"Under The Southern Cross" (1938)

[bogbud]

From his first steps into the mud up till he is about armpit deep, this pit is impressively realistic. Looks like a nicely secluded tidal mudbog behind all those reeds that just waits for an unsuspecting victim. And it's full of that "the more you struggle, the more you sink" mud

Hmm, why do i have the urge now to visit a similar place?!

[Tim]

And I also agree with the 'hole in something' technique here. The velocity pretty much gives it away, much like When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth.

All the years I've seen that film, I never thought about it filmed that way, but it all makes a lot of sense now. She goes down so quick, but there was probably a lot of padding down below to keep her safe.

There are a lot of books on those "Hammer" films, but none ever go into any real detail on the production, so the minutiae of this scene (and Baskervilles) are never revealed.

Some years ago, a set of stills which included unique behind-the-scenes of the Dinosaurs QS scene was on ebay, but sold for a lot of money. Would love to know who got them and will they ever be seen again.

[mudxdresser]

I agree that the odds are that was a specially constructed pit with a thicker layer on top, but I also note that was a rather realistic looking cane swamp they were running around in so I think there is also a chance their location scout found something natural to use. I speak from experience on that as some of the first bottomless mud I ever discovered was exactly like that. Sort of liquid a foot or two down but sandy quicksand on top. As you made a hole in it it would indeed form a hole similar to what is seen as the grains of sand around you sort of lock up. Either way, I think that is some of the most realistic looking quicksand ever filmed by mainstream cinema.

[BogDog]

... Either way, I think that is some of the most realistic looking quicksand ever filmed by mainstream cinema.

And that is why I think it's a real setting. The movie industry just doesn't make quicksand like that.

If all the new sinking videos sold in this forum had quicksand like that, then I'd be broke by now from repeated purchases... Watery mud, sand or clay does nada for me...my curse I guess...

[Boggy Man]

Perhaps the initial part of the scene going through those reeds and the initial wading into the mud was on a real location (perhaps the echoes were due to the sound added in later, as Dave suggested), but the final sinking scene was likely shot using an artificial setup with a void below the mud. You could see how the consistency of the surface of the mud suddenly looked different during the close-up, the mud seemed to pull down with him, and the surroundings were not shown as he went under.

[dlodoski]

Perhaps the initial part of the scene going through those reeds and the initial wading into the mud was on a real location (perhaps the echoes were due to the sound added in later, as Dave suggested), but the final sinking scene was likely shot using an artificial setup with a void below the mud. You could see how the consistency of the surface of the mud suddenly looked different during the close-up, the mud seemed to pull down with him, and the surroundings were not shown as he went under.

Exactly.

In fact, it's not terribly hard (ok, it's hard work) to film in deep, thick, natural mud. I've done it in three countries and two continents.

But doing a plausible submersion in that same mud is very difficult indeed. To my personal knowledge, one of the recent Moonstone renditions has such a scene (f). I think mudxdresser surmised at the time that some SCUBA equipment was used.

It's not quite true anymore, but the standing choice was always "realistic sinking - or a submergence" Really hard to have both.

[MichaelL_Photo]

Perhaps the initial part of the scene going through those reeds and the initial wading into the mud was on a real location (perhaps the echoes were due to the sound added in later, as Dave suggested), but the final sinking scene was likely shot using an artificial setup with a void below the mud. You could see how the consistency of the surface of the mud suddenly looked different during the close-up, the mud seemed to pull down with him, and the surroundings were not shown as he went under.

Exactly.

In fact, it's not terribly hard (ok, it's hard work) to film in deep, thick, natural mud. I've done it in three countries and two continents.

But doing a plausible submersion in that same mud is very difficult indeed. To my personal knowledge, one of the recent Moonstone renditions has such a scene (f). I think mudxdresser surmised at the time that some SCUBA equipment was used.

It's not quite true anymore, but the standing choice was always "realistic sinking - or a submergence" Really hard to have both.

I agree with boggyman and Dave - very likely the final submergence was shot on a set, with the other scenes shot outdoors. I came to the same conclusion when I first saw this scene; like Dave, I've shot in the real stuff, on two continents (not as many as Dave!) - the thick stuff is super hard for a model to submerge it, but it makes for a nice body sink.

Glad to see others were breaking down "how this scene was done" like me.

Mike

[Fred588]

I have not shot any video in "natural" locations. However, I can confirm what has been said by Mike and Dave. There have been many occasions when the mud at Studio 588 (both clay and peat) was so thick that the actress was unable to sink more than about shoulder-deep. [Some actresses are stronger than others, of course, and Stefani can sink just about anywhere. ] Also, the solution to this problem has always been the same as what has been suggested to have been done for the movie under discussion - we added water and shot the rest zoomed in tighter. For what its worth it does not take more than a few gallons of water to make the difference. In fact, one could easily ruin a scene by adding too much water.

[The Highwayman]

This is a truly great sinking scene. It would be great if it were to be digitally remastered. I do love it so much when the victim, preferably a woman manages to struggle there way step by step into the deep thickness of the mire and become Perilously trapped.
I believe there are quite a few Tarzan quicksand scenes that could be from around this era but I can't say I remember them all.

[BogDog]

This is a truly great sinking scene. It would be great if it were to be digitally remastered. I do love it so much when the victim, preferably a woman manages to struggle there way step by step into the deep thickness of the mire and become Perilously trapped.
I believe there are quite a few Tarzan quicksand scenes that could be from around this era but I can't say I remember them all.

All of the Tarzan-related QS scenes I have witnessed all featured watery mud or floating sawdust-type medium. That never works for me. Only Vera's awesome acting made the latter work for me in her famous scene. If it had been mud like that in the discussed film here, then Miss Miles would have produced the best QS scenerio ever.