25 Trivia Bits From Pop Culture History About Movies

Wait, so the entire world wasn't black and white back then?!
25 Trivia Bits From Pop Culture History About Movies
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You didn't interrupt Mom's daytime shows when you were home sick from school, and you definitely knew not to interrupt Dad's shows at night. This is perhaps why we were forced to play outside our entire childhoods. It was probably near-impossible for ol' pops to enjoy some black-and-white classic with us fighting over Legos in the living room. 

Now that we're older, we fully understand. These classic films are too good to miss a moment from - so here's a healthy wad of trivia about them, from the broad expanse of pop culture history.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

51 years old CRACKED COM O.Z. Whitehead was 51 when he played a teenager in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

It's A Wonderful Life

It's A Wonderful Life was played SO much on television because the copyright holders forgot to renew it. CRACKED COM The movie was a box office flop and caused the sale of its production company. It only became popular after the copyright holders let their ownership lapse and TV stations could play it all day and night without paying for it.

The Wizard of Oz

The pyrotechnics malfunctioned. THE WIZARD OF OZ CRACKED COM You can see the red smoke appear before the Wicked Witch actually leaves. When they tried a re-take, everything went wrong and the actress got 2nd degree burns on her face.

The Skywayman

An old-timey movie featured the real death of a stuntman. Daredevil Ormer Locklear crashed while performing aerial stunts for the 1920 movie The Skywayman. In a move that makes today's tabloids seem respectful, the film didn't just include Locklear's death, but used it as a selling point. CRACKED.COM

Yakima Canutt

Yakima Canutt is the Godfather of modern day stunts. The best in the biz from 1920 to 1960, he developed modern day stunt techniques like horse falls, wagon wrecks, and screen combat. Не received an honorary Oscar in 1966 for his stunt work, and for developing safety devices that revolutionized the profession. CRACKED

UB Iwerks

Ub Iwerks invented Mickey Mouse. Besides creating the character, he also animated Mickey's first five cartoons. But he just wasn't all that funny, and was pretty shy. So he stepped back and concentrated on solving technical problems, while Disney got all the attention and credit. CRACKED.COM

Goldfinger

Asbestos exposure on GOLDFINGER The 1964 James Bond movie used asbestos boards in its set construction. Set painter Ronald Sharp later developed mesothelioma and died at age 59. His widow sued his former employers for compensation. CRACKED

Forbidden Planet

Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet sold for over $5 million Robby made history, becoming the most expensive movie prop ever sold at auction. CRACKED.COM

Rebel Without A Cause

Historical Firsts in The World of Stunts The first car chase stunts 1958 Car stunts had been done (notably 1955's Rebel Without A Cause), but Cary Loftin and his team's work on Thunder Road was ground zero for the modern action movie (although driver safety became a new issue). CRACKED

Rosebud

Spielberg bought the Rosebud sled for $55,000 ROSEBUD Steven Spielberg bought the Citizen Kane prop of film history in 1982. It is now in the Academy Museum. CRACKED.COM

Casablanca

RICK BECOMES FAMOUSLY CHUMMY WITH CAPTAIN RENAULT AT THE END OF CASABLANCA. A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP! BUT... НЕ WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ARRESTED. In the original, unproduced play, Rick is taken into custody for helping the fugitives escape, and presumably sent to a concentration camp. CRACKED.COM

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin was the adorable Little Tramp of the silent film era. In 1972 he received an Honorary Academy Award for the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century. Не continues to be held in high regard, and his work is often ranked among the greatest films of all time. THE CRAZY: Не used to throw custard pies at naked women. Chaplin invented the casting couch in the sickest way possible. He'd audition actresses by having them strip naked so he could mime-fondle them. Then he'd pelt them with custard pies. CRACKED.COM

The Wizard of Oz

CRACKED.COM In The wizard of OZ, Toto made more money than the Munchkins. Hollywood has never been fair, but it's mind-boggling that the actors portraying the Munchkins were paid $50 per week, while Toto and his trainers got $125 per week.

Frankenstein

CRACKED.COM YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN USED THE LABORATORY FROM THE ORIGINAL FRANKENSTEIN. Mel Brooks' opus nailed the look and feel of the lab from 1931's Frankenstein-because it was the same lab. For authenticity, Brooks sought out Kenneth Strickfaden, who had designed the set of the original movie. As it turned out, Strickfaden had kept most of the props in his garage.

Lillian Gish

The first film actress: CRACKED.COM Known to act so hard she'd collapse, Lillian Gish was the first actress hired specifically for film. She method-acted so hard, she gave herself permanent nerve damage and almost starved to death on film.

The Cocoanuts

CRACKED COM THE COCOANUTS The Marx Brothers disliked their first film so much, they tried to prevent its release. Luckily, they failed. The film went on to become a hit and turned the brothers into household names.

Eraserhead

CRACKED.COM If not for SISSY SPACEK ERASERHEAD David . film Lynch's landmark might not have been made. In addition to funding the film with her husband, production designer JACK FISK, the future Oscar winner served in various behind-the-camera roles, from script supervisor to slate-clapper.

Real Bullets

IN THE EARLY DAYS OF CINEMA, REAL BULLETS WERE FIRED AT ACTORS. Before blanks, squibs, and special effects were invented, directors would hire sharpshooters to shoot over actors' heads during gunfight scenes. CRACKED.COM

Studios and Child Stars

STUDIOS GAVE DRUGS TO CHILD STARS. With ironclad contracts and without child labor laws, studios pushed their young stars to work crazy hours. Judy Garland revealed that Mickey Rooney and her were given amphetamine uppers to keep them alert during 18-hour work days and then sleeping pills at night. CRACKED.COM

Noah's Ark

Illegal filmmaking Extras died in 1928's Noah's Ark. For the flood, cameraman Hal Mohr quit when director Michael Curtiz rolled his eyes at his safety concerns. Three extras died, another lost a limb, and a dozen suffered serious injuries, but Curtiz somehow escaped any legal repercussions. CRACKED

The Birds

Illegal filmmaking Alfred Hitchcock terrorized actors and birds) on The Birds. Hitchcock pelted actress Tippi Hedren with live birds (injuring and killing the birds), and force-fed whisky to seagulls to get them to stay still for longer. Hedren was hospitalized, and he ruined her career when she refused his sexual advances. CRACKED

It's A Wonderful Life

CRACKED.COM Jimmy Stewart suffered wartime PTSD while shooting It's A Wonderful Life. Stewart was going through much mental turmoil after his service as a pilot during World War II, to the point that he considered quitting acting. Accepting the now-Christmas classic relaunched his career.

007

James Bond's 007 came - from a bus. After author lan Fleming moved to Kent in the 1950s, he would often travel back to London by bus - specifically, the 007 bus. It still runs today, and is very popular with Bond fans. CRACKED.COM

The Exorcist

Pop culture inspirations The Exorcist René Magritte's series THE EMPIRE OF LIGHTS explores mind-bending oxymorons, and William Friedkin recreated this work for the movie, capturing the disharmonious spiritual aura that surrounds the home. CRACKED

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Classic Hollywood Movies Original vs. Remake RECEIVING 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers Don Siegel's anti-communist metaphor is classic sci-fi noir, with many remakes. The worst one is The Invasion, with Nicole Kidman. The best? That'd be the 1978 one, which adds always reliable '70s paranoia, closely followed by Abel Ferrara's 1993 version. 1993 2007 1978 CRACKED.COM

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