For the scene in which Gloria Swanson is covered in bees, the bees were taken to the location in dry ice, which calmed them down. While in this almost comatose state, and with the lights turned out, they were placed on Miss Swanson's shoulders, arms and brimmed hat. Then the hot lights were switched on, and as the bees warmed up, they began to crawl and move around. Once the filming of the scene was completed, Swanson was enthusiastically applauded by the film crew.
According to an interview Kate Jackson did with "The Glass Eye" in 2004, the film was shot in what is now Francis Ford Coppola's house.
Bette Davis was originally slated to star in the film, but at the insistence of her doctor (who feared that she would go into anaphylactic shock if she was stung by even one bee, much less several of them), she turned the role down, and it went to the director's second choice, Gloria Swanson.
Close to 700,000 bees were used in the film.
Gloria Swanson insisted on wearing an old-fashioned corset to keep her back straight while playing the part of the dignified Madame van Bohlen.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
Top Gap
By what name was La révolte des abeilles (1974) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer