Posted: Jun 02, 2017 1:18 pm
Very interesting read.
This one's also very good...
The making of Ben Hur (1925), eleven-minute video narrated by James Mason.
Disclosures include...
* Full-size galleys were built for the filming of the naval battle. One pyrotechnic effect went wrong when the ship caught fire ahead of schedule. The extras participating in the mock battle had to jump overboard to avoid being burnt alive. Many of them couldn't swim and had to be rescued. There are rumors (unconfirmed) that a few people drowned.
* During filming of the chariot race, an accident caused a pile-up of chariots and horses. This happened just around a blind corner, such that charioteers coming at full speed down the straight couldn't see the obstruction just up ahead. The assistant director ran out onto the race course in an attempt to wave down the oncoming chariots. They didn't bother to matte him out, and he can be seen in the final version of the scene.
* Ingenious forced-perspective filming of a miniature (complete with moving dolls) to create the illusion of a huge arena with cheering crowd.