MovieChat Forums > Modern Times (1936) Discussion > Some risky stunts all by himself.

Some risky stunts all by himself.

posted 13 years ago by vikramsamal
7 replies | jump to latest

I noticed that Sir Chaplin did some very risky stunts all by himself.For example the skating scene or the passing through the machine gears..Bravo Sir!!

[–] jmcolyer 12 years ago

I was impressed too, although I think the skating scene might have made use of a matte painting to make it look like there was a big drop off. Not sure.

[–] Disardor 11 years ago

It was a matte painting. The Criterion Blu-Ray and DVD have an illuminating piece on how the effect was created.

There are definitely a lot of things from Chaplin's films that no studio would dream of letting a star do by himself these days, though.

[–] vikramsamal 11 years ago

Thanks for that matte painting info. Still Sir Chaplin is the greatest actor/director combination ever.

[–] IMDB_Vits 8 years ago

I also thought it could've been painted. However, that doesn't make the scene less impressive. He still had to skate blindfolded without crossing certain spots.

[–] Aticusfinch 10 years ago

I was more impressed with the scene in which he plunges in the water with almost no depth..., could have broken his neck.

[–] sage2112 9 years ago

^^ this

[–] chester-copperpot-1 8 years ago

Chaplin is no stranger to physical comedy, coming from the vaudeville. As the pond is very shallow, it's not so much plunging into water but landing on ground with some water on top of it. It is a very impressive forward dive roll from a height. Try that without injury, I say. He was pushing fifty when he made the film.