MovieChat Forums > Live and Let Die (1973) Discussion > Fake Snake?

Fake Snake?

posted 8 years ago by billymac72
3 replies | jump to latest

Can anyone tell me....was the bright green snake used by the shaman real? I've heard it described as "laughably fake", but watching the movie this weekend, I wasn't so sure either way (its mouth certainly moves, anyway, but that could be done with a fishing line, for all I know). I listened to a little of Roger Moore's commentary and he claims that the man playing the shaman was so deathly afraid of snakes that he actually fainted on the set while handling it.

I guess it looks fake because of its color, mostly? It does look like an emerald tree boa.

Anyone know the real story?

[–] tika313 8 years ago

I came here to see what others might have to say. I believe the snake was fake. The mouth stayed in the same position the entire scene. The actor appeared to be manipulating it to make it look alive.

[–] A-zone 7 years ago

I can't say for a fact, but I don't think the snake was fake throughout the scenes it was in. Maybe they used a fake for the close-ups or the "biting" scene. But in other scenes the snake looked very real to me, it was moving. As for its somewhat static open jaws, snakes do that. They often open their mouth and hold that pose, as a threat to scare off any danger.

"I'm the dude, playing a dude that's disguised as another dude".

[–] liscarkat (16552) 5 years ago

It appeared to me that the snake was moving its mouth; however, it also looked as though it was painted bright green.