How was this bridge burning and collapsing scene filmed in Buster Keaton's The General?
Well, this scene from Buster Keaton's The General is considered to be one of the most expensive scenes in the history of silent movies. In this scene, a bridge is collapsed when a train cross it.
How was this scene filmed without hurting the actor on the train?
Best Answer
There was no actor on the train. Here's some background on the filming of the scene according to Buster Keaton: Cut to the Chase by Marion Meade:
During the filming of this spectacular scene on Friday, July 23, Cottage Grove shut down as businesses closed their stores and declared a holiday. In the hot sun, an estimated crowd of three to four thousand assembled. The scene was scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Six cameras were in position when Keaton changed his mind and ordered them moved. The crash train then practiced several runs across the trestle while the specifics were worked out by the cameramen and an explosives expert. There would be no second takes.
It was 3:00 p.m. when Keaton finally gave the signal. The engineer who started the Texas rolling leaped down, leaving behind a dummy at the throttle. The timbers of the bridge had been partly sawed, and when the dynamite charge went off, the bridge snapped in half. The engine dropped into a twisted, steaming pile in the river. Because the dummy looked so lifelike, spectators began screaming. The crash set off the train whistle, which continued to screech. Afterward Keaton posed for still photos standing on the wreckage. He was as "happy as a kid," reported the Cottage Grove Sentinel.
The train-crash cost came to $42,000 ($1.7 million at 1995 price levels), making it the most expensive single shot in all of silent films. That figure did not include disposal of the wreckage. Not until World War II would the Texas's rusty carcass be salvaged for scrap metal.
Pictures about "How was this bridge burning and collapsing scene filmed in Buster Keaton's The General?"
How did Buster Keaton not get hurt?
One of his most famous stunts took place in Steamboat Bill, in which Keaton avoided being struck by a collapsing building by \u201cescaping\u201d through a tiny window. Despite his skills, over the years he was injured numerous times; he broke bones, almost drowned, and severely damaged his neck.Where was the general filmed?
Buster Keaton stars as Johnny Gray in his 1926 silent film "The General," which was filmed in Cottage Grove, Oregon. To celebrate its 90th birthday, the Hollywood Theatre has commissioned an original live score to tour the state.How did Buster Keaton fall?
Buster Keaton intended to leap from a board projecting from one building onto the roof of another building, but he fell short, smashing into the brick wall and falling into a net off-screen. He was injured badly enough to be laid up for three days.Most Expensive Silent Film Shot Ever: Train Wreck From \
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