Fascinating Facts From Mister Ed That Expose The Horsing Around On Set

Forget Netflix’s animated sad sack Bojack Horseman. TV’s original talking horse was, of course, the titular palomino of one of the early 1960s’ biggest comedies, Mister Ed. From family histories and botched remakes to stunt doubles and diva antics, here are 40 fascinating facts about the iconic show.

40. Mister Ed was an award-winning showhorse

The equine that “played” Mister Ed was already something of a star before he was given a human voice. Yes, Bamboo Harvester followed in the horse hoofs of his purebred parents by winning countless awards as a show horse across California. Bamboo was born in 1949, making him 12 years old when he first appeared on screen.

39. Mister Ed was a diva

Forget Mariah Carey and her “I don’t do stairs” demands. Turns out that Mister Ed could have put any diva to shame with his antics on the set of his titular sitcom. The celebrity horse would often storm off halfway through a scene for no reason. And good luck to anyone who tried to get him to return.

38. Mister Ed had quite the appetite

Mister Ed had quite the demanding attitude backstage. The equine “insisted” on having a gallon of sweet tea for every single day he was required to film. And producers needed to ensure there was always 20 pounds of hay at the horse’s disposal, too. Well, animal welfare and all that, right?

37. Mister Ed often only needed one take

Mister Ed was a consummate professional for the majority of his time on set. Yes, the horse would often nail his scenes in just a single take, even when these involved complicated set-ups with skateboard-riding! In fact, one particular exec reportedly claimed that Mister Ed was far easier to work alongside than the human cast.

36. There was originally a different Mister Ed

Turns out that Bamboo Harvester wasn’t the first choice to play Mister Ed. A Chestnut gelding who was originally cast in the role apparently didn’t cope well with the cameras. As a result, he was given the heave-ho after the pilot, The Wonderful World of Wilbur Pope, had been filmed.

35. George Burns helped finance the pilot

The fact that the pilot of Mister Ed featured an entirely different horse isn’t its only remarkable aspect. The episode was also bankrolled and produced by a Hollywood legend. Yes, iconic comedian George Burns had so much faith in the concept that he put $70,000 of his own money into the show. 

34. A string technique helped Mister Ed talk

There was much speculation about how producers got Mister Ed to talk in an era when CGI was still decades away. Younger viewers may well have accepted that he spoke for real! But in reality, a piece of string, and one invisible to the naked eye, was used to help his lips move. We can’t imagine that trick getting past animal welfare today.

33. Mister Ed had a kind trainer

Mister Ed was generally treated with respect and compassion on set. His trainer Lester “Les” Hilton was a renowned lover of animals who never resorted to physical violence while training the horse. Instead, he relied on holding out whips to let Mister Ed know which direction was required.

32. Mister Ed later learned to talk on cue

Mister Ed certainly appeared to be one smart horse. Perhaps not wanting his lips to be tugged open by pieces of string for much longer, the equine ended up learning to “talk” via another method. Whenever his hoof would be touched by trainer Les Hilton, Mister Ed recognized that this was his cue to speak.

31. Mister Ed’s stunt double also enjoyed success

Ever the professional, Mister Ed only had to rely on his stunt double on one occasion. But the horse, named Pumpkin, did get to enjoy much more screentime on another hit show. Yes, as well as gracing numerous TV ads for pudding, Mister Ed’s doppelganger was later cast on sitcom favorite Green Acres.

30. Mister Ed was showered with acting awards

Not content with winning awards as a show horse, Mister Ed was showered with accolades for his acting abilities. Yes, the equine picked up four consecutive gongs at the PATSYs, the event that celebrated the showbiz world’s most talented animals in the mid-20th century. Benji, Lassie, and Francis the Talking Mule were just a few of the other recipients.

29. Mister Ed’s death remains a mystery

We know that Mister Ed was born in California in 1949. But there’s still a mystery over when and where he died. Some believe that he was euthanized in an Oklahoma small town due to ill health. Yet human co-star Alan Young claimed in his memoir that the horse passed away from old age after spending his final years in a Burbank stable.

28. Mister Ed goes way back

Mister Ed first aired in syndication at the start of 1961. But its origins go back much further. The show was based on a series of short stories, the first of which, The Talking Horse, showed up in a 1937 copy of Liberty magazine. As well as speaking in this particular tale, Mister Ed also became as drunk as a skunk. 

