| “ | That's atrocious, you guys! | ” |
–Data | ||
The Bone Organ is a booby trap in One-Eyed Willy's hidden caverns below Astoria. It is the most extravagant one he created.
Details[]
The Bone Organ is made of skeletal remains, with fingerbones for both sets of keys and carved bone for the pipes. A full skeleton torso and head is the centerpiece to the whole instrument. The entire organ is connected to a system of pulleys connected to the rock wall that blocks the path down to the lagoon where the Inferno sits.
A series of musical notes are on the back of One-Eyed Willy's map, almost eroded away from wear and tear. When these notes are played successfully, the rock wall lowers to reveal the path. Any mistakes made causes the floor to fall away to a large chamber of sharp stone spikes.
Involvement[]
The Goonies discover the Bone Organ while trying to outrun the Fratellis who are all armed with weapons. While Jake and Francis are busy with injuries and water hazards, the group tries to figure out what to do. Mouth translates a message warning them that those who don't play the notes properly will "surely be [dead]". Mikey discovers notes on the back of the map, and Andy is talked into trying to play them, as she is the only one with any experience with pianos.
Andy fumbles a few times with the notes, and the floor caves away, nearly causing Mouth and Brand to fall to their deaths. Data, rushing to the group to get away from the Fratellis, also causes her to accidentally play wrong notes.
Jake and Francis finally catch up, just in time for Andy to play the right notes. A rock wall lowers, revealing the way, and the Goonies all escape before they are shot; Andy doubles back for a moment to get the map, putting herself in danger.
An upside to Andy's various mistakes causes the Fratellis to have to shimmy around the side of the room to get to the revealed path.
Andy remarks that the Bone Organ is nothing like a Steinway her mother owns. When Andy is reunited with her parents, she asks if she can resume her piano lessons, a likely means of thanking them for indirectly saving the Goonies when she was put to the test with the Bone Organ.
Behind the scenes[]
The Bone Organ setpiece was a collaboration between the film's production crew and Industrial Light & Magic. The organ itself was created from real bones and pieces of bamboo.[1] The floor itself was composed of six sections that could fall away, five and a half feet down when triggered.[2] The whole stage shook when pieces fell away as well to add to the realism of the effect.[1] ILM created miniature sets and matte paintings to create the depth of the lower spike chasm.[1]
The Bone Organ is seen in a number of Goonies-related video games. An entire stage of the Commodore 64 game is set around the Bone Organ. It is also seen as a transforming vehicle in LEGO Dimensions. Its two transformations see it becoming a jukebox and a flying turkey.
Trivia[]
- The Bone Organ has also been referred to as the Skeleton Organ.
- A sharp and B flat are the same note. In Andy's favor, she took piano lessons when she was four years old.
Gallery[]
References[]
| Objects in The Goonies | |
|---|---|
| Related to the treasure | Booby traps • "Copper Bones" • Doubloon • Inferno • One-Eyed Willy's map • One-Eyed Willy's treasure |
| Miscellaneous | Data's inventions • Ford Mustang GT • Jeep Cherokee XJ • Marble bag |