Over at Destructible Man, the Flying Maciste Brothers have put out a call to all bloggers to present their favorite Animal Dummy Deaths ever committed to film for the first-ever Destructible Blogathon. "We want everybody to bundle up," say Howard and Kevin Maciste, "dig deep into the recesses of their consciousness, fiddle about a bit and then go over to your laptops by the fireplace and post about the cinematic ANIMAL dummy death that you covet the most!"
Chris Poggiali & Robert Plante proudly present...
Ginger, The Destructible Dog
Once upon a time there was a writer-director named Lee Frost...
...who wrote a screenplay with his co-writer/producer partner Wes Bishop entitled...
..."So Mote it Be."
A car chase/horror hybrid about two vacationing couples in an RV who witness a human sacrifice and must outrun what has to be an entire county of devil worshippers, the film was set up at 20th Century Fox with Alan Ladd, Jr. and went into production as RACE WITH THE DEVIL.
Not long after the cameras started rolling, however, Frost and Bishop were replaced by director Jack Starrett and producer Paul Maslansky.
Starrett had originally been cast as Sheriff Taylor, one of many law enforcement roles the Texas-born actor-director took over the years. Maybe you've seen him as Deputy Fred in THE BORN LOSERS (1967)...
...as Sergeant Bingham in HELLS ANGELS ON WHEELS (1967)...
...and its sequel, ANGELS FROM HELL (1968)...
...as the Sheriff in THE GIRLS FROM THUNDER STRIP (1966)...
...or as Deputy Sergeant Galt in FIRST BLOOD (1982), among others.
When Starrett took over as director, R.G. Armstrong stepped into the Sheriff Taylor part. So many substitutions so soon into production!
I've always thought this shot was a missed opportunity. Imagine the sweet foreshadowing substitution/deception we would've been blessed with if that sheriff's badge had only five points instead of six.
OK everyone, quiet on the set! I'm ready for my closeup!
Uhhhh, wait a sec -- why does that prop guy have a rope?
Roger (Peter Fonda), his wife Kelly (Lara Parker), Alice (Loretta Swit) and husband Frank (Warren Oates) return from dinner to find that the locals have given them...
...well...
...not exactly a warm reception.
What goes up, must come down.
Ginger belonged to Kelly, so former Dark Shadows femme fatale Parker gets to have an emotional moment with the fluffy doggy dum-dum.
Captain America and John Dillinger quickly take control.
Buckle yourselves in.
Comin' through.
Rigor mortis already?
Nah, this must be the one they got from the taxidermist.
Into the fridge you go.
One of the film's most memorable and effective moments has the two couples being attacked by deadly snakes that have been placed in their RV by the dastardly devil cultists. It's a beautifully edited sequence utilizing real snakes...
...dummy snakes...
...and the shadows of dummy snakes.
During the climactic chase there is a more traditional but just as satisfying dummy appearance.
Low bridge ahead.
Frank honks the horn...
...alerting Roger, who's climbed up on the roof to take care of a meddling cultist.
The fall guy.
Hey you! Dummy!
Who, me?
Hey, why are you doing that?
Uhhhhhhhh--
-- ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Stunt man or dummy?
Definitely a dummy.
Stunt man.
Dummy.
That's all for now. Have a good night. Drive safely.
And try not to die like a dog.
Ginger belonged to Kelly, so former Dark Shadows femme fatale Parker gets to have an emotional moment with the fluffy doggy dum-dum.
ReplyDeleteProbably more fulfilling than having an emotional moment with Jonathan Frid.