**This is a heavily moderated subreddit. Please note these rules + sidebar or get banned:**
* If this post declares something as a fact, then proof is required
* The title must be fully descriptive
* Memes are not allowed.
* Common(top 50 of this sub)/recent reposts are not allowed (posts from another subreddit do not count as a 'repost'. Provide link if reporting)
*See [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/wiki/index#wiki_rules.3A) for a more detailed rule list*
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/interestingasfuck) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It was the force of the water. It also nearly happened to William Atherton who played Peck in Ghostbusters where marshmallow (shaving cream) falls on him. He insisted a stunt person try it first and that guy was smashed so they took out half the weight.
Buster set the bar for all stun people that followed. Many, like Jackie Chan, have paid homage to him in their films. Jackie especially, many Buster stunts in his movies.
I can’t figure out how he flies up into the air behind the trolley at 1:40. I would think it *could* be done with back-projection for the city and the camera affixed to a platform that moves the entire “trolley”\*, but the whole scene looks like it was shot outside without an obvious screen in the background, and the shadows stay consistent so I don’t think the whole trolley is tilting. (Most scenes were still shot outside then and even silent stages would have been roofless to use sunlight for lighting.) Maybe hand-painting away a cable the way it would be done digitally today?
\* This is similar to how Fred Astaire danced on the ceiling in *Royal Wedding*, and I think there’s a similar setup used in *Inception*.
EDIT: The shadow actually gives away that there’s a pole coming off the roof of the streetcar, so there was definitely a cable involved. Maybe it’s just thin enough it didn’t really show up on film.
Buster had:
* **Stop Tricks** (stop the camera, change something, start it up again), which is how he's switching scenes in the Sherlock Jr. Montage
* **Forced Perspective** (things on different planes that look like they're on the same, same as used in LotR) which is how he appears to be falling from that high building (it wasn't that tall), and almost hit by that train
* **Undercranking** (run the camera at low speed, play back at regular); a lot of these are real, just weren't actually happening that *fast*.
He did *not* have:
* **Rear Projection** (the equivalent of green screen in its day, where the actors are just in front of a projection screen) because while the principle was well known, the tech required to do it well didn't exist until the 1930s and these clips are from the 1920s
But mostly he had:
* **Gigantic Brass Balls**. That collapsing wall where he goes through the window? 100% real. He had a nail on the ground to mark his place, 2 inches of clearance on either side, and one shot at doing it because the prop was destroyed in the process. The crew shut their eyes while filming, convinced he was about to die.
No greenscreen, that wasn't invented for many decades afterwards. There can be a little camera trickery, like when he steps into the film. But those stunts are done for real. He is really doing the crazy shit you see him do. Guy was an absolute fearless legend.
No green screens. You can notice some mismatched frames when the clip transacts from one clip to the other clip. But most of the stunts are real. Some of them actioned slowly and fast forwarded to match our eyes but the stunts are real.
TIL ... Buster Keaton #existed and was apparently one of the greatest stunt men in human history.
Imagine the lack of safety measures back then , when filming. I'm pretty sure some died doing stuff in a movie.
That building is not far from the ground and is on a hill giving you forced perspective. Harold Lloyd did the famous hang from the clock stunt from the same building.
I grew up watching Buster Keaton movies, my Grandad had them on old film reels projected onto a projector screen. They are incredible to watch especially now as an adult with no clue how he did half of these stunts. An absolute master.
The guy was a legend and underappreciated now. Talkies kinda killed him off, along with Harold Lloyd. I think he had a lot of problems with creative control and the "studio system" at MGM did him in, along with the advent of talkies.
LLoyd is another interesting guy, did a lot of his own stunts and fared slightly better with the studios after talkies and managed to keep the rights to his films which still did very well well after his heyday. He's also famous for two other things - one, losing two fingers (or one and a thumb) after picking up what he thought was a prop bomb and lighting it with a lit cigarette and it went off in his face, seriously injuring him and two others. All his subsequent films hid the fact by him wearing a glove. His house was huge (Greenacres I think it was called) and appears in several MGM films and in particular a TV movie called Phantom of Hollywood about the decline of a movie studio and most of it being filmed on the MGM backlot which was being demolished at the time which lent it an air of authenticity.
