Disney+ has yet another hit docu-series in its roster with the recently released Prop Culture. Prop Culture stars Dan Lanigan as he travels the world to uncover the artifacts of Disney's past– from the Identity Discs in Tron to the original shrink ray in the Honey, I Shrunk The Kids trilogy.
In by far the biggest episode by far of the season, Lanigan takes the viewers on a voyage through the Caribbean (and the original ride) to show off many Easter eggs & props from Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl. Along the way, we learned many interesting facts about the movie!
13 The Cursed Chest Is Now A Part Of The Original Ride
Captain Barbossa and his crew just wanted to restore their mortality through the chest of Aztec gold that cursed them in the first place. This chest is iconic due to the swashbuckling climax but what happened to it after the movies? Well, it turns out that the chest fans see on the ride at Disneyland is indeed the screen used chest.
12 Those Swords Look Like The Real Deal... Because They Are!
While stunt swords were used in action scenes for obvious reasons, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and many others wielded actual swords that were smithed by Tony Swatton who made swords for The Last Samurai and The Legend Of Zorro. His work shines, making the film feel more authentic.
11 The Blacksmith Shop In The Movie Is Filled With Swatton's Equipment
Tony Swatton's many pieces of blacksmithing equipment were rented out for the movie. A couple of hundred hammers, tongs, and anvils were all used in the iconic blacksmith shop where Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner meet for the first time & duel.
10 Johnny Depp Had To Get A Rubberized Hat
Captain Jack Sparrow has many iconic pieces when it comes to his costume and one of the most famous was the leather hat he wore throughout every movie. According to Penny Rose, the costume designer for the movie, Johnny Depp kept throwing his hat overboard much to her dismay so she built a perfect copy of the hat made of rubber.
9 The Voyages Were Actual Voyages
While green screens and giant sets would have made the film easier, many scenes were actually filmed on an actual boat to help immerse audiences into feeling like a real pirate adventure. The Interceptor ship was portrayed by a real ship known as the Lady Washington and Johnny Depp actually steered it.
8 Geoffrey Rush Did Not Want A Hat
Penny Rose spoke about the iconic hat for Captain Barbossa and how originally the actor, Geoffery Rush, protested against the idea of a hat for his character but after putting the hat on just once, Rush realized just how amazing it was. Now it's hard to imagine the anti-hero pirate without that iconic hat!
7 Jack Sparrow Was Originally Going To Look Quite Different
Hard to imagine Captain Jack any other way besides the dirt and grime covered swashbuckling dork that we all know and love, but a brief look at the first concept art for the film showed a more suave and clean version of the character that resembled something Errol Flynn played during his time.
6 One Aztec Coin Was Found At Disneyland
When the chest was moved to Disneyland, they removed the false bottom and discovered one last Aztec coin leftover from the film inside and it just so happened to have some false blood on it thus leading to the question if it happened to be the coin used for the closeup shot in the movie.
5 There Was A Minature Stunt Black Pearl
The Black Pearl is a one of a kind ship and, obviously, they couldn't have it performing some of the more dangerous stunts in sequels– which led to the creation of one of the largest miniatures you'll probably ever see. This was the miniature used for the ship taking extreme weather, flipping over, etc. and all filmed on a set.
4 Barbossa Had A Fine Taste In Wardrobe
At first glance, Barbossa seemed like he wore a simple pirate's garb, but according to Penny Rose, his frock coat, as well as his golden sash, was made from silk and cotton which Geoffrey Rush probably loved to wear on set. Combining this with the hat makes Barbossa the most fabulously dressed pirate on the seven seas.
