This Was The Most Expensive Scene In Silent Movie History, The Man Who Shot It Had One Chance To Get It Right
Buster Keaton is a well-known American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. The artist was best known for his physical comedy. He was also an eclectic filmmaker who liked to take things to the next level, often adding deadly stunts followed by dead-pan reactions to emphasise the comedic relief in the scene.
Buster Keaton’s Iconic Train Wreck Scene Was The Most Expensive Stunt In Silent Film History
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Keaton was also responsible for the most expensive scene in silent film history which was a one-shot wonder, partly because the film only had the budget to film the once. The scene is from his directorial, ‘The General’.
Besides being the director of the film, Keaton was also the star actor of the production. While the scene might be rather easy to pull off CGI in today’s time but in 1926, the scene was a big risk to film.
The scene had a train and a bridge over a river. The requirements were not impossible to source but the scene itself was a different story. Keaton needed to film a train wreck, so he made one happen.
Thousands Came To Witness The Filming Of The Iconic Stunt In Oregon
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The stunt was filmed on July 23, 1926. It was filmed in Cottage Grove in Oregon after Keton decided that it was the perfect place to make his plans come to life. Thousands of people showed up to witness what they could only conceive as movie madness. Along with the public were about 500 extras from the Oregon National Guard.
The scene cost around $42,000 (over Rs 34 Lakhs), a huge sum of money at the time. In today’s economy, this cost would mean that the scene took about $600,000 (Rs 4.9 Crore) worth of 21st-century money.
After the scene was shot, the steam engine was left crumbled into the crook. For some time, it remained a tourist attraction where people would often visit to look over the sight. Later, during WWII the train was scavenged and salvaged for scraps.
Though this was not the only stunt by Keaton that made it into the history books. He was known for performing such remarkable feats. Once he famously stood in front of a window gap while a house fell on him.
