10 Movies That Did Crazy Things When They Ran Out Of Money
6. Orson Welles Set A Scene In A Turkish Bath So He Didn't Need Costumes - Othello (1951)
Though Orson Welles might be remembered as a staunch perfectionist, he also rolled with the punches when necessary, as he proved beyond any and all doubt while filming his 1951 adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello.
The film was ultimately shot over the period of three years, initially being shut down after the original producer announced bankruptcy mere days into shooting.
Welles decided to salvage the film by funding it himself, but due to the massive costs involved he had to intermittently shoot between acting projects which he was using to bankroll production. Filming was stopped at least three times.
During one of the shooting cycles, Welles ran so dry of money that the costumes being used for the film had been impounded due to unpaid fees.
Unable to deal with costly delays by sourcing new costumes, Welles had an ingenious lightbulb idea for shooting Roderigo's (Robert Coote) upcoming murder scene.
Welles decided to change the setting to a Turkish bath because this would provide a logical reason for the characters not being in their typical mode of attire, allowing him to keep filming despite the wardrobe being locked in storage.
This is just one of the solutions Welles found to combat his bleeding budget, but it's by far the most impressively creative.