Beethoven and Missy Dog puppet mechanical bodies

Description: Untitled Document The following is a brief history of these dog puppets: When the motion picture “BEETHOVEN” was given the green light in 1991, The animal trainer for the film had told the producers that although Saint Bernards can be trained to a degree, they would more than likely not do some of the more subtle things on command. He had previously worked on the film “CUJO” 1983. Cujo was also a Saint Bernard Having had that experience, he knew what was necessary and recommended that realistic mechanical puppets be made to replace the real dogs on set for certain scenes. Since Cujo was based on a Saint Bernard, He recommended Special Effects/ Mechanical designer Peter Knowlton be contacted for that task. Knowlton was the man responsible for all of the dog puppets and costumes for “CUJO” 1983. Knowlton was hired and he in turn hired some of his key people from Cujo to build the animatronic dog effects needed for the Beethoven movie There were 15-20 or so people building the puppet version and effects for Beethoven. They turned out so well and so realistic that they ended up using them for quite a few scenes more than anticipated. Fast forward a couple of years and the producers called on Peter Knowlton yet again for “Beethoven’s 2nd“ 1993. This time there was an additional Saint Bernard. A female called Missy. Also, there were little Saint Bernard puppies. The producers wanted to upgrade the Beethoven animatronic dog to do more. At that time, Knowlton had determined that it would be easier and better to build a new Beethoven Puppet that would do everything they needed. Because of the enormous workload on the new film, Knowlton asked me if he could base this new project (Beethoven’s 2nd) in my 10,000 square foot shop. And that’s how all of these puppets came to be. I have had these 2 dog puppets in storage for about 30 years. Knowlton had since sold all of the heads from the animatronic dogs to collectors about 20-25 years ago. That’s why the heads are missing. The heads you see in the photos were used by the production crew for lighting purposes. They are included with the purchase. The good thing about not having the heads on, is that you can see the brilliant mechanical work that went into making these puppets move. I believe the budget to build these dog puppets for both films was approximately $430,000.00 combined There was 8-10 mechanical technicians, 5 costume designers (fur work) and misc. crafts people/ finishers all working for several months. Quite an expensive venture! So, If you are curious as to how professional movie props are made or how they work, please have a look at the photos. All of the mechanical parts still work. The dogs can be positioned in sitting or standing modes. Perhaps you can strip them down and use them for another project or art piece, or who knows! The fur is attached to the mechanical bodies with snaps and zippers for easy removal and cleaning,The price is for both puppets and the lighting stand in heads. If you have any questions, please message me through eBay messenger! Best regards, David B. Miller

Price: 2700 USD

Location: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

End Time: 2024-03-17T23:40:51.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD