20 Things You Didn't Know About The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

13. The Skeleton In The Coffin Near The Finale Is Real

The Good The Bad And The Ugly Skeleton
United Artists

During the Sad Hill Cemetery scene when Blondie kicks the lid off Arch Stanton's coffin to reveal not a cache of gold but a desiccated skeleton, you're not looking at a prop. Rather than acquire an imitation one, the filmmakers opted to use authentic human remains.

However, this wasn't a cost-cutting exercise or a shock tactic of any kind, but quite a heartwarming (if relatively morbid) tale. Set designer Carlo Leva found out that a woman in Madrid had a real skeleton for hire. It was that of her actress mother, who had written in her will that even after she had died, she wanted to continue acting.

Whether she is still working in film to this day is unknown.

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A self-taught video editor with nearly 25 years of experience, Joe worked in freelance videography for many years before joining WhatCulture in 2018. During that time, he has expanded his work to include both writing and presenting, and has been at the forefront of several new channel launches including WhatCulture Horror and WhatCulture Star Wars, largely defining their visual identity through the design and curation of their bespoke assets. As a dedicated WhatCulture Gaming staff member, he has spearheaded numerous new content strategies and formats, and has taken the lead on various charitable projects that have raised large sums of money for charities close to his heart. Bluesky and Instagram: @jjpinwheel