Some of the most iconic films ever made were made during Hollywood's Golden Age, yet some of these films had shockingly sinister backstories. Behind-the-scenes stories of hollywood films when the film industry started to transition from silent films to synchronized sound, or "talkies," the 1920s to 1960s were known as Hollywood's Golden Age. Some of the biggest actors in movie history had their public debuts during this period.
Actors from Hollywood's Golden Age were renowned across the world for their acting prowess, song and dance abilities, and even fashion sense. But it wasn't always as happy as it appeared when the cameras stopped filming. Despite the fact that it was a different era, there are many terrifying behind-the-scenes tales from Golden Age films that are still horrifying today.
10 Fascinating Behind-the-scenes Stories Of Hollywood Films
1. Baby Burlesks
At the tender age of three, Shirley Temple, a legendary child actress, made her on-screen debut in the short film series Baby Burlesks in 1931. It was astonishing, though, that Temple continued her acting career for as long as she did, given the awful abuse she suffered behind the scenes.
Temple's book, Child Star: An Autobiography, detailed her experience filming Baby Burlesks with a dozen other kids. Temple claims that if she or any of the other kids misbehaved, they would be sent to sit on the punishment box, a big, cubed block of ice, in a sound booth without windows.
Temple acknowledged how absurd the therapy was, even if she didn't think it left her physically or psychologically permanently scarred. Even if the youngsters were performers, the abuse of the kids was reprehensible because they were so young and hardly spoke in whole words at that time.
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2. Swing Time
While appearing alongside the well-known song and dance man in Swing Time, Ginger Rogers, who is best known for performing everything Fred Astaire could do but backward and in heels, encountered challenges. Rogers mentioned that she and Astaire filmed a dance scene in her memoir, Ginger
My Story. Rogers had "danced [her feet] raw" after taking off her shoes to discover them covered in blood, but she was driven to finish the shoot because of the strain she was under.
Her character, Penny, was shown wearing shampoo in another scene, but the several soaps the producers tried to use didn't look good on camera and ended up running down Rogers' back and neck.
The actress had to film with egg whites in her hair, nevertheless, when a solution was discovered. In addition to being worn out from the filming schedule, Rogers had to endure the unpleasant stench and discomfort of the eggs cooking due to the intense, hot lighting.
3. Breakfast at Tiffany's
One of Audrey Hepburn's greatest roles was that of fashion socialite Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Production was surrounded by thousands of people watching Hepburn's character window shop during the famous opening scene's filming.
The actress became anxious as a result, and she began to make mistakes. Hepburn was sufficiently shaken by the near-electrocution of a staff member behind the camera to concentrate on her act (via IMDB). Filming the sequence was made more difficult by Hepburn's dislike of Danish pastries.
Other aspects of this sequence, including the taxi cab's arrival outside Tiffany's, were reportedly simple to film since the streets had been cleaned, according to the documentary Breakfast at Tiffany's: The Making of a Classic. However, because this was the first day of filming, it is possible that the electrocution incidents occurred on a different day.
4. Cleopatra
During Hollywood's Golden Age, there were several allegations of co-star relationships, but the one between Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor stood out. The two became acquainted while working on the 1963 movie Cleopatra, and a little more than a month later, they began an affair that soon gained media attention. Both performers were married at the time.
Taylor was married to singer Eddie Fisher, while Burton was married to Welsh actress Sybil Christopher. The controversy attracted so much media attention that it cast a shadow over the project, which was already having problems because of personnel changes and filming delays (via Vanity).
Burton and Taylor got married in 1964, separated for a short time in 1974, got married again in 1975, and ended their partnership in 1976. Together, the two produced eleven films throughout their marriage, such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Taming of the Shrew. Hollywood benefited from their passion and affection, even if their romance created a lot of turmoil.
5. Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?
witnessed Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, two of the most well-known figures of the Golden Age, together in Whatever Happened To Baby Jane? The two seemed to get along when Crawford suggested Davis for Jane. However, it didn't seem to be the situation behind the scenes. Over the years, Shaun Considine's 1989 book Bette and Joan.
The Divine Conflict and Ryan Murphy's anthology series Feud have both discussed the conflict. In an interview with the actress before her passing in 1989, Murphy, a longtime admirer of Davis', revealed her animosity toward Crawford (via EW). The two had reportedly been at odds behind the scenes for years due to a fictitious love triangle featuring Crawford's fiancé, Franchot Tone, but it all came to a climax when filming Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?
During filming, there were a number of stories about problems between the two ladies, but envy was the root of many of these concerns. According to Charlotte Chandler's book Not the Girl Next Door: Joan Crawford: A Personal Biography, Davis even made sure she would get more close-ups than Crawford with director Robert Aldrich.