27. It has an automobile company to thank for its success

CBS initially didn’t see the appeal of a talking horse comedy and so passed on Mister Ed in 1960. Instead, the show went into syndication thanks to the sponsorship of and purchase from a firm named Studebaker Automobile Company. Having watched the sitcom become a huge smash in its first year, CBS realized the error of its ways and finally decided it was worthy of gracing its schedules.

26. Its human star also voiced an animal

Alan Young was the man tasked with playing second fiddle to a talking horse as the only character who could hear Mister Ed speak, his owner Wilbur Post. The actor later took up an iconic voice role himself. Yes, in 1974 Young began playing the animated world’s wealthiest waterfowl, Scrooge McDuck!

25. Its theme tune didn’t always have lyrics

“A horse is a horse, of course, of course. And no one can talk to a horse of course. That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Mister Ed.” Who could forget the words to Mister Ed’s theme tune? But these memorable lyrics didn’t actually appear in its first seven episodes. It was only when producers stumbled across a demo recorded by singer Jay Livingston that they decided to make it.

24. Alan Young had to dye his hair blonde

Back in the days of black and white television, it was far more difficult to make similar shades of color stand out. It’s why human star Alan Young was routinely forced to dye his light blond hair during Mister Ed’s run. The actor’s natural color was deemed to be too similar to the horse’s mane and coat.

23. Mister Ed nearly had a different name

Naming a sitcom about a talking horse after its talking horse seems like a no-brainer. But producers initially wanted the show to be titled in honor of its main human character, Wilbur. It was only when the man who played him, Alan Young, argued that he would forever be associated with the show if it flopped that execs settled on Mister Ed.

22. Mister Ed’s voice was initially a secret

Perhaps wanting to keep up the pretence that Mister Ed truly could talk, producers initially decided against naming the actor behind the horse’s voice. It was only as the show was wrapping up in 1966 that the secret identity was revealed. And the man unveiled was Allan ‘Rocky’ Lane, a regular of the TV western.

21. It wasn’t Larry Keating’s first talking equine show

Larry Keating played Roger Addison for three seasons of Mister Ed. But incredibly, this wasn’t the first time that he’d acted alongside a talking equine. Keating showed up in Frankie Goes to the Races, one of six Francis the Talking Mule movies helmed by another Mister Ed regular, director Arthur Lubin. 

20. Wilbur and Mister Ed really were friends

Get ready for the cockles of your heart to be well and truly warmed. For Mister Ed and Wilbur Post, aka Bamboo Harvester and Alan Young, were just as pally off screen as they were on it. The actor would regularly take the horse for a ride through Griffith Park in Los Angeles. And The Guardian newspaper reports that the animal would often seek comfort in Alan if he ever did something wrong.

19. Mister Ed was confused about his star sign

Mister Ed the horse was reportedly born on February 28, 1953, which as the animal once stated himself, makes him a Pisces. But in the 18th episode of season five titled The Dragon Horse, the talking equine declares that he’s a Taurus. This would mean he’d have been born between April 20 and May 20. Maybe the horse got confused… or the writers forgot!

18. Mister Ed was the swansong for a make-up legend

Jack Pierce had established himself as one of Hollywood’s premier make-up artists during the mid-20th century. That was largely due to his pioneering work on the iconic horror movies produced by Universal in the 1930s and 1940s. But Jack ended up finishing his glittering career as chief make-up artist on a comedy about a talking horse. Yes, soon after Mister Ed closed its stable doors for good, Pierce retired.

17. There was originally a different Wilbur

It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Alan Young playing Mister Ed’s owner, Wilbur Post. But an entirely different actor assumed the role in the pilot episode. Scott McKay, whose resume included Play of the Week and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, was the man who was dropped when the sitcom was picked up for a full series. Sad times!

16. It influenced Clint Eastwood’s acting career

You wouldn’t expect a Mister Ed cameo to be a notable part of Clint Eastwood’s career. But the actor later told The New York Times newspaper his guest spot was invaluable. He said, “That’s when I first caught on that I didn’t want to overthink things. I was asking myself a lot of questions you shouldn’t pose, like, ‘What would the real me do in this situation?’ The hardest thing for a professional actor to do is to play themselves.”

