The tour guide tries to take the tram around the bridge rather than going over it, but suddenly the tram driver takes the tram towards the bridge. Will it hold out? Nope - just as the tram reaches the mid point of the bridge, it creaks and massive timbers fall away causing the bridge to "drop" the tram a foot or so under the weight of the tram. The tram drives on, everyone survives, and visitors drive past the bridge as it rebuilds itself for the next tram.
- Added to the tour in 1974
- According to the tour guide, featured in the movie Descent, directed by Alan Smithee, and constructed from a special type of wood called.... Hollywood.
Alan Smithee is the name used when directors ask for their name to
be removed from the credits of a movie, either due to professional
embarrassment, or due to disagreements within the creative team.
Films that the director was perfectly happy with in theatres were often
ruthlessly cut for TV, resulting in the director credit being changed
to Alan Smithee to signal the director’s unhappiness with the
end product.
A quick search on the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com)
reveals no less than 54 movie or TV projects have the Smithee name attached
to them as director. It also turns out he wrote, produced, composed,
production designed and edited. It turns out the name is an anagram
of "The alias men".
Hydraulic systems were used to move the bridge and various collapsing elements, under the control of a computer system (made by Anitech).
The bridge has been out of action since March 2006, but will be refurbished to collapse again from August 2008. Studio Tour guides were asked for suggestions to add interest to the tour while the New York sets are rebuilt following the June 1 2008 Backlot Fire.
- Collapsing Bridge on screen
- Video (coming soon)
