I think it's ironic that Andy takes his shotgun out to shoot crows for the afternoon with Karen Moore but then gets upset when Opie kills a bird with his slingshot. I guess it's OK to kill some birds but not others. I think it doubly ironic that a little bird was actually killed to create Opie's crying scene in the show.

Can you think of any other moments of irony in TAGS?

I know Ron Howard and Andy Griffith love that episode but it's one of my least favorites. Too much being dramatic.

And probably unrealistic. I doubt if baby songbirds could be hand fed by a kid and survive to be released into the wild.

I think it doubly ironic that a little bird was actually killed to create Opie's crying scene in the show.

Where did you hear that a bird was actually killed on the show? Ron Howard was a fine child actor and I seriously doubt that anyone needed to really kill a bird in order for him to do the crying scene as he was highly capable of doing it on his own merit.

Where did you hear that a bird was actually killed on the show? Ron Howard was a fine child actor and I seriously doubt that anyone needed to really kill a bird in order for him to do the crying scene as he was highly capable of doing it on his own merit.
The bird wasn't actually killed but on the show he was.

The bird wasn't actually killed but on the show he was.

That much I figured out, When he said actually, I thought he meant that a bird was really killed.

Where did you hear that a bird was actually killed on the show? Ron Howard was a fine child actor and I seriously doubt that anyone needed to really kill a bird in order for him to do the crying scene as he was highly capable of doing it on his own merit.

No, the bird wasn't killed on-camera just so Opie would cry. I guess my statement wasn't clear. But the little bird Opie picks up is a real bird. A real bird must have been killed just before the scene was filmed - or the night before and kept on ice, etc. The bird wasn't killed so Opie would cry; it was killed so Opie would have a 'prop' to work with in his close ups. That's not a dummy bird Opie picks up - it's a real dead bird. And then all the wriggling fish Andy and Opie pull out of the water in their fishing scenes. Those poor fish must have been deliberately stuck with hooks and then dragged out of the water for the fishing scenes. Those aren't dummy fish; they're real struggling, suffering animals. Real animals were routinely abused/killed for props in tv shows and movies. Lassie was a show where a lot of little animals were abused or killed for show purposes. Hollywood has been known to be very abusive to animals. Hollywood's not getting away with such mindless abuse today. Animal welfare agencies are usually on-set to protect animals. A lot of good people object to animals being mindlessly abused and killed for the purposes of human entertainment.

Hollywood has been known to be very abusive to animals. Hollywood's not getting away with such mindless abuse today. Animal welfare agencies are usually on-set to protect animals. A lot of people object to animals being abused and killed for the purposes of human entertainment.

That's true, and fortunately it's changed. They can't squash a bug on a movie set these days. We had a discussion a couple of years ago about it.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=83317&highlight=animals (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=83317&highlight=animals)

That's true, and fortunately it's changed. They can't squash a bug on a movie set these days. We had a discussion a couple of years ago about it.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=83317&highlight=animals (http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=83317&highlight=animals)

Yes, but only in America. If an American film company works outside the country, animal welfare agencies may not be allowed on the set. In Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ, a foot is seen stomping a snake. That angered a lot of good people because the snake was real and so was the stomping but the film was made outside America so Gibson got away with the animal abuse.

Yes, but only in America. If an American film company works outside the country, animal welfare agencies may not be allowed on the set. In Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ, a foot is seen stomping a snake. That angered a lot of good people because the snake was real and so was the stomping but the film was made outside America so Gibson got away with the animal abuse.
That's a disgrace. Hopefully it will change, over time. Before the 1970s, it was a free-for-all against animals on movie and tv sets.

I NEVER KNEW ALL THIS!!! Thank god Hollywood doesn't do that anymore!!

Yes, but only in America. If an American film company works outside the country, animal welfare agencies may not be allowed on the set. In Mel Gibson's movie The Passion of the Christ, a foot is seen stomping a snake. That angered a lot of good people because the snake was real and so was the stomping but the film was made outside America so Gibson got away with the animal abuse.
Do you have a link to verify this regarding the snake?

Do you have a link to verify this regarding the snake?
I guess there is no link...

Irene, I tried finding the story myself. I wasn't trying to call cinderfella a liar, just was interested in reading about it. Mel Gibson doesn't seem like the type of man to allow that to happen.

Irene, I tried finding the story myself. I wasn't trying to call cinderfella a liar, just was interested in reading about it. Mel Gibson doesn't seem like the type of man to allow that to happen.
I agree. He is not the type of person who would do that, even for a movie. And I know as huge a hit that Passion of the Christ was, you and I know that if something like that occurred on the set, with all the hoopla surrounding that movie and anyone ready to blast it away, surely would have used that opportunity to bring that movie down.

I researched the net and FOUND NOTHING.

Where did you hear that a bird was actually killed on the show? Ron Howard was a fine child actor and I seriously doubt that anyone needed to really kill a bird in order for him to do the crying scene as he was highly capable of doing it on his own merit.
I imigaine that a "prop" was used; that is something that looked like a dead bird. I seriously doubt, even back then, they would have killed a bird just for the show. Hollywood has props for everything.