15. There was an attempted TV remake

You might be surprised to learn that there was an attempted remake of Mister Ed in the mid-2000s. Sherman Hemsley, best-known for his role in The Jeffersons, took on the voice of the talking horse. And he was joined in the cast by Sherilyn Fenn and David Basche. But the pilot couldn’t have been that great because Fox decided against taking it any further forward.

14. Alan Young was cast for one particular quality

Sometimes an actor just has that amazing quality that makes him perfect for a role. Take Alan Young, for example, who was cast as Wilbur in Mister Ed for the most curious of reasons. According to producer George Burns, the star was offered the part simply for the fact that he “just seemed like the sort of guy a horse would talk to.”

13. A secretary helped conceive the show

We have a secretary who rose through the ranks of Warner Bros. studios to thank for Mister Ed getting on the air. Sonia Chernus, a graduate of UCLA, pitched the idea for the show having been a keen admirer of the talking horse short stories penned by Walter Brooks. It’s why you see her name on the credits as “Format Developed by Sonia Chernus.”

12. Alan Young made up an urban myth

Alan Young once caused a bit of mischief after growing tired of being constantly asked about how Mister Ed actually talked. Thus the actor told the press that a mouthful of peanut butter was responsible for the horse’s lips moving. But in 2009 Young confessed in an interview that he’d completely made this up and that “everyone bought it.”

11. Larry Keating died during its third season

If you’ve ever wondered why the character of Roger Addison suddenly disappeared on Mister Ed, then it turns out there’s a sad explanation. The actor who played him, Larry Keating, tragically passed away. Leon Ames was then brought in as a replacement in the role of Colonel Gordon Kirkwood.

10. Mister Ed was more talented than you think

Mister Ed might not have been able to talk in real life, but he did have other capabilities. You see, the horse really was able to pick up the phone as he did in the hit show. And he was even able to open the door of the barn, too!

9. Two of its stars were military comrades

Alan Young and Leon Ames, a.k.a. Mister Ed’s owner Wilbur Post and Colonel Gordon Kirkwood, respectively, had worked together long before the talking horse sitcom hit our screens. But it wasn’t in the bright lights of Hollywood. No, the two actors had actually served together in the U.S. Air Force!

8. It was moved to a graveyard slot

It’s perhaps little wonder that Mister Ed failed to pull in the viewers for its sixth season. For its home network, CBS decided to air what would prove to be its final 13 episodes in a rather insulting time slot. Yes, viewers who wanted to tune in to the latest adventures of the titular talking horse had to do so at 5:30 p.m. on a Sunday!

7. Two of its stars died at the same retirement home

In a coincidental turn of events, both the voice of Mister Ed and its owner passed away at the same retirement home, albeit 43 years apart. Allan Lane died at California’s Motion Picture facility at the age of 64 in 1973. And then in 2016 Alan Young did the same just four years short of his centenary.

6. It welcomed two iconic actresses

As well as inviting Clint Eastwood to make a cameo, Mister Ed also welcomed two famous actresses onto its set during its five-year run. And both of them played themselves. Firstly, Zsa Zsa Gabor was helped to overcome her fear of horses by spending time with the titular horse. And then in another episode, Mae West asks Wilbur to make her a luxury horse stable.

5. There was a proposed film remake

The failure of its 2004 TV remake of Mister Ed didn’t deter Fox studios from optioning a feature-length movie. Just seven years after the flop pilot, Jim Mahoney and David Friendly were confirmed as producers for a project that would bring the talking horse to the big screen. But a decade on and there’s still no sign of the film coming to fruition.

4. Alan Young once dated Marilyn Monroe

It seems hard to believe, but the human star of Mister Ed once dated one of the most glamorous actresses of all time. Yes, before they found fame, Alan Young and Marilyn Monroe were romantically involved while working on a late 1940s’ radio comedy show. The actor apparently charmed the future Some Like It Hot star with his skills on the bagpipes!

3. A religious group described the theme tune as Satanic

The theme tune to Mister Ed isn’t the first song you’d think of when it comes to Satanic messages. But apparently one Ohio-based group of religious fundamentalists believed that when played backward it revealed, “the source is Satan.” These claims were made when the show was in syndication years later. 

2. There was a Mister Ed imposter

Eagle-eyed viewers may have spotted that in some press shots Mister Ed was portrayed by an imposter. Yes, for some reason a completely different equine was used in photos for nearly a decade. Audiences were then led to believe that the original, Bamboo Harvester, had passed away when, in fact, it had been his double all along. 

