Kay Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 This is a wonderful movie, but before starting any conversations there is something I have to know... >>This post contains spoiler(s).<< No matter how many times I watch this movie I still can't figure out how they did it. After the war we find out that John Gilbert's leg has been compromised (the same one his girlfriend was clinging to as he was riding out to the front. Hadn't noticed that touch before.) And we see him walking around from the side. Where did the rest of his leg go? He wasn't standing in front of it; he didn't tuck it up under his coat like Lon Chaney, seein' as how he had no coat to tuck it up under. How did they make it look so convincing way back then? I have searched about this on the web, but have only found other people who are asking the same question. No answers. John Gilbert didn't really have just one leg, did he? How did they make it look like he had two for the rest of the movie? They didn't cut one of them off, did they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 By the way, when this movie aired last Monday I happened to notice that the coming-up-next narrator and Mankiewicz both got the summary wrong, but in different ways. The narrator described John Gilbert's character as an "idler turned patriot," while Mankiewicz said that Gilbert "enthusiastically enlists." Needless to say, his character is never enthusiastic about it, nor does he "turn patriot" any more than he had been ("idler" is not the best word, either...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaytonf Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I believe the way it's done is to tie the leg bent at the knee, with the foot across the back of the rear end. The whole being disguised with baggy pants. I imagine it could be quite uncomfortable over a long shooting day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kay Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 I thought that had to be it, but every time I watch it I try to see where his foot went. It's very well-disguised! I don't know how they hid it without a long coat, like Lon Chaney used in The Penalty. Tighter straps, I guess. It's easier to hide one leg than two, after all; though I've seen many more modern films that weren't nearly so convincing. Thanks for the reply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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