You could see he had serious permanent welt marks from where he had been whipped on his ass. There is also the scene when Harpo jumps off him going over the water hurdle - the poor horse lands hard on his neck.
shareThere probally wasn't a PETA, or cruelty to animals back then.
"I come here for a party and what happens? Nothing. Not even ice cream..." -Captain Spaulding
No because if there were, somebody would probably have been in trouble. By the way, I made a little clip of the water hurdle incident in slow-motion:
http://rapidshare.com/files/12045123/ADAT_water_hurdle.avi.html
Yes, that horse took it hard when he hit the moat after jumping the hurdle.
I don't know if they used a 'trip wire' or if it was a clip from an actual race.
[deleted]
ASPCA and the Humane Association had both been around for about fifty years when this was made. However the American Humane Association's Film and Television unit -- they're the "No animals were harmed" guys -- didn't really get started until two years after this picture was made and it wasn't until 1980 that the Screen Actors' Guild arranged to have animal handling experts on the set at all times, after the scandal over Heaven's Gate in which five horses died.
They are not so great either. They have been known to give their good housekeeping seal to films where animals were abused or killed.
Well, the city's being built and I'm winning this game. So don't interrupt us with trifles.
I don't think it could have been too horrific - Harpo Marx adored animals, dogs and horses especially, and I don't think he would have stood for any cruelty on the set.
shareI don't think that Harpo--or any of the Brothers--had that kind of clout at MGM. Mayer, Thalberg, et al. would have reminded them just how "lucky" they were to still have careers after the box-office failure of DUCK SOUP and their dismissal from Paramount.
BTW, it wasn't Harpo who fell in that scene; it was his stunt double.
you would be surprised how much clout the brothers did have with Irving Thalberg though, he loved Chico and invited them to MGM..Thalberg kept turning up late for their meetings so they actually stripped naked and toasted potatoes in his office to get their point across and he was never late again, they demanded his respect and they got it where everyone else was scared of him they wasnt and said if he didnt respect them, all deals were off..yes i agree that Harpo was the most gebtle kind man around and wouldnt have been involved in such cruelty but then even to this day im sure horses are whipped too badly, would you really jump a fence that high in the National for fun..no way!
"all dressed up and no-one to blow"
I have to admit that I cringe during many of the old B westerns, now that I realize how trip wires and the like were used to make them fall.
I'm the kind of guy, when I move - watch my smoke. But I'm gonna need some good clothes though.