26Blair's Exorcist Spine Fracture
Linda Blair suffered a fractured spine while filming The Exorcist (1973), resulting in later scoliosis. While rigged to a mechanical bed that shook violently, Linda Blair broke her back, and the filmmakers captured and used her genuine screams of pain in the final film.
27. When director James Gunn cast David Dastmalchian as supervillain Polka-Dot Man for "The Suicide Squad," he was unaware that the actor had vitiligo. The skin condition gave Dastmalchian polka dots on his skin, and as a child, he endured mockery from others who referred to him as "polka dots" and "Dalmatian."
28. Burt Ward, while shooting Batman, performed many of his own stunts because his stuntman bore no resemblance to him. Ward ended up in the hospital for four consecutive days during the pilot shoot.
29. Daniel Day-Lewis prepared for his role as "Bill the Butcher" in Gangs of New York (2002) by engaging in method acting and frequently instigating fights with strangers on the streets of Rome, where the movie was filmed. Day-Lewis later admitted that this approach was "not so good for my physical or mental health."
30. The production of The Sound of Music encountered resistance from Salzburg city leaders, who objected to scenes featuring swastika banners. Director Robert Wise resolved the issue by threatening to incorporate old newsreel footage featuring the banners instead.
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15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
31Eaton's Palpatine Stand-In
Marjorie Eaton initially portrayed Palpatine as a stand-in in the original Star Wars trilogy, Episode V, wearing heavy makeup. During post-production, the filmmakers superimposed chimpanzee eyes into her darkened eye sockets, and musical stage actor Clive Revill provided the character's voice.
32. For the 1982 film Fitzcarraldo, director Werner Herzog had the cast drag a 320-ton steamship over a steep hill to depict real-life events. Under the threat of death, Carlos Fitzcarrald compelled indigenous workers to transport a 30-ton ship over a mountain to reach another river in 1894.
33. The iconic cut-off sweatshirt look in the 1983 film Flashdance was an accidental creation. Jennifer Beals, the actress, unintentionally shrank her favorite sweatshirt in the dryer. To make it fit, she cut out the neck hole and wore it to a wardrobe fitting. The director's loved it.
34. Facing budget constraints during the production of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, director Doug Liman delved into his personal savings. He constructed a set in his mother's Upstate New York garage, only to blow it up with a hand grenade.
35. The conclusion of "The Bourne Supremacy" underwent reshoots merely two weeks before its release. Director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon conceived a new idea costing $200,000, even requiring Damon to be pulled from the set of Ocean's 12. The movie saw a significant improvement, testing 10 points higher with the new ending and ultimately grossing $176 million.