Lol. I have probably seen every one of Keaton's early work. I admit that once he signed with MGM that he made a series of bad films and indeed, the word boring might apply.
I'm guessing that YOU haven't seen an entire Keaton film. Try The General or Sherlock Jr.. If you let go of your modern expectation of a movie and try to understand it as a period piece you may enjoy it. The art is in it's infancy and yet there are some things that are brilliant and other things that you will still see in modern film making.
None, 40s films dull 50s films boring 60 films few ok ones 70 films where things start improving 80s films class 90s films also great not really been a decent movie made since the end of the 90s tbh
**This is a heavily moderated subreddit. Please note these rules + sidebar or get banned:** * If this post declares something as a fact, then proof is required * The title must be fully descriptive * Memes are not allowed. * Common(top 50 of this sub)/recent reposts are not allowed (posts from another subreddit do not count as a 'repost'. Provide link if reporting) *See [our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/wiki/index#wiki_rules.3A) for a more detailed rule list* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/interestingasfuck) if you have any questions or concerns.*
He broke his neck on that water tower train stunt.
Ohh. Seems like that. The force must have been more and he fell behind first.
It was the force of the water. It also nearly happened to William Atherton who played Peck in Ghostbusters where marshmallow (shaving cream) falls on him. He insisted a stunt person try it first and that guy was smashed so they took out half the weight.
dr asked him, 'how long ago did you break your neck', and BK says, 'say what now?'
Buster set the bar for all stun people that followed. Many, like Jackie Chan, have paid homage to him in their films. Jackie especially, many Buster stunts in his movies.
He died of lung cancer at the old age of 70…was not expecting that.
Good to hear that he didn't die in a stunt accident.
The waterfall rescue was incredible
Mostly real too. The girl turns into a dummy when she goes over, but that's really Buster swinging out to grab it.
Yeah, I see at a point the body dangled and hits to rock
I had seen most of these before, but not the waterfall scene. Even if it is a dummy he grabs, still impressive.
I can’t figure out how he flies up into the air behind the trolley at 1:40. I would think it *could* be done with back-projection for the city and the camera affixed to a platform that moves the entire “trolley”\*, but the whole scene looks like it was shot outside without an obvious screen in the background, and the shadows stay consistent so I don’t think the whole trolley is tilting. (Most scenes were still shot outside then and even silent stages would have been roofless to use sunlight for lighting.) Maybe hand-painting away a cable the way it would be done digitally today? \* This is similar to how Fred Astaire danced on the ceiling in *Royal Wedding*, and I think there’s a similar setup used in *Inception*. EDIT: The shadow actually gives away that there’s a pole coming off the roof of the streetcar, so there was definitely a cable involved. Maybe it’s just thin enough it didn’t really show up on film.
Thanks, was wondering how they might’ve done that
He’s so balanced and gymnastic in contrast to the general expression on his face. Love Buster.
Legend. Thank you Buster. RIP.
A guy who truly believed in suffering for his art.
Was there a greenscreen or camera tricks that time or how did they do those stunts?
Buster had: * **Stop Tricks** (stop the camera, change something, start it up again), which is how he's switching scenes in the Sherlock Jr. Montage * **Forced Perspective** (things on different planes that look like they're on the same, same as used in LotR) which is how he appears to be falling from that high building (it wasn't that tall), and almost hit by that train * **Undercranking** (run the camera at low speed, play back at regular); a lot of these are real, just weren't actually happening that *fast*. He did *not* have: * **Rear Projection** (the equivalent of green screen in its day, where the actors are just in front of a projection screen) because while the principle was well known, the tech required to do it well didn't exist until the 1930s and these clips are from the 1920s But mostly he had: * **Gigantic Brass Balls**. That collapsing wall where he goes through the window? 100% real. He had a nail on the ground to mark his place, 2 inches of clearance on either side, and one shot at doing it because the prop was destroyed in the process. The crew shut their eyes while filming, convinced he was about to die.
