Filmmakers utilised pure white asbestos fibres to recreate the image of snow in numerous classic Hollywood movies to create winter
scenes.
Until the late 1920s, filmmakers used a variety of techniques to create the appearance of snow.
Cotton batting, salt, and flour were among the techniques used.
A fire department in Los Angeles quickly identified cotton as a fire hazard, so asbestos was recommended instead, which was deemed
safer.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, film studios used white asbestos in the form of artificial snow brands such as’White Magic,’ ‘Snow Drift,’ and
‘Pure White.’
Inarguably the most well-known film with asbestos use is The Wizard of Oz.
The chrysotile, commonly known as white asbestos, utilised to make the fake snow in the Wizard of Oz film was genuine chrysotile.
Chrysotile was also utilised in the iconic snow scene at the end of the film‘White Christmas,’ starring Bing Crosby.
Fortunately, asbestos was no longer utilised to make artificial snow by the end of the 1950s.
A sprayable foam including foaming, water, sugar, and soap was utilised as an alternate approach.
Asbestos was utilised as fake snow in several vintage Hollywood films, including The Wizard of Oz’s snow sequence.
Asbestos was famously utilised to make artificial snow in the Wizard of Oz.
Were there any side effects from the use of asbestos in artificial snow?
Because the artificial snow was made entirely of white asbestos fibres, inhaling it was extremely hazardous.
However, because it was not widely used, people would have only been exposed once or for a short period of time, which is regarded to
pose a lower risk than continuous exposure.
Even with a single exposure, though, there would be health concerns.
Actors who died as a result of asbestos exposure
Some renowned Hollywood actors have died from mesothelioma, an asbestos-related lung illness, as a result of chronic exposure to
asbestos.
Steve McQueen is maybe the most well-known of these actors.
He died in 1980 after being diagnosed with mesothelioma in 1979.
His sickness, he felt, was caused by stage insulation and stunt clothes containing asbestos fibres.
Ed Lauter was a well-known actor who appeared in hundreds of films and is most remembered for his part in the film “The Longest Yard.”
He died of mesothelioma in 2013. His family has launched a lawsuit against CBS and NBC, among others.
Another Hollywood actor, Paul Gleason, died of mesothelioma, although not through exposure in his performing duties.
He believes he was exposed while working in the construction business as a youngster.
Die Hard, Trading Places, and The Breakfast Club were among his many cinematic roles.
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