Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Milo and Otis

Dear Sir or Madam:

I have been searching your website (as well as others) for information regarding the film released as "The Adventures of Milo and Otis" in the United States. As the film is rather old and comes originally from a foreign nation, I realize that it is impossible for your organization to certify that no animals were killed or harmed during filming, however many (like myself) enjoyed the film as children and would like to know what, if any, position the American Humane Society has on the treatment of the animals used in this film. A note that is purported to be from your organization appears to be circulating the internet (eg as the first comment on this blog) without proper citation. In fact, the only cited opinion I can find on the matter comes at the very end of the film itself, in which the filmakers state "the animals used were filmed under strict supervision with the utmost care for their safety and well-being," a reassuring, but unsettlingly vague, assertion.

I'm sure you're very busy, but I would sincerely appreciate your organization's thoughts on this matter. I loved this film as a child, but would not like to support animal abuse, however indirectly, by purchasing it as an adult, were the animals featured mistreated during filming.

Sincerely,

William Simpson


Dear Mr. Simpson,


First and foremost, please forgive me for the delay in responding back to you. Nonetheless, thank you for contacting American Humane’s Film & Television Unit. It’s so nice to hear from someone who cares so deeply about movies and animals. In response to your inquiry, yes, what you found on that blog is indeed our official statement with regard to the animals from The Adventures of Milo and Otis. As you know, we were not on set for this two decade old film, therefore are unable to speak to the quality of care the animals received or how the animal action was achieved. Also during that time, American Humane did not have as much international coverage as we do today.

Our thought on the matter, Mr. Simpson, is of course we certainly hope that this production did not harm any animals but, again, as we were not there as a credible witness we unfortunately have no way attesting to that. However, that said, we have been protecting animals in filmed entertainment for 70 years now and we are tremendously dedicated to our mission which is very near and dear to our hearts. Our continuous efforts in educating productions about the importance of having one of our Certified American Humane Animal Safety Representatives™ on their sets to ensure that “No Animals Were Harmed®” is something we work on every day. We are the only ones in the world that have the sole authority to monitor animals used in productions, working on over 1000 productions a year, a large percentage of those being international. Within the past two decades we have made concerted efforts in covering international productions, putting that at the top of our priority list these past couple of years having been to various countries protecting animals used in film such as Morocco, New Zealand, Mexico, the Czech Republic, China, and the Caribbean.

I’d like to thank you Mr. Simpson so very much for your concern and compassion for all animals. Please be assured that over the years American Humane has made great strides in overseeing international productions involving animals and continue to do so with your valuable support of our vital work. As a 132 year-old humanitarian organization we appreciate hearing from compassionate and responsible people such as you.

Dog Bless,

Lisa Yassa

Statement of The American Humane Society Regarding "The Adventures of Milo and Otis"



THE ADVENTURES OF MILO AND OTIS


The Adventures of Milo and Otis is a Japanese production released last year in the U.S. It is an epic fairytale about the friendship between an inquisitive cat and a dog. The only characters are animals. According to the production company, they all belonged to Hata, a zoologist and one of Japan's most noted authors of children’s books. According to information released on the film, Hata started developing what he calls "Mutsugoro's Animal Kingdom" on his private island where he has 300 animals including cats, dogs, horses, foxes, deer, raccoons, bears, and bison. He wanted to make a film about his animals, so he hired a crew to live on his island. They spent four years, and shot 400,000 feet of film, then spliced it and made it into a picture. Hata was also the writer and director of the film. Dudley Moore did the voice-over for the animals in the American version.


The main character is a cat (played by 27 different cats). The picture shows no animals being injured or harmed. However, before it was released in the United States, AHA heard rumors that some of the cats had died during the filming. We have attempted to investigate this through our contacts in Europe who normally have information on movies throughout the world. They had also heard the rumor, but were unable to verify it as being true. We have tried through humane people in Japan, and through another Japanese producers to determine if these rumors are true but everything has led to a dead end.


The picture was released in Japan in 1986. The following Japanese Humane Societies allowed their names to be used in connection with the picture:


Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Japan Animal Welfare Society

Japan Animal Protection & Administration Society

Japan Veterinarian Medicine Associations

Japan Pets Association


We will continue to seek information and will notify you if we find something that substantiates the rumors. In the meantime, if you should obtain some concrete evidence of abuse, we would appreciate your advising us. Thank you.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Found it!

Okay, I found the corresponding Lovecraft excerpt to my Grabkapelle experience:

"At last he saw the tower plain against the southwest, and a huge stone bulk rose darkly at the end of an alley. Presently he stood in a wind-swept open square, quaintly cobblestoned, with a high bank wall on the farther side. This was the end of his quest; for upon the wide, iron-railed, weed-grown plateau which the wall supported- a separate, lesser world raised fully six feet above the surrounding streets- there stood a grim, titan bulk whose identity, despite Blake's new perspective, was beyond dispute.

The vacant church was in a state of great decrepitude. Some of the high stone buttresses had fallen, and several delicate finials lay half lost among the brown, neglected weeds and grasses. The sooty Gothic windows were largely unbroken, though many of the stone mullions were missing. Blake wondered how the obscurely painted panes could have survived so well, in view of the known habits of small boys the world over. The massive doors were intact and tightly closed. Around the top of the bank wall, fully enclosing the grounds, was a rusty iron fence whose gate- at the head of a flight of steps from the square- was visibly padlocked. The path from the gate to the building was completely overgrown. Desolation and decay hung like a pall above the place, and in the birdless eaves and black, ivyless walls Blake felt a touch of the dimly sinister beyond his power to define."

-HP Lovecraft, "The Haunter of the Dark"