GENERAL TOPICS > Books & Movies
Invulnerability of western movie horse teams
Shotgun Franklin:
After 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' and the death and injury to a lot of horses, Errol Flynn started a big push for the safety of animals being used in movies.He went to the Press and got enough backing to make big changes in how animals especially horse were used. After Flynn died it got bad again but others took up the cause and had laws passed. Now they actually have trained stunt horses. If you ever get the chance check into the tricks they now do. Horses learn to take falls, play dead and all kinds of stunts.
Major 2:
http://www.americanhumane.org/animals/programs/no-animals-were-harmed/
Since 1940 Hollywood has invited American Humane on location to oversee the treatment of animals ..and as such will recieve the following no-animals-were-harmed credit.
St. George:
There's also something called a 'plot device' - something improbable, yet vaguely possible - and can move the scene along.
If they'd shot all the horses - then they'd've been able to kill pretty much everyone on the stage - making the average movie about ten minutes long.
That's why the Public Library will inform you about the 'real Old West' and the 'John Ford Reference Library' will mis-inform you, using the 'reel Old West'.
Scouts Out!
Advertising:
Buffalo Creek Law Dog:
John Ford once said, when asked why the Indians just didn't shoot the horses in the movie Stage Coach, "Then, the movie would be over."
RobMancebo:
--- Quote from: Lead Zeppelin on November 07, 2011, 02:07:02 PM ---I was just watching a western (not a good one - the 1986 version of Stagecoach), and during the scene when the stagecoach is being chased by Indians, it struck me that the horses pulling the stagecoach were apparently invulnerable to both arrows and bullets. I don't think I have *ever* seen a movie stagecoach horse that was taken down by the bad guys chasing the stage. The bad guys could be completely surrounding the stagecoach as it speeds down the trail, and kill every person on and in the stagecoach - and the horses never even stumble. Those stagecoach teams must have had very tough hides!! ;D
--- End quote ---
Yep. Noticing this lil' problem really can ruin a lot of movies. In 'The War Wagon', I had to chuckle because the wagon was iron and mounted with a Gatling gun in a turret, but the horses were just running out in the open. The robbers made such a big thing out of stopping it when all anyone had to do was to shoot a horse. (Still a fun movie . . . it's just hard to take any of it seriously after noticing that.)
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version