Niagara Falls in the Movies
Niagara Falls has appeared in numerous movies over the years, from documentaries and thrillers to romantic comedies and animations. Let us take a closer look at Niagara’s role on the silver screen.
The First Niagara Falls Film
It may surprise you to learn that the first time Niagara Falls featured in a film was way back in 1897, only two years after the world’s first commercial movie screening had taken place in Paris. The short documentary film Niagara Falls, known as Les Chutes in its native language, was directed by the pioneering French filmmaker Alexandre Promio. A single stationary camera films the scene of Niagara Falls from the United States side, capturing the full force of the mighty falls.
Things have come a long way in a little over a century. After all, today, you can simply go online and view footage of Niagara Falls close up and in high-definition within seconds. You can even play Niagara-inspired games, such as the Niagara Falls slot game, which is available at Casumo online casino.
Niagara Movie Appearances You Probably Did Not Notice
Niagara Falls and the Niagara area have prominently featured in a plethora of movies over the years, but you may not have noticed the subtler Niagara appearances on the screen. For instance, the 2017 biographical legal drama Marshall, about the first African-American Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, showcases the LaSalle branch of the Niagara Falls Public Library. And the 1983 David Cronenberg film The Dead Zone, based on the Stephen King horror story, was filmed in nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake, while 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End portrayed the actual falls.
Even if you have seen the next two movies, you probably did not recognize Niagara. But in 2014’s Sharknado 2: The Second One, Niagara Falls’ Lockport Cave was depicted as tunnels for the scenes in the subway, and the sounds of the rushing falls were used for the sound of wind in 2008’s animated classic WALL-E.
Niagara Falls Depicted in the Movies
Niagara Falls has, of course, also prominently featured in movies, from old black and white classics to modern-day gems. Here are some of the most notable ones.
Bruce Almighty
Before Bruce, played by Jim Carrey, gains his almighty powers in this 2003 comedy, he is a humble, down-on-his-luck TV news reporter. At the start of Bruce Almighty, Carrey’s character interviews the captain of the Niagara Falls’ tourist boat, the Maid of the Mist, amongst the thrashing water of the falls.
Luv
The 1967 slapstick romantic comedy Luv stars the great Jack Lemmon as a suicidal man called Harry, who is dragged into a love triangle. Amidst the farce, Harry and his new wife Ellen visit Niagara Falls for their honeymoon.
Last Embrace
The 1970s was surely the golden age of espionage movies, and 1979’s Last Embrace is up there with the best of them. Roy Scheider plays a government agent who is afraid for his life. After many thrills and twists, the epic climax takes place at Niagara Falls. Schieder’s character attempts to outwit the movie’s antagonist as the two of them run around the falls, including the hydroelectric powerplant, before ending up at the Horseshoe Falls in a dramatic finale.
Niagara
The most famous Niagara Falls movie of all time is unquestionably 1952’s Niagara. The classic film noir sees Marilyn Monroe’s finest performance. The plot involves two married couples on honeymoon in Niagara, but the happy occasion soon takes a turn for the worse. Besides the movie being a fine example of a 1950s noir thriller, it also features some of the best footage ever taken of Niagara Falls.