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6. Noah's Ark
With its 1928 debut, Noah's Ark was among the first motion pictures of Hollywood's Golden Age. But halfway through filming, the production experienced a massive catastrophe that would have an influence on the film industry. The film is renowned for its dramatic flood sequence, for which an astounding 7500 extras were assembled on the day of production.
An incredible 600,000 gallons of water were poured over them, according to John Baxter's Stunt: The Story Of The Great Movie Stunt Men.
Three extras lost their lives as a consequence, one needed their limb amputated, and several more suffered various but severe injuries. More advanced safety rules were put into place for upcoming projects as a result of these incidents, guaranteeing that a catastrophe of this magnitude would not occur.
7. The Birds
One of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest movies is The Birds, but the filmmaker created a lot of conflict behind the scenes. The connection between Hitchcock and Tippi Hedren, who played Melanie Daniels in The Birds, was the subject of rumors throughout production.
In Tippi A Memoir, Hedren discussed the harassment she endured during this period, calling Hitchcock obsessive and describing how he would repeatedly grope her and how she had turned him down. Hedren ended up in dangerous filming situations after turning him down. She suffered injuries when a piece of glass smashed over her face during the production of The Birds' well-known phone booth attack sequence, leaving her disfigured (via The Guardian).
Although her biography later contradicted her repeated allegation, Hedren has now said that the incident occurred after the two collaborated on Marnie rather than The Birds. Hedren's treatment during The Birds was undoubtedly a nightmare for the actress, even if it's unclear when exactly Hitchcock's conduct changed.
8. Gone With The Wind
The initial three weeks of filming witnessed significant changes behind the camera, but throughout the first two years of its life, Gone with the Wind was mired in production hell. Victor Fleming quickly took George Cukor's position as the project's director, who had been involved since preproduction. Although there had been some disagreements with other production members over the film's tempo and plot, this was debatable.
The author of George Cukor's book, Master of Elegance: The Director and his Stars, Emmanuel Levy, has asserted that there were more intricate reasons behind his termination. It was implied that Cukor was aware that Clark Gable, who portrayed Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind, was actually a male escort.
Gable allegedly used his power to fire Cukor because he didn't want to work with him. One thing is certain, despite the divergent views of historians, other people connected to the two, and other celebrities of the era: Cukor and Gable had a tense relationship.
9. Singin' in the Rain
Even seven decades after its premiere, Singin' in the Rain's iconic soundtrack is still very recognizable, yet some of its musical passages weren't an effortless shoot.Debbie Reynolds, who played Kathy in the film's 50th anniversary documentary, talked about filming Good Morning, which left her with bleeding feet.
The filming took more than fifteen hours, according to her 2013 biography Unsinkable A Biography. The actress's skin horribly blistered and bled after repeatedly performing the dance due to the lengthy shooting session and her lack of dancing ability, which also produced conflict between her and Gene Kelly.
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10. The Wizard of Oz
Without a doubt, Judy Garland's most unforgettable film is The Wizard of Oz. Garland played Dorothy at 16 without knowing it would make her one of the most famous LGBTQ+ figures in history.
While filming, Garland was compelled to eat just soup and coffee and smoke an astounding 80 cigarettes a day due to the demands of Hollywood and her mother (via biography). In order to keep her alert throughout filming, she was also given pep pills, which included amphetamines, and sleeping pills at night to counteract the effects of the first dosage.
conclusoin on Behind-the-scenes Stories Of Hollywood Films
The charm of Hollywood movies is achieved via many behind-the-scenes moments that are full of creativity, challenges, and amazing tales; it doesn't only happen on screen. These tales highlight the effort and enthusiasm that go into every production, from unforeseen friendships formed on set to last-minute alterations made to the script.
They serve as a reminder that, although the finished product may be slick and glitzy, the process of making it is frequently far from that. A deeper awareness of the ingenuity, dedication, and collaboration that go into making Hollywood movies so captivating may be gained by examining these behind-the-scenes events.
FAQ's: Behind-the-scenes Stories Of Hollywood Films
What is behind the scenes in movies?
Behind-the-scenes (BTS), often referred to as the making-of, the set, or on the set, is a genre of documentary cinema that documents the creation of a motion picture or television show.
What is the most iconic scene in any movie?
- The Rosebud Scene from Citizen Kane.
- The Fake Orgasm in When Harry Met Sally.
- The “I Am Your Father” Reveal in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
- The Talking to the Mirror Scene in Taxi Driver.
- Flying Bikes in E.T.
- An Offer He Can't Refuse in The Godfather.
What are hidden references in movies?
Like hidden gems buried all over the cinematic atmosphere, Easter eggs in films are just waiting to be discovered by the most astute viewers. Often overlooked during a casual watching, these subtle jokes, inside jokes, or secret meanings are delicately weaved throughout the film's fabric.
What is the most filmed story?
Anna Karenina, Zorro,The Three Musketeers,Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, Frankenstein, and "Romeo & Juliet" are the important literary works that have been turned into movies the most.
