He also had celebrity demands. They weren't quite as specific as bowls full of only blue M&M's, or an entirely vegan dressing room, although the latter would have been appropriate in this case. So, what did he demand? Sweet tea by the gallon and 20 pounds of hay every day.
Bamboo Harvester was adorned in awards for his stellar acting in the Mister Ed series. His PATSY (Performing Animal Top Star of The Year) Award collection consists of first, second, and third place prizes, all of which were divvied out in the '60s at the height of the show's popularity. The PATSY awards are designed to honor animal performers in the entertainment world. They went from 1951 to 1973, and Mister Ed won four PATSYs in a row.
Since Bamboo Harvester was born and bred into celebrity, it only seems right that his walk to fame began with a gallop through the Pasadena Rose Parade, an invitation-only extravaganza. It's sort of like the red carpet for horses, and Bamboo Harvester made quite the impression year after year. He spent half of his life as a show horse in the San Fernando Valley.
Even though in real life Mr. Ed was a non-talking horse, he had a lot to say. Having grown up in the limelight, his attitude matched that of his human counterparts. Subsequently, he was a bit of a diva. Bamboo Harvester was known to call it quits in the middle of a scene. He decided when the shoot was over by simply storming off stage and refusing to return.
He also had celebrity demands. They weren't quite as specific as bowls full of only blue M&M's, or an entirely vegan dressing room, although the latter would have been appropriate in this case. So, what did he demand? Sweet tea by the gallon and 20 pounds of hay every day.
It is said Bamboo only missed one day of shooting in his entire career. Unlike his animal actor counterparts who often required multiple similar looking animals cast into the same role, the Palamino playing Mr. Ed stood solo.
The secret to his success was truly in the training. At a time when most animal actors were cruelly beaten or drugged into submission in order to get the perfect shot, Hilton was a gentle animal lover who reportedly never struck the horse. Instead he used whips as a means to show where the horse to go. A whip held out to the left meant to go left, one to the right meant to go right, and so on.
There is a lot of speculation about how Bamboo died as noted int the video below. When that horse died, Mr. Ed’s adoring fan base was then led to believe it was Bamboo Harvester. The “Mr. Ed lives” rumors came about when the public finally learned that the horse that died as “Mr. Ed” not the original, beloved Bamboo Harvester.
Just like all famous actors… Bamboo will forever be remembered for his starring role in Mr. Ed.
