During Noah’s Ark (1928), director Michael Curtiz used nearly 600,000 gallons of water and hundreds of extras for a real flood sequence. At least three people died, one extra lost a leg, and lead actress Dolores Costello later said he wanted “realism.”

Warner Bros. constructed enormous multi-level flood sets on its Burbank backlot, using towering water tanks, collapsing structures, and large-scale practical effects to simulate biblical destruction on a scale rarely seen in silent cinema.

The sequence relied entirely on physical engineering, live extras, and real water pressure rather than miniatures or visual effects, reflecting the era’s willingness to push spectacle to dangerous extremes in pursuit of authenticity. Michael Curtiz’s approach delivered visually groundbreaking footage, but also helped expose the severe lack of meaningful safety standards in large-scale filmmaking at the time.