Top 10 Prop Malfunctions That Were Left in the Movie

#10: Fake License Plate Falls Off
“Goodfellas” (1990)
Martin Scorsese’s gangster masterpiece “Goodfellas” remains one of the most iconic films of its genre. But even cinema classics aren’t immune from mistakes. Since “Goodfellas” is set in New York, all the cars in the film needed authentic-looking license plates from that state. However, in the tense scene where Karen Hill flees from Jimmy Conway, suspecting he is about to kill her, eagle-eyed viewers might notice a slip-up. One car’s fake New York license plate falls off, revealing a second one underneath. If you’re watching this film on a streaming platform, you might miss this error, as newer releases have quietly edited it out. However, it remains visible in the original cuts.
#9: Melted Cake Frosting
“Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993)
Robin Williams was an incredibly gifted actor who knew how to adapt to any situation on set. In this scene from the 1993 classic “Mrs. Doubtfire,” Daniel Hillard finds himself in a pickle when the social worker, Mrs. Sellner drops by. With his Doubtfire mask blown out the window, Daniel quickly improvises by sticking his face in a cake. But it wasn’t just the character who had to improvise. Apparently, the cake frosting dripping into the tea wasn’t in the original script. The hot lights on set had melted the icing off Williams’ face, creating the unintended gag. However, the actor rolled with it, ad-libbing his lines and leaving the filmmakers no option but to keep the moment in the film.
#8: A Fiery Exit
“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
This classic musical comedy is often hailed as one of the greatest films of all time, but for the cast and crew, making it was far from magical. In addition to rumors that Judy Garland endured harsh treatment from the studio, actress Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West, also nearly lost her life during production. In one scene, the Witch was supposed to make a dramatic exit, filled with fire and smoke, which you can still see in the movie. However, on the second take, the flames ignited prematurely, setting Hamilton’s flammable green face makeup ablaze. The actress suffered second- and third-degree burns to her face, and had to spend six weeks recovering before returning to complete her scenes.
#7: Loud Crash & a Laugh
“It's a Wonderful Life” (1946)
The 1946 holiday classic “It's a Wonderful Life” is filled with heartwarming moments that have helped cement its timeless appeal. Yet, one of its funniest scenes wasn’t even scripted. When Uncle Billy drunkenly stumbles away from George Bailey’s home, a loud crash is heard off-screen, suggesting that he has collided with some trash cans. He then yells that he is alright. But the crash wasn’t planned. It reportedly happened when a stagehand accidentally dropped a tray of props. Thomas Mitchell, who played Uncle Billy, then improvised the line, which made James Stewart laugh. Director Frank Capra loved the unscripted moment so much that he kept it in the final cut and even rewarded the stagehand with a $10 bonus for “improving the sound.”
#6: Terry Crashes His Scooter
“American Graffiti” (1973)
Four years before creating the “Star Wars” franchise, George Lucas directed “American Graffiti,” a coming-of-age film that catapulted him into the spotlight. The movie opens with a bang, introducing Terry Fields, who arrives at a diner on a Vespa scooter, only to crash it into a trash can while trying to park. This moment was apparently unscripted, as actor Charles Martin Smith actually lost control of the scooter and his reaction to the crash was totally genuine. Instead of yelling cut, Lucas kept the cameras rolling, recognizing that the flub was a perfect introduction for the character. More than 50 years later, that decision still holds up.
#5: Star-Lord Drops the Orb
“Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014)
This Marvel superhero flick kicks off with Star-Lord swiping an orb from the abandoned planet Morag. Since the rest of the movie largely revolves around this mysterious object, it’s crystal clear that it is of great significance. This makes it all the more hilarious when Star-Lord accidentally drops the orb while presenting it to Tivan, the Collector. You’d think a big-budget blockbuster like this would have every moment planned to perfection, but this one wasn’t even in the script. The orb prop apparently slipped right out of Chris Pratt’s hand, but thankfully, he caught it before it could trigger intergalactic chaos. Director James Gunn decided to include the moment in the final cut, and we couldn’t be more grateful that he did.
#4: Tablecloth Trick
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (2000)
When you’re dealing with a comedy legend like Jim Carrey, you never know what to expect. The script for “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” was already packed with hilarious lines, but Carrey elevated things even further with his improvisations. In this scene, the actor was supposed to yank a tablecloth and send everything crashing to the floor. However, Carrey accidentally nailed the trick, leaving all the dishes perfectly intact. Rather than reshoot the scene, Carrey thought of a way to make it better on the spot. He dashed back into frame, swept everything off the table and even flipped it for good measure. Just goes to show that some of the best ideas come in the heat of the moment.
#3: The Falling Mop
“Doctor Strange” (2016)
In the world of “Doctor Strange,” characters effortlessly travel through portals, so it’s easy to get surprised by an unexpected appearance. For actress Rachel McAdams, however, no magical teleportation was needed to catch her off guard. All it took was a mop. After her character bids farewell to Doctor Strange as he disappears into a portal, McAdams turns around, only to be startled when a mop suddenly falls to the floor behind her. If her scream sounded a little too real, that’s because it absolutely was. The mop’s fall was unplanned, and McAdams, who was already on edge from filming the intense scene, nearly jumped out of her skin. The unscripted scare was so perfect, it made it into the final cut.
#2: Stiff Batsuit
“Batman” (1989)
In the 1989 “Batman” film, Michael Keaton played the titular superhero with a darker, more brooding demeanor, and that was largely due to his physicality. Throughout the film, whenever Batman needed to look behind him, he would turn his entire body around. It may come as a surprise to some that this was not an intentional creative choice, but a result of the limitations brought on by the Batsuit. The design of the costume was so stiff that it prevented Keaton from moving his head around. Later versions of the costume seemed to have fixed this glaring issue, but fans will always remember the menacing, if unintentionally hilarious,“Bat turn.”
#1: Spurting Water Fountain
“Austin Powers in Goldmember” (2002)
If there’s one franchise where you can expect a steady stream of mishaps and improvisations, it’s the “Austin Powers” series. The third installment, “Goldmember,” certainly stays true to form. While at Roboto’s factory, Austin accidentally unplugs a water fountain, then quickly hides behind it and lets out a stream of urine to mimic the water spraying out. However, during filming, the machine used to generate the liquid malfunctioned and began spurting the water erratically. The filmmakers found this much funnier than a steady stream and decided to include it in the movie, allowing actor Mike Myers to just run wild with it. And just like that, this hilarious scene was born.
Which of these on-set mishaps did you find the most hilarious? Let us know in the comments below.