25 October 2011
Landslides in the movies part 1 – Buster Keaton demonstrates how to survive a rockslide
Posted by Dave Petley
Summary: an excerpt from the classic Buster Keaton movie Seven Chances in which the star demonstrates how to trigger and then escape from a rockslide
In the classic 1929 movie Seven Chances, Buster Keaton was chased by 500 would-be brides. In his attempt to escape he triggered a rockslide, which then joined the pursuit of him. For the next three minutes or so he demonstrated various techniques for avoiding being hit and/or squashed by the rolling and bouncing rocks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-3iaaPaBR4
Can anyone name any other examples of landslides in movies? If so, this will form a second series to sit alongside the landslides in art set of posts.
Dave Petley is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. His blog provides commentary and analysis of landslide events occurring worldwide, including the landslides themselves, latest research, and conferences and meetings.
That has to be one of the most incredible pieces of moviedom ever made…. even considering the possible paper mach’ed rocks. Thanks for posting this.
Best!motsfo
who knew the guy was such an athlete? I’m sure there was a little camera trickery but what an incredible piece – funny, too!
I can’t for the life of me think of another landslide in a film, although I always liked the pyroclastic flow bit in Dante’s Peak – an otherwise awful movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfIUYDjo8WM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfIUYDjo8WM
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Buster Keaton must have been an incredible athlete. I read once that falling down was a skill he learned as a child and he wouldn’t get hurt.