14 Famous Films With Dangerous Behind-The-Scenes
by Jenna GuillaumeBuzzFeed Contributor
Filmmaking can seem frivolous, but there are times it comes with very real and serious risks. Here are some movies which were plagued by disaster during production — including a few that were actually deadly...
1.
The Wizard of Oz is one of the most iconic movies of all time, but behind the scenes it was a hazardous production. Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch, suffered burns to her hands and face during a stunt gone wrong, and also said the green makeup affected her skin for months afterwards. Her stunt double, Betty Danko, was also burned while filming.
Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images
The Tin Man was originally played by Buddy Ebsen, who had to leave nine days into filming after having a severe reaction to the toxic aluminum dust used in his makeup. He was treated in an oxygen tent in hospital for two weeks afterwards. Jack Haley, who replaced him, didn't escape injury himself — his eye became infected because of the Tin Man makeup.
Silver Screen Collection / Getty Images
Meanwhile, the cast had asbestos dumped on them to represent fake snow in the poppy scene. Then there's the extreme pressure Judy Garland was put under, especially regarding her looks — at just 15, she was placed on a "diet" of chicken soup, black coffee, cigarettes, and pills. She was also allegedly sexually harassed by some of the actors who played munchkins.
MGM
2.
Ironically, the set of James Cameron's Titanic wasn't exactly disaster-proof. With multiple 20-hour days and the majority of filming taking place night, it was hard for everyone involved. Kate Winslet described it as "an ordeal," and actually nearly drowned. She also ended up covered in bruises, chipped a bone in her elbow, and developed hypothermia and the flu.
Cbs Photo Archive / Getty Images
The scenes that featured passengers falling from the ship caused several injuries, while shots of people floundering in the water after the ship sank were filmed in a tank pumped full of "filthy" ocean water that, according to Kate, gave many of the actors kidney infections.
Cbs Photo Archive / Getty Images
Another time, while filming the "present day" scenes, someone spiked the cast and crew's lunch with PCP, and they all ended up in hospital.
Cbs Photo Archive / Getty Images
3.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is another iconic James Cameron movie whose stars went through some tough experiences to get it to the screen. For instance, Linda Hamilton was left with permanent hearing loss in one of her ears due to the gunshot noise she was exposed to while filming.
Cbs Photo Archive / Getty Images
Multiple stunt people were also injured. James Cameron even called one of the stunts in the movie — where the Terminator climbs onto the front of a truck and shoots at the driver — "the most dangerous stunt I've ever been involved with," adding, "you either did it right or you were dead." Meanwhile, the helicopter chase was perceived as so risky, the camera operator reportedly refused to film it, and James had to do it himself.
Cbs Photo Archive / Getty Images
4.
The Crow is perhaps as much known for its on-set tragedy as it is for the movie itself. Star Brandon Lee died during filming when he was shot with a prop gun that a dummy bullet had been left in.
Miramax
But that wasn't the only on-set incident. On the first day of filming, a crew member allegedly got into an accident and was electrocuted, and another crew member was electrocuted in a seperate incident. One stunt performer broke several ribs. Another time, a prop truck inexplicably caught on fire, and to top it all off, some of the sets were destroyed by a hurricane.
Miramax
5.
Full Metal Jacket's Vietnam scenes were shot in London's Beckton Gas Works, which star Matthew Modine described as "one of the most toxic places I’ve ever been to in my life."
Sunset Boulevard / Getty Images
"There were probably 30 or more known carcinogens that were in the soil," Matthew told The Hollywood Reporter. "There was also asbestos everywhere, and when you went home from work and took a bath, the tub would literally turn a kind of cobalt blue with all this dirt and chemicals that came off of your body. It was a sickening place."
Sunset Boulevard / Getty Images
6.
Roar is known as the most dangerous film ever made, and for good reason. The movie, about a scientist's house that gets overrun by lions, was written and directed by Neal Marshall, who also starred in the movie alongside his wife, Tippi Hedren, and their kids, John and Jerry Marshall, and Melanie Griffith. They lived with 150 wild animals — predominantly big cats — during the years it took to film the movie. At least 70 cast and crew members were injured in that time.
Drafthouse Films
Most of the injuries came from the wild animal interactions. Neal himself was hurt multiple times and developed gangrene, while Tippi suffered multiple head wounds and a fractured leg. Melanie had to have facial reconstructi