend the rest of the night smelling of Oliver Reed's sick.".

Bevendean Hillbilly · Jan 27, 2014

More in US territory but it was long rumoured that there was a UFO caught in frame in one of the night scenes aboard the Orca in "jaws" the truth is that the shooting stars seen were added post production by Spielberg who was already working on Close Encounters of the Third Kind and were deliberate plants to act as an early form of viral Marketing for his next movie. The night shots weren't even shot at night but in broad daylight via a dark filter.

In the Movie "Zulu" Michael Caine revealed his trick was to wear his helmet tilted forwards on his head so his eyes were always in shade so the laconic Bromhead character looks so much more classy than the other leads. The normal practice of the day was to expose as much of ones face to the light as possible to allow maximum expression as well as to elevate ones own presence on screen...Caine realised that this made the others look like drunken policemen in contrast to his own cool demeanour. It's really obvious what he means when you watch it armed with this insight.

midnight_rendezvous · Jan 27, 2014

Not sure if it's true but I read somewhere that they botched the hanging scene in Back to The Future 3 which is what caused M J Fox's Parkinson's disease... Again if there's any truth to it it I don't know..

Leighgull · Jan 27, 2014

midnight_rendezvous said:
Not sure if it's true but I read somewhere that they botched the hanging scene in Back to The Future 3 which is what caused M J Fox's Parkinson's disease... Again if there's any truth to it it I don't know..

Near hanging wouldn't cause Parkinson's.

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