I can recall being told many years ago about lots of weird things happening to the actors & film crew when they were making this film. As if it was cursed.
I've searched the web but cant find any confirmation.
I realise it's possible it might have been a commercial ploy at the time of release.
Anybody know anything ?
I've never heard that. It doesn't look like anything happened to any of the stars, at least.
shareFrances Bavier was doomed to be forever known as Aunt Bee....
shareChances are, the events that the original poster described were part of a publicity campaign dreamt up by the studio that released "Man in the Attic."
However, this particular film was released in the early '50's and both movie studios and the public didn't start buzzing about "movie curses" until the late '70's/early '80's after the releases of such films as "The Exorcist" ('73), "The Omen" ('76) and "Poltergeist" ('82).
Cheers!
That's only partially correct. Certain kinds of rumors about the filming of movies or the actors in them were, if not started, certainly not discouraged as far back as the silent film era. In one of MGM's most popular silent films, the1925 silent version of "Ben-Hur: a Tale of the Christ", it was said that the filming of the famous chariot race got at least one man and several horses killed. Since animal and actor welfare was definitely less of a concern back then it was plausible. Lots of other rumors eventually surrounded the movie as well.
The studio allowed most of these stories to go unchallenged because it drove people into the theaters. It didn't take the invention of film to know human nature; even now you can always get an audience for a good train wreck. By 1925 moviegoers had already shown they would see a movie more than once just to experience a big set piece, and the chariot race was the first of its kind. In addition the lead, Ramon Novarro, was rumored to be homosexual and it didn't hurt back then to have audacious counter-rumors floating around to take the focus off of his personal life.
The great stuntman and second unit director Yakima Canutt spent two years training horses and drivers and choreographed the chariot race for the 1959 William Wyler-Charleton Heston sequel. He said in interviews he didn't think any stuntmen or horses were killed in the earlier version, and Canutt was probably the one person who had studied that footage and filming notes more than anyone else. Last time I looked on You Tube both chariot races were available in full. Incredible filmmaking to this day.
Thanks for the trivia !
Cheers !
Sincerely,
Steve B.
Frances was wonderful as Aunt Bee.
She stayed with the show during it's entire run so I don't think she cared that people thought she was Aunt Bee.
legend has it that both leading actors died within 53 years of making the film.
spooky, huh?
Believe it or not, many actors and staff involved in the making of Gone With the Wind met with untimely ends or sad situations - except Olivia DeHavilland!
"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne
Only odd or rather ironic thing I know of is LILY or contance smith's real life turned out just as the mother of slade's did in the movie. She didnt get many good acting gigs and was supposedly difficult to work with but she claims it was due to the corporate politics or some such. Anyway I just thought it was odd that the very thing slade's hated about his mothrer, being in theatre then turning to drugs and alcohol and dying in the street homeless is EXACTLY what happened to the real life Lily, Constance Smith. So sad bc she was so beautiful and in my opinion from seeing this very talented.
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