1. Alan Young was scared of horses

Alan Young was obviously a fan of exposure therapy. He told The Daily Record newspaper in 2009 that he was once afraid of horses, fearing he’d be stepped on by their “very hard feet.” But that all changed when he first clapped eyes on Mister Ed. He said, “When I met this beautiful horse they had hired, it was love at first sight. He liked me, and I liked him.” And he wasn’t the only actor to have fallen head over heels for their non-human co-star.

Ed O’Neill

Poor Brigitte the dog started life as a rescue pup. Her adoptive family abandoned her and she was left all alone. Luckily, animal acting agency Good Dog Animals came along – and then so too did TV show Modern Family. Brigitte was given the role of Stella in the series and she also gained a new best friend.

Always looking out for her

Actor Ed O’Neill adored the little bulldog. “He and Brigitte love each other,” Brigitte’s trainer Guin Dill told People magazine in 2011. “He is very concerned about her all the time and he looks out for her. She’s really Ed’s dog. I couldn’t have asked for a better actor to work with.” Awww.

Robert Downey Jr.

In 2010 Robert Downey Jr. starred in the movie Due Date alongside a cute dog. And although the film’s script had it that Downey Jr. and the pupper were constantly at odds, in real life it was the exact opposite. Downey Jr. loved Sunny the dog so much that he actually tried to adopt her.

Can I keep her?

However, Sunny’s breeder Mark Harden wanted to keep the dog. “To [Downey’s] credit, even though he could afford it, he didn’t try to name a price,” Harden told People in 2010. “He said that maybe when he was more settled he would give me a call to see about finding him another dog.”

Bradley Cooper

In the hit film A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper’s character Jackson gets a dog with Lady Gaga’s Ally. That dog is actually Cooper’s own pet pooch, Charlie. “There was no nepotism – I wanted this relationship with the dog,” Cooper told People magazine at the movie’s premiere in October 2018.

“He doesn’t return my calls”

“[Jackson and Ally] don’t have a child together but they have a dog together and I wanted it to be part of their story. I love dogs,” Cooper went on. However, his beloved Charlie might have let fame go to his head. “I don’t talk to him much anymore. He doesn’t return my calls. He always walks away from me unless I have food,” Cooper quipped.

Kim Novak

In 1958 actress Kim Novak reunited with her Vertigo co-star James Stewart for Bell Book and Candle, a romantic comedy with a magical twist. Novak played a witch who is often accompanied by a Siamese cat called Pyewacket. In the movie Pyewacket eventually leaves the side of Novak’s character, but in real life the actress decided to adopt him.

Pyewacket remained with Novak and became famous for appearing in photographs with her. Reportedly he nearly died in a fire at Novak’s home at one point – yet cats have nine lives, after all. But alas, Novak is 86 years old now. The average lifespan of a cat is reportedly 15 years, so it seems more than likely that Pyewacket has passed on. But there’ll always be pictures of him.

14. The Guardians of the Galaxy cast

When Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy came out in 2014 it was notable for featuring a talking raccoon named Rocket. But although Rocket was created via motion capture and CGI, he was based on a real animal called Oreo. Oreo was even allowed to visit the set of the movie and the cast adored him.

An angel

Director James Gunn especially bonded with Oreo and actually took the raccoon to the Guardians of the Galaxy premiere. Sadly, Oreo died in 2019 at the age of 10, but his official website memorializes his adventures. “Our little man was an angel as he worked with the Guardians team, helping them to bring Rocket to life,” it says.

Ewan McGregor

In the movie Beginners, Ewan McGregor befriends a dog named Arthur. In real life, Arthur was a doggie actor called Cosmo and McGregor ended up utterly adoring him. “I fell for Cosmo and so loved being around him and working with him that it was hard to know I’d have to say goodbye to him,” he told The Bark in 2011.

Allergies

McGregor’s wife, however, is allergic to dogs and he had to leave his new furry friend behind. But he’d been so taken with Cosmo that he still wanted a pet of his own. He looked up hypoallergenic dogs and just as the Beginners shoot came to an end, he found one called Sid. So he adopted the dog – and it was ultimately all thanks to Cosmo.

