17 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Old Movies That Prove Moviemaking Used To Basically Be An Extreme Sport

11 months ago 20

Maybe actors do deserve the wild amounts of money they're paid.

Over the years, and especially back in the day, Hollywood has put the cast and crew of movies in some truly wild and dangerous situations. Here are some infamous examples of the extremes people have gone to just to get the right shot:

1. As a minor, Judy Garland was forced to work 72-hour shifts, and given both amphetamines and sleeping pills in order to control her energy levels for such a gruelling schedule.

A person with 1940s-style curled hair poses in a polka-dot blouse, gazing directly at the camera

2. The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz was originally played by Buddy Ebsen, who got aluminium poisoning from the pure aluminium makeup and was hospitalized.

Tin Man, from "The Wizard of Oz," stands on the yellow brick road in a forest setting, with steam coming from his hat

3. Meanwhile, Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, had significant burns from the smoke and fire effects in the film, and her stunt double, Betty Danko, was so badly injured when the asbestos-coated "broomstick" she was riding exploded that she had to have a hysterectomy.

Person in a witch costume with a pointed hat and long cloak poses dramatically, casting a large shadow on the wall

4. The Wizard of Oz also used asbestos as fake snow, and it was far from the only movie to do so — it was a common prop in iconic movies like Citizen Kane and It's a Wonderful Life.

Period film scene with four individuals in winter attire. A man in a top hat shakes hands with a boy, while two others watch in a snowy setting

5. It's a Wonderful Life was actually shot during summer, and production had to shut down at one point so the cast and crew could recover from heat exhaustion.

Vintage scene with a woman in a flowing dress and a man in a striped shirt and patched pants, engaged in playful interaction on a set

6. Tippi Hedren spent five days having live birds thrown at her and finally tied to her costume to film the climactic attack scene in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

Woman with flashlight looking worriedly as a bird swoops close to her face

8. Malcolm McDowell described filming A Clockwork Orange as "torture" — he cracked several ribs during a violent scene, and also went temporarily blind when his corneas were scratched during the filming of the infamous eye clamping scene.

Person wearing a headset with wires, eyes wide open, appearing in a scene resembling a scientific or experimental setting

9. The fight scene between Sonny Corleone and Carlo Rizzi in The Godfather got too real when actor Gianni Russo broke two ribs and cracked his elbow.

A person in a vintage suit holds a crate above someone crouched behind a railing, against a wall with retro advertisement posters

10. In a fight scene, Bruce Lee kicked his Enter the Dragon co-star Robert Wall so hard that one of the extras behind him who tried to catch Wall actually broke his arm.

Martial artists in white and yellow uniforms watch a high kick demonstration in an outdoor setting

11. For Grease, the dance scene was shot in a gym with no windows, leading several cast and crew to suffer from heatstroke.

A lively dance scene with two performers dressed in 1950s-style outfits, dancing energetically in a gymnasium with a cheering crowd

12. Sylvester Stallone ended up in intensive care for eight days while filming Rocky IV because he wanted the fight scenes to feel "real," leading to him receiving such a hard blow to his chest that his heart was injured.

Boxer in the ring, surrounded by cheering crowd, wearing a robe with stripes, celebrating a victory

13. Burt Reynolds insisted on doing a stunt that involved jumping into a waterfall himself for Deliverance, which led to him falling unconscious and cracking his tailbone.

Person struggling in turbulent water, mouth open in distress

14. Bo Derek was attacked by a lion while filming Tarzan, the Ape Man, slicing open her shoulder.

Person seated at the water's edge on a beach with an approaching lion nearby

15. Arnold Schwarzenegger was actually chased by German Shepherds for the wolf scene in Conan the Barbarian, and was injured when one caught up to him.

Person standing on rocks with two wolves approaching below, in a dramatic outdoor scene

16. Michael J. Fox actually passed out and could have died while filming the hanging scene in Back to the Future Part III.

Person in dusty, fringed Western-style outfit dramatically poses in front of wooden scaffolding

17. And finally, for Police Story, Jackie Chan performed a stunt where he slid down a multi-story pole, tearing through strings of lights, and smashing into a glass pane below. Chan did it in one take, and ended up with second-degree burns on his hands.

A person climbs a railing in a dimly lit area decorated with hanging lights, resembling a festive or holiday setting

Which of these facts shocked you the most? Do you have your own stories about Old Hollywood to share? Drop them in the comments!

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