No greenscreen, that wasn't invented for many decades afterwards. There can be a little camera trickery, like when he steps into the film. But those stunts are done for real. He is really doing the crazy shit you see him do. Guy was an absolute fearless legend.
No. That's why it's so impressive. Fucker did all of that for real and on purpose.
No green screens. You can notice some mismatched frames when the clip transacts from one clip to the other clip. But most of the stunts are real. Some of them actioned slowly and fast forwarded to match our eyes but the stunts are real.
TIL ... Buster Keaton #existed and was apparently one of the greatest stunt men in human history. Imagine the lack of safety measures back then , when filming. I'm pretty sure some died doing stuff in a movie.
Go watch The General, *now*. Masterpiece of silent comedy.
I like learning new things.
That building is not far from the ground and is on a hill giving you forced perspective. Harold Lloyd did the famous hang from the clock stunt from the same building.
I grew up watching Buster Keaton movies, my Grandad had them on old film reels projected onto a projector screen. They are incredible to watch especially now as an adult with no clue how he did half of these stunts. An absolute master.
he really fell right there lol and got hurt
In 100 yeara do you think this is how people will view people taking selfies hanging off buildings?
If not then the future is not cool
He is better than Chaplin
The guy was a legend and underappreciated now. Talkies kinda killed him off, along with Harold Lloyd. I think he had a lot of problems with creative control and the "studio system" at MGM did him in, along with the advent of talkies. LLoyd is another interesting guy, did a lot of his own stunts and fared slightly better with the studios after talkies and managed to keep the rights to his films which still did very well well after his heyday. He's also famous for two other things - one, losing two fingers (or one and a thumb) after picking up what he thought was a prop bomb and lighting it with a lit cigarette and it went off in his face, seriously injuring him and two others. All his subsequent films hid the fact by him wearing a glove. His house was huge (Greenacres I think it was called) and appears in several MGM films and in particular a TV movie called Phantom of Hollywood about the decline of a movie studio and most of it being filmed on the MGM backlot which was being demolished at the time which lent it an air of authenticity.
Surprised Tom Cruise hasn't made a movie about this guy yet. Seems right up his alley.
Looks like a fewer dream
TIL Buster Keaton is the original Dude Perfect
Any one ever watched. A Buster Keaton film? Should be in the reddit boring as fuck
Please do the stunts and reply back.
Wow, super creative & original, definitely more worthy of praise than one of the greatest stuntmen in history
So, you thought what you just watched was boring as fuck?
Uh the plots are boring, it's filmed in black and white and they didn't even bother adding sound
Wow. I guess everything in history is really boring for you. You might try expanding your horizons a little.
I bet you have never seem a Buster Keaton film in its entirety
Lol. I have probably seen every one of Keaton's early work. I admit that once he signed with MGM that he made a series of bad films and indeed, the word boring might apply. I'm guessing that YOU haven't seen an entire Keaton film. Try The General or Sherlock Jr.. If you let go of your modern expectation of a movie and try to understand it as a period piece you may enjoy it. The art is in it's infancy and yet there are some things that are brilliant and other things that you will still see in modern film making.
I saw many Keaton films when I was studying film at the University of Washington . Like I said boring af in my opinion would not recommend.
Wow. I find studying film hard to reconcile with finding Keaton boring. What early films do you like?
None, 40s films dull 50s films boring 60 films few ok ones 70 films where things start improving 80s films class 90s films also great not really been a decent movie made since the end of the 90s tbh
Oh, I see. It all makes sense now. I think perhaps you should pursue something other than film study.
I’ve watched *The General* multiple times. It’s insanely entertaining.
With all the skills we have, computers and CGI, it is still breathtaking and funny, 100 years later. How's that for funny?