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No Animals Were Harmed Text Photography by Matt Mueller by M/M (Paris) No animals were harmed during the making oF this Issue. That much we know. (Full disclosure: Donatella Versace’s Jack Russell, Audrey—who jetted into Paris specially for the shoot—toppled off her dais in mid-pose. Mercifully, no injuries were sustained.) But can the same be said of the Hollywood dream-machine? Matt Mueller explores the extent to which the American Humane Association’s world-famous disclaimer has tightened the leash on the film industry’s well-documented history of animal abuse. 36 In the early, free-for-all days of the American film industry, being a horse was no laughing matter. Westerns ruled the celluloid roost and film sets were death traps for our equine friends, viewed as so much flesh-and-blood fodder for the Tinseltown dream- making machine. Wire tripping. Pit tripping. Forced jumps over insurmountable hurdles, or off death-defying ledges. All in the name of entertainment and spectacle. In Michael Curtiz’s 1936 version of The Charge of the Light Brigade, 25 horses either died on the spot or had to be destroyed as a result of pit-tripping, prompting the film’s star Errol Flynn—an actor more renowned for his boozy, womanising exploits than his activism—to become one of the first celebrities to speak out against Hollywood’s barbaric treatment of animals. “It was horrific what was going on,” vouches Karen Rosa, senior vice-president of the American Humane Association’s Film & TV Unit, “and at that time we were pretty much the only national leader in the conversation about the protection of animals.” As early as 1924, the American Humane Association (AHA) began investigating the use of animals in filmmaking. That was the year the original, silent production of Ben-Hur butchered nearly 100 horses to bring its chariot race to fruition. But it took a bona fide Hollywood scandal to create the AHA disclaimer that anyone who goes to the cinema or watches television will be familiar with seeing scroll by in the end credits: ‘No animals were harmed in the making of this film.’ During production on Darryl F. Zanuck’s Jesse James (1939), which starred Henry Fonda and held at no less than a 45-degree HBo’s horseracing series Luck, animals so there’s no reason why no AHA reps on set for season Tyrone Power, a blindfolded angle to the horse’s head to following the death of a third we should have any conflict,” he two and when a third horse died horse was forced onto a tilt chute decrease the risk of powder horse in production, has put the says, “although I’m sure plenty of in March (not in a racing accident (a see-saw, in effect) and tipped flashes causing burns to the AHA back on the defensive and animal trainers have butted heads but when it reared up and fatally over the edge of a 70-foot cliff. horse’s corneas.” Yikes. “We’ve the No Animals Were Harmed with them.” struck its head while being led Unsurprisingly, the unfortunate made enormous strides but as far manual under a fierce barrage back to its barn), HBo swiftly beast broke its spine in the fall and as we’ve come, we still have far to from the likes of People for the other countries view the canned the series. “given the had to be euthanised, sparking go,” admits Rosa. Ethical Treatment of Animals treatment of animals deployed in circumstances, it was the right a national outcry against the (PETA), the influential animal-rights screen entertainment in different, thing to do,” says Rosa. inhumane treatment of animals The Film Unit’s daily grind involves group that has been nipping at often less stringent, ways. The UK, by the film industry. In response, assessing scripts, determining the the AHA’s heels for years. “We feel for instance, requires the presence “The AHA’s representatives Hollywood’s leading trade body level of animal action required— the No Animals Were Harmed of a veterinarian on set, but the were clearly ineffective in the of the day, the Motion Picture rated on audience perception trademark is extremely misleading fact that they’re often supplied case of Luck,” says Taylor. “It’s Producers and Distributors from mild to intense—and then to filmmakers and audiences alike by the Animal Consultants & tragic for the animals and it’s an of America, granted the AHA allocating representatives where because the AHA doesn’t actually Trainers Association (ACTA)— embarrassment for them because jurisdiction to supervise the on-set they’re most needed to keep a monitor the living conditions of the who publish their own guidelines it shows their limitations.” Taylor treatment of live animals. The AHA watchful eye on proceedings animals off the set or during pre- for on-set animal welfare— further berates the AHA for set up its Film & Television Unit in (Rosa estimates they reach about production training,” says PETA makes it another arrangement being the only animal-advocacy los Angeles in 1940, and they’ve 70%). The reps file extensive spokeswoman Yvonne Taylor, PETA finds too cosy for comfort. group to oppose a bill that would been monitoring the industry ever reports from the set, detailing alleging that with no regulation for “In their own guidelines they have brought in a statewide since. In 1980, they were granted everything from care provided to animal trainers, abuse is bound to say that if an audience member ban in California on the use sole authority in the screen Actors the number of rehearsals, and the be rife in the industry. thinks an animal is being cruelly of the steel bullhooks used to guild’s contract with producers seal of approval is only granted treated, having one of their vets control elephants in circuses and (the sAg supplies nearly two thirds after the AHA get to view the Rosa stresses that achieving on set means the production is entertainment. Nor does the AHA of the Unit’s annual $3 million finished product. any level of scrutiny beyond unlikely to be challenged in court,” take a stand on whether a species budget) for animal oversight the confines of production is says Taylor. should or shouldn’t be used for the in films, TV shows, commercials “There is an enormous amount impossible on their restricted purposes of screen entertainment. and music videos, and they now of compassionate people in this budget, and scoffs at the charge Hollywood studios will often pay “They have actually defended the cover nearly 2,000 productions industry—they don’t want to harm that the AHA’s intimate ties to to send an AHA representative use of great apes in films, even per annum. animals,” insists Rosa. “What the industry are necessarily bad onto the set of major productions though it’s impossible to train happens, however, is they’re for animals. “our programme is shooting overseas, as was the these animals for entertainment They had their work cut out for making hundreds of decisions at about prevention and we remain case with steven spielberg’s without subjecting them to them, because filmmakers weren’t any given moment on a movie set, contractually independent,” she War Horse and the Harry Potter various forms of physical abuse,” just killing horses. A drugged lion whereas we’re entirely focused on says. “If we are on the set, we make franchise. Both avid horse lovers, says Taylor. was knifed to death on camera in the animal. so if they’re changing it very clear that it’s no guarantee spielberg and his producer an early version of Tarzan of the the lights and it’s going to take of certification. It’s not some Kathleen Kennedy took absolute “We don’t take a stand on that Apes, and a starved mountain lion 45 minutes, we can tell them rubber stamp that people get care to make sure that the more because if we had a preconceived and bear were unleashed to fight to bring a stuffie in to give the just because we’re there.” When than 100 horses (including 14 agenda, we just wouldn’t be over a deer carcass in the 1930 animal a break. Every animal is the Wachowski brothers were playing the title role of Joey) used informed and in our opinion it’s picture The Silent Enemy. “You an individual—some will be fine shooting their 2008 flop Speed on War Horse came to no harm. worse not to be there at all,” retorts think, how could people do that doing three takes, some can only Racer in Berlin, a frustrated trainer The horrific sequence where Joey Rosa. “We don’t comment on to animals?” says Rosa. “But our do one, and we get to set those slapped one of the chimpanzees. gets wrapped up in barbed wire, content either. We may not agree whole perspective on animals has parameters. We get an enormous “We just said, ‘That’s it, it’s over,’ for instance, was an elaborate with dog fighting but if directors shifted dramatically since those amount of voluntary compliance.” and rated it unacceptable,” she mix of harness work, rubber wire, want to depict it in their films, days, when animals were kind of says. “The studio were very animatronic work and CgI, and we’ll work with them to simulate it disposable props. In those days But voluntary is the operative upset because they had a lot of spielberg gave the AHA’s on- while ensuring that no live animal we were preventing what was word.

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