So the story going round, is that the tiger from the movie Beastmaster was dyed (or in some cases spray painted) with something toxic, and the animal handlers (fools that they were) didn’t realize that cats clean themselves by licking themselves. Two years later the magnificent beast died due to toxic, sometimes cancerous, complications which were obviously caused by the dye.
I don’t buy the story for a host of reasons, but all that I can find online is that damnable proof-shaped hole made by all the rumors and repeated friend-of-a-friend stories. No dyes, chemicals, or toxic compounds are referenced. No names are given. No news articles are cited.
Toxic paint and makeup stories abound regarding movies, and this feels like just another version. Does anyone have actual proof about this story, one way or the other?
I’ve never heard that story before, but maybe you could send it to snopes.com and see if they can find anything on it. That’s what they do: prove/disprove urban legends.
Forgive me. My sleep addled brain suggested “go ask Snopes” and then gladly, and helpfully deposited me at the Straight Dope forums. I blame the allergy medicine…
If you get an answer, please check back in here and let us know.
The snopes message board has a discussion, but no hard facts. I’ve chased a few links, but have found no good source of the tale, or fact checking.
According to the book Animal Movie Guide (via Google books) pg 351 has an interveiw with the director, I think. He says that the dye process required anesthesia, and one of two tigers didn’t wake up. No mention of the cancer causing dye.
Sent some e-mails, will report back if I get responses. This is really under my skin.
The IMDB credits say made with the cooperation of The American Humane Association. I don’t know if that’s the same thing as their “No animals were harmed” notice in movie credits.
“The dye we used was very similar to food dye and had no effect on them. Very similar to the rumor that the girl in Goldfinger died from the gold paint. Nope!”
The email response I got from Boone’s Animal’s for Hollywood, the trainers from the film.
I believe this is probably true, the death of the animal while being doped to dye them probably was the root of a legend of the toxic dye. I think I can relax now. I hope.