Some completely missed the mark
You're probably familiar with the “No Animals Were Harmed” disclaimer that appears in movie credits. These are awarded by American Humane to movies that comply with the rules of animal welfare. The certification, however, has not been around since Hollywood’s early days, nor does American Humane oversee international productions.
The sad history of animal cruelty in movies dates back to silent movies and is still an issue to this day. In this gallery, you'll get to know the movies where animals were in fact harmed. Click on for their stories.
The set of this John Ford Western starring John Wayne was not safe for animals. The crew used a "running W," a device that'd throw horses onto the ground. It's unknown how many horses were harmed.
A number of horses were seriously harmed during the filming of the chariot race scenes for this movie.
Reportedly, an estimated 100 horses died on set, as did a stuntman.
In Michael Cimino's movie, there are real cockfights, a horse was reportedly blown up with dynamite, cows were disemboweled, and chickens decapitated.
This led the American Humane Association to boycott the movie. In more recent releases (on Blu-ray), over one minute of animal cruelty footage was removed.
Octopuses were harmed in the production of this South Korean movie. There is a scene where actor Choi Min-sik eats a live octopus. He repeated the shot four times, meaning four octopuses were killed.
Multiple animals were harmed and killed in this Sam Peckinpah western. Most notoriously, chickens were shot in the head.
There is also a scene where a scorpion is dropped onto an anthill and then set on fire.
A water buffalo is slaughtered in Francis Ford Coppola's classic war movie.
The buffalo was already going to be killed in a ritual sacrifice by the indigenous tribe cast for the film, so the director decided to keep the cameras rolling.
The original Japanese version featured a number of scenes involving animals in dangerous situations. The production of the movie was not overseen by American Humane, and there were allegations that several cats died on set.
Director Lars von Trier shot a scene where a donkey is killed for food. The scene never made it to the final edit. Actor John C. Reilly is said to have walked out of the movie in protest.
A chicken is crushed to death during a scene in this John Waters cult classic. However, it has been speculated that more than one chicken perished on set.
This short is essentially the execution of an elephant named Topsy. The animal was going to be put down because it was deemed a threat after a number of attacks. Thomas Edison suggested electrocution instead of hanging, as it was more "humane." The whole thing was filmed.
An investigation by the Hollywood Reporter in 2013 unveiled emails that suggested that animals had been mistreated on set. However, the allegations weren't proven.
The suspicions gained strength when in 2015 'Life of Pi' animal trainer Michael Hackenberger was caught on camera viciously whipping a tiger multiple times. Hackenberger was charged with animal cruelty but the charges were withdrawn in 2018.
Jean Renoir's comedy of manners features a hunting scene in which real rabbits and pheasants are shot at by the actors. It's reported that hundreds of animals were killed. Ironically, Renoir was said to be morally opposed to hunting as a sport and intended to showcase its brutality.
In this Andrei Tarkovsky film, a horse is pushed down a flight of stairs and gets stabbed by a spear when it lands. The chosen horse was bound for the slaughterhouse and was already dead before it got stabbed. The dead horse was then sent back to the slaughterhouse after filming.
A scene where a horse falls off a cliff to his death prompted the American Humane Association to start monitoring filmmaking. The horse was blindfolded and led to its death unknowingly.
A goat tumbles down a cliff to its death in this Luis Buñuel documentary. A donkey is also stung to death by bees. There were allegations that it was smeared with honey and then two hives were rattled beside the animal.
Ironically, in a movie that's supposed to revolve around the love for horses, two of them were seriously harmed.
One horse broke its leg on set, while another broke its neck. Sadly, both horses died.
While no animals were harmed on purpose in 'Zookeeper,' an elderly giraffe collapsed and died in its enclosure.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the American Humane Association failed to investigate the death of 27 animals, including goats and sheep. The animals reportedly perished from exhaustion, dehydration, and drowning during the filming of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.'
Director Peter Jackson and the producers denied the allegations. Their statement read, "The producers completely reject the accusations that 27 animals died due to mistreatment during the making of the films."
A horse named Jupiter died after a fake iceberg was blown by strong winds and hit the animal.
A chipmunk was allegedly harmed during the filming of this rom-com.
Sources: (Ranker) (The Hollywood Reporter) (AV Club) (The Independent) (NBC News)
See also: Actors who formed a special bond with their animal co-stars
The risks animals have faced on movie sets
Animals were harmed in these films
MOVIES Animal cruelty
You're probably familiar with the “No Animals Were Harmed” disclaimer that appears in movie credits. These are awarded by American Humane to movies that comply with the rules of animal welfare. The certification, however, has not been around since Hollywood’s early days, nor does American Humane oversee international productions.
The sad history of animal cruelty in movies dates back to silent movies and is still an issue to this day. In this gallery, you'll get to know the movies where animals were in fact harmed. Click on for their stories.