A great movie. For those who don’t know, the parting of the Red Sea was actually Niagara Falls upsidedown. Amazing effect before CGI
When you consider that most of the world has learned the story of the Ten Commandments from the DeMille movie,
you see how much good Hollywood can do and how much good can be spread using the film medium.
(in contrast to the way it is usually used).
According to Wikipedia, that effect was accomplished differently.
“The parting of the Red Sea was considered the most difficult special effect ever performed up to that time.[37] This effect took about six months of VistaVision filming, and combined scenes shot on the shores of the Red Sea in Egypt, with scenes filmed at Paramount Studios in Hollywood of a huge water tank split by a U-shaped trough, into which approximately 360,000 gallons of water were released from the sides, as well as the filming of a giant waterfall also built on the Paramount backlot to create the effect of the walls of the parted sea out of the turbulent backwash.[38] All of the multiple elements of the shot were then combined in Paul Lerpae’s optical printer, and matte paintings of rocks by Jan Domela concealed the matte lines between the real elements and the special effects elements.[39] “
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ten_Commandments_(1956_film)
How on earth did they turn N Falls upside down? Must have cost a fortune!
Niagara Falls! Slowly I turned...
Slowly I turned, step by step...