# Examples of surprisingly good SFX/technical design in old movies. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433 "2008-02-20T21:48:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/1 "2008-02-20T21:48:15Z")
I’ve seen the film Goonies many times now from the eighties to the noughties. I’m not sure if I actually saw it when it came out. I would have been six. In all that time I never gave much thought to the Sloth character, specifically his deformity. Until now. I am ashamed to say, the first thing I did was to find out whether it _was_ prosthetics (or was that a real deformed person). This goes to show how good it must have been - To make at least one person wonder if it could have been real. [Sloth](http://www.piratemerch.com/images/sloth_loves_chunk.jpg) played by [John Matuszak](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/214/450335296_f8637a2d6c.jpg). What can you think of that has surprised you about an old film in the context of a special effect, or prosthetics, or stage design etc… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/2 "2008-02-20T22:17:06Z")
First of all, let me say how depressed I am to hear **The Goonies** called an “Old Film”. I was in my second grad school when that came out. But I still wouldn’t call it an “old film”. That’s term I use for stuff that’s generally pre-1950 or so. By the time “The Goonies” came out they’d already released movies with CGI effects, fer cryin’ out loud! The effects in films like **Metropolis** , **The Day the Earth Stood Still** , and **Forbidden Planet** still amaze me, and I think a lot of them still stand up. If you want a REALLY old film, check out the “creation of the monster” effects in the 1910 (yes – 1910!) **Frankenstein** : [www.dailymotion.com/video/xiwsa\_frankenstein-1910](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xiwsa_frankenstein-1910) Or check out George Melies’ even earlier flicks: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zs5BBaNJ6mg/hqdefault.jpg "George Melies - The Conjuror 1899") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs5BBaNJ6mg) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbGd_240ynk) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndQ0FKa92J8) [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaaY2eQ1Lv4) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/3 "2008-02-20T22:40:01Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] If you want a REALLY old film, check out the “creation of the monster” effects in the 1910 (yes – 1910!) **Frankenstein** : > **[Dailymotion](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xiwsa)** [/QUOTE] Now that was just mean. I think the tornado and “SURRENDER DOROTHY” effects from The 1938 Wizard of Oz hold up very well. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/4 "2008-02-20T22:47:04Z")
_2001: A Space Odyssey_ has effects sequences (not the acid trip slit-scan animation on the last reel) that are as good or better than any spacecraft effect sequences put to film since. Of course, it took Kubrick five years and many cycles of building and modifying sets in order to make the movie. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/5 "2008-02-20T22:49:15Z")
Here’s a [working clip](http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/frankenstein%2B1910/video/x1h9pv_frankenstein_creation) from the 1910 Frankenstein. It about 13 minutes long and I haven’t watched it all yet to see if the creation scene is in it but since part of the url is “frankenstein\_creation” I’m guessing yes. ETA: yes it is, about 2:30 in. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/6 "2008-02-20T22:50:41Z")
I caught an old (as in 60s) WWI movie called The Blue Max (staring George Peppard and Ursula Andress) on one of the HD channels. The aerial dogfights were pretty spectacular since they actually had to take real biplanes and fly them around. The CGI dogfights of modern movies just isn’t as compelling IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/7 "2008-02-20T23:09:14Z")
Some scenes in WWII movies are suprisingly realistic, because they sometimes simply used stock footage from actual combat. So you’ll get weird disconnects, like documentary footage of ships exploding, then cut to John Wayne on a soundstage with a movie playing behind him, then cut to shots using actual tanks and ships but shot for the movie, then more newsreel footage, then more soundstage work. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/8 "2008-02-20T23:16:35Z")
Harryhausen’s [skeleton warriors in Jason and Argonauts](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mQmplmIajc) are beyond awesome. Beats the hell out of CGI, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/9 "2008-02-21T00:41:21Z")
[QUOTE=Gala Matrix Fire] Harryhausen’s [skeleton warriors in Jason and Argonauts](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mQmplmIajc) are beyond awesome. Beats the hell out of CGI, IMO. [/QUOTE] How can it beat the hell out of “CGI”? You’re saying it looks better than every CGI effect that has ever and will ever be made? That seems like a strong statement. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/10 "2008-02-21T00:44:42Z")
[QUOTE=Gala Matrix Fire] Harryhausen’s [skeleton warriors in Jason and Argonauts](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mQmplmIajc) are beyond awesome. Beats the hell out of CGI, IMO. [/QUOTE] I don’t think Harryhausen would agree. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/11 "2008-02-21T01:04:54Z")
[QUOTE=Gala Matrix Fire] Harryhausen’s [skeleton warriors in Jason and Argonauts](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mQmplmIajc) are beyond awesome. Beats the hell out of CGI, IMO. [/QUOTE] I don’t think to OP means what you think it means. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/12 "2008-02-21T01:11:51Z")
