A HORSE, OF COURSE!
Alan Young thought of the palomino as just another actor on the set. In his book, "Mr. Ed and Me", he says, "I used to drive down the freeway following his trailer. If his tail was tucked inside, I knew he was sleeping. If it was flowing in the breeze, he was dying to get to work, as was I. And when we pulled up at the studio, he would stomp his feet."
During his career, Ed worked with such famed actors and actresses as Clint Eastwood, George Burns, Donna Douglas and Zsa Zsa Gabor. He had a busy life off set as well, producing promotionals for U.S. savings bonds and acting as "spokeshorse" for the Studebaker Automobile Company. Mr. Ed even appeared at their auto show in Los Angeles County. Studebaker was an original sponsor of the series.
In 1962 and 1963, Mr. Ed won the PATSY (Picture Animal Top Star of the Year) award, which was the animal equivalent to the Oscars. In 1964, he won second place and in 1965, he won third. Several Mr. Ed books and recordings, a board game, a child's costume and a Mattel puppet were successfully marketed in the 60's.
Stablemate, Pumpkin, doubled for Ed in more rigorous scenes. Pumpkin looked remarkably like Ed except for a pumpkin-shaped gold spot in his white blaze, which was covered with makeup. It is claimed that Ed was jealous of Pumpkin and if someone visited Pumpkin in the barn before him, he would kick down his stall door, escape into the paddock and refuse to return, even for treats!
Ed's time and place of death is not clear. Some claim that he died in Oklahoma in 1979 and is buried on an Oklahoma ranch where an "EdStone" is erected to mark the grave. Other sources say that he was put to sleep in California in 1970 due to numerous health problems, including a broken leg, and that the horse in Oklahoma was actually a double.
Disney has purchased film rights to the series and those whose hearts were captured by the 1960's talking horse can be hopeful of a future Mr. Ed movie. For those who feel, nostalgically, like singing his theme song again and can't remember the lyrics, they can be found at http://members.tripod.com/~horsefame/mre...
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