Animal Attractions/'Babe,' 'Mr. Ed' and other chatty critters take

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jul 8, 2001 | by Warren Epstein

Humanity is becoming an endangered species in movies this summer as furry critters expand their cinematic territory.

Already this summer, we've been invaded by quickly evolving lethal aliens ("Evolution"); cute talking bears, wolves, lizards, fish, turtles and crocodiles ("Dr. Dolittle 2"); and feuding felines and pups ("Cats & Dogs"). Still to come are fierce talking apes (the remake of "Planet of the Apes," opening July 27).

Animals have been involved in film since horses carried men to war in the 1915 Civil War epic "The Birth of a Nation."

Sometimes they were sidekicks, like Cheetah in the Tarzan movies. Occasionally, they were the stars, as in the giant ape flicks "King Kong" and "Mighty Joe Young."

But our real obsession with movie animals started in 1943 with the release of both "Lassie Come Home," about a faithful collie, and "My Friend Flicka," about an ailing colt.

Animals in films were our rescuers, our attackers, our best friends.

They found their voice in the '50s, when Francis the Talking Mule launched seven films and inspired the classic '60s TV show "Mr. Ed."

Since then, talking animals have become more common than ants at a picnic.

We've seen chatting dogs, cats, apes, deer, mice.

But the one who brought talking animals to a whole new level was an ambitious little piglet named "Babe."

The groundbreaking 1995 film used live animals and animatronics to make critters' lips move with more realism than film audiences had ever seen.

Babe was much more than a special effect, though. He was a character who captured people's hearts.

"I thought 'Babe' was everybody's favorite animal movie," says Rachel Ray, a receptionist at the Westside Animal Clinic. "Everybody loves piglets, right? And it was a one-of-a-kind story. It took you through all of the emotions."

The Oscar-nominated "Babe" was both a critical and box-office hit, and bore a sequel, "Babe: Pig in the City."

Still, the piglet has lots of competition for our affections.

Often it's the older movies that are remembered the most fondly.

"I grew up with the 'Lassie' series, and I loved horses, so 'Black Beauty' was a favorite as kid," says Wes Metzler, director of the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.

For Trobi Miller, a groomer at Annie's Pet Salon, the movies that pulled her heartstrings were Disney's "The Aristocats" and "White Fang."

"I even cried at that one," she said of the wolf movie.

Nostalgia is a powerful force among animal-movie fans.

In a few decades, maybe some pet-store owner will be waxing nostalgic about that cute little comedy from 2001, "Cats & Dogs."

OTHER ANIMALS WORTH NOTING

Best pet name: "Cat," Holly Golightly's feline in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

Hardest-working species: Horses. We couldn't have had Westerns without 'em.

Cutest animal: Stuart Little

Most annoying animal: Roger Rabbit from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"

Most conniving breed of cat: Persians, such as Duchess the cat in "Babe" and Mr. Tinkles in "Cats & Dogs"

Biggest animal: King Kong

Most fearless animal: Toto in "The Wizard of Oz"

Scariest animals: (tie) The shark in "Jaws," the feathered menaces in "The Birds" and the bear in "The Edge."

Scariest animal cameo: Jonesy, Ripley's cat, who jumped out of a locker in "Alien."

Scariest animal mutilations: (tie) The horse head in "The Godfather" and the rabbit in "Fatal Attraction."

Most bizarre animal cameo: The frogs in "Magnolia."

Funniest animal cameos: (tie) The genital-biting dog that leaps through the window in "There's Something About Mary," the cow that wouldn't die in "Me, Myself & Irene" and the killer rabbit in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."

Funniest animal-related joke: In "The Pink Panther Strikes Again":

Clouseau: "Does yer dewg bite?"

Innkeeper: "No."

Clouseau: "Nice doggie" (bends down to pet a dachshund - it snarls and bites him). "I thought you said yer dewg did not bite!"

Innkeeper: "Zat ... iz not my dog!"

'Babe' hogs top spot on list of best animal films

We beat the American Film Institute to the punch by coming up with our own list of the best 100 animal films of all time.

Note that movies include silent, talking, animated and live- action critters, and we tried to avoid movies with monsters, dinosaurs or mythical creatures.

1. "Babe" (1995)

2. "The Lion King" (1994)

3. "Jaws" (1975)

4. "The Birds" (1963)

5. "My Dog Skip" (2000)

6. "Homeward Bound" (1992)

7. "King Kong" (1933)

8. "Black Beauty" (1946)

9. "Tarzan" (1999, animated)

10. "A Bug's Life" (1998)

11. "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan" (1984)

12. "Mighty Joe Young" (1949)

13. "Best in Show" (2000)

14. "Lady and the Tramp" (1955)

15. "Mighty Joe Young" (1998)

16. "The Black Stallion" (1990)

17. "Princess Mononoke" (1997, wolves, etc.)

18. "Star Trek IV: The Journey Home" (1986, humpback whales)

19. "Planet of the Apes" (1968)

20. "Antz" (1998)

21. "Old Yeller" (1957)

22. "Into the West" (1992, horse)

23. "Balto" (1995, wolf)

24. "White Fang" (1991)

25. "Free Willy" (1993)

26. "An American Tail" (1986)

27. "The Bear" (1984)

28. "The Incredible Journey" (1963)

29. "The Horse Whisperer" (1998)