**King Kong** (the original). Still brilliant – notice how the wind ruffles Kong’s fur. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/13 "2008-02-21T06:14:41Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] Some scenes in WWII movies are suprisingly realistic, because they sometimes simply used stock footage from actual combat. So you’ll get weird disconnects, like documentary footage of ships exploding, then cut to John Wayne on a soundstage with a movie playing behind him, then cut to shots using actual tanks and ships but shot for the movie, then more newsreel footage, then more soundstage work. [/QUOTE] I was never a big fan of stock footage since it’s clearly stock footage. Some of those old war movies are surprisingly realistic though simply because they simply hired a thousand extras and dug up the entire countryside with trenches and bombed out buildings and fake explosions. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/14 "2008-02-21T07:32:59Z")
Not terribly old, but I was very impressed by **Aliens** at the end when they have the giant robot vs the queen alien fight. I’ve yet to see CGI fights that didn’t look like a special effect, and yet the non-CGI fight in Aliens couldn’t have looked more real for the most part. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7boluGtG0C4) _can’t wait for James Cameron’s Battle Angel_ ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/15 "2008-02-21T11:03:22Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] **King Kong** (the original). Still brilliant – notice how the wind ruffles Kong’s fur. [/QUOTE] I agree. To be honest, I think Peter Jackson’s remake is the first movie gorilla that’s looked better. Maybe it’s because so many of the other movies centering around gorillas are cheap (in budget or creative talent) pieces of crap, the gorillas always look completely awful. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/16 "2008-02-21T12:23:26Z")
[QUOTE=Gala Matrix Fire] Harryhausen’s [skeleton warriors in Jason and Argonauts](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mQmplmIajc) are beyond awesome. [/QUOTE] If you want to see really good stop motion, you should check out 1982’s [Q: The Winged Serpent](http://www.badmovies.org/movies/q/). Despite a budget of only $1,200,000, it had the world’s first rotoscoped stop motion sequence. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/17 "2008-02-21T13:06:02Z")
> [@](#): > > King Kong (the original). Still brilliant – notice how the wind ruffles Kong’s fur. According to Goldner and Turner’s book, **The Making of King Kong** (and Goldner should know – he was one of the animators), Willis O’Brien was _furious_ about the way the cheap rabbit fur they got to cover the King Kong animation figuretook and retained the finger impressions, rather than going back to the way it was before you touched it. He changed his mind after he overheard one of the studio executives , watching the day’s rushes, whisper to another exec “Boy, Kong is mad! You can see his fur bristle!” In other words, the wind blowing his fur, or his anger making it ruffle, was purely an unintentional byproduct of the craftsman getting the wrong kind of fur. When they made **Mighty Joe Young** , years later, they got the Right Stuff, and his fur doesn’t bristle. (My apologies if you knew this – your comment could be read two ways) An interesting sidelight on this – years later they duplicated some of the Kong scenes for an Energizer commercial (with than damned pink rabbit – although the commercial, shot to match the Kong footage, was in black and white). I read that the commercial wasn’t actually animated, but used rod puppets for the Kong motions (lots cheaper and faster), but that they wanted to duplicate that “fur ruffling” effect, so they used compressed air to blow the fur around in different directions so it looked like the 1933 animated footage with the rabbit fur. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/18 "2008-02-21T13:20:38Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] I’ve yet to see CGI fights that didn’t look like a special effect, and yet the non-CGI fight in Aliens couldn’t have looked more real for the most part. [/QUOTE] I’ve heard that Terminator 2 (also by Cameron) was the first time a movie made CGI morphing technology “cool”. It was also the last. (Although I know he used it in The Abyss a few years before). ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/19 "2008-02-21T14:03:33Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] The effects in films like **Metropolis** , **The Day the Earth Stood Still** , and **Forbidden Planet** still amaze me, and I think a lot of them still stand up. [/QUOTE] Maybe the others, but The Day the Earth Stood Still? I just watched that and the effects were distinctly bottom shelf. I mean Gort, the robot made of indestructible metal – you could see the fabric bending when he walked. Gort’s magic make things disappear ray was standard movie fodder even at the time. The spaceship looked pretty much like the plywood mockup that it was. The only really good effect was the opening and extending of the hatchway. Some good effects that surprised me: The models in Silent Running from 1972? Kind of a dumb plot, but pretty good nonetheless. The model of Red Dwarf in the opening/closing scenes of the Red Dwarf TV show. Where they focus on the astronaut painting the ship and then pan away to reveal the GINORMOUS space craft. (It just keeps pulling further and further back.) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433/20 "2008-02-21T14:11:43Z")
In the old gangster films the effects they used to show bullet hits during the gunfights looks a lot more realistic than the squibs they use now. Most likely because they had a marksman off screen shooting real weapons at the actors (OK near them). I forget which movie has a scene in which Jimmy Cagney is mistakenly almost hit by the bullets. They left it in the movie. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-surprisingly-good-sfx-technical-design-in-old-movies/438433.md?page=2)