Robert Redford

Actor and horse lover Robert Redford met an equine companion called Let’s Merge on the set of 1979’s The Electric Horseman. Let’s Merge was playing the main horse in the movie, Rising Star. Redford was so taken by the animal that once the movie was wrapped he brought him home to his ranch.

An everlasting love

Let’s Merge lived for 18 years before passing on. But Redford continued to be kind to horses for long after that. During the filming of 2016’s Pete’s Dragon, he discovered an abandoned horse tied up close to the movie set. He then worked with local authorities to get it rescued and cared for.

Will Smith

At the core of I Am Legend was the relationship between Will Smith’s character and his German Shepherd Sam. Sam’s real name is Abbey and Smith formed a deep bond with her. He even asked if he could keep her. “I was like, ‘Please let me have Abbey. Please, please, please let me have her,’” Smith told Access Hollywood in 2007. “But you know, she has her own family now so it was just another one of those fleeting Hollywood romances.”

A solid bond

As of 2018 Abbey was still alive and well, living with her trainer Steve Berens. And Berens himself reminisced about I Am Legend to LADbible. “[Smith] understood that this was his co-star and he really dug it and really got into it. He was a fabulous guy to work with,” he said. “I think that [Abbey] really liked him and that made a difference... The relationship was really solid.”

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor’s horse in the movie National Velvet was a thoroughbred named King Charles. Although he didn’t belong to Taylor, she knew him as he was stabled at the country club she belonged to. And it was the young actress who suggested King Charles play her horse named The Pie in the film.

Taylor’s boy

King Charles, alas, wasn’t the best animal actor in the world. He was difficult, wouldn’t respond to commands and even injured members of the crew. However, he got along just fine with Taylor and took orders from her. At the end of filming – as Taylor turned 13 – she was given the horse by the studio. It’s possible they were glad to get rid of him, but Taylor gained a lifelong friend.

Reese Witherspoon

Reese Witherspoon’s co-star in Legally Blonde was a little dog called Moonie, who played Bruiser. And he became a friend of the actress in real life – he was even there when Witherspoon was added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sadly, though, the beloved pooch passed away in March 2016.

Bye bye, Bruiser

Witherspoon shared her sorrow in an Instagram post. “With a sad heart, I have to let all the #LegallyBlonde fans know that Bruiser Woods (also known as Moonie) passed away yesterday,” she wrote. “He was a sweet little Chihuahua who was very loved. I will never forget all the days we spent together... I’m sure his tail is wagging in the sky.”

Quvenzhané Wallis

There’s a showbiz adage that you should never work with children or animals. But what if you have children and animals working together? Well, then everything is just adorable. Rescue dog Marti was cast in the role of Sandy for the updated Annie after she bonded with the little girl playing the lead, Quvenzhané Wallis.

Best of friends

“The reason Marti got the job is that Quvenzhané happened to come into the office the day I was there and she sat on the floor and Marti started licking her face,” trainer Bill Berloni told Vet Street in 2014. “So we continued to facilitate Quvenzhané’s natural instincts with Marti and they just became friends… And even a year later, whenever Quvenzhané comes to New York, we’ll bring Marti over to her hotel room and they’ll play.”

Judy Garland

One of the most famous human-dog pairings in all moviedom is Dorothy and Toto from The Wizard of Oz. It’s good to know, then, that Judy Garland actually got on well with the dog who played her onscreen pet. The real Toto was an animal actor named Terry. And though Toto is depicted as a male dog, Terry was actually female.

Going home with Garland

Terry almost died during Wizard of Oz filming – and so Garland let the dog recover at her own home. During this time she grew very fond of the creature and asked Terry’s trainer if she could adopt her. But unfortunately for her, she was turned down. Terry passed away at the age of 11 and there’s a memorial in her honor at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Jennifer Aniston

Marley & Me is known as one of the saddest dog movies ever made. At the end of the movie – spoiler alert – Marley becomes too old and sick and has to be put down. Jennifer Aniston, who starred in the movie, cried at that part too. And because she was participating in the movie – rather than simply watching it – she seemingly had an extra connection to Marley.

Almost adopting

Many dogs played Marley in the movie and Aniston got close to some of them. “Clyde was the main one and he was there a lot, so we became very close to him. He was at the premiere in Amsterdam,” she told Indie London. And during a press conference for the movie, she further revealed that she’d almost adopted one of the puppies.