Special Reports

'Dolittle' Animals Do A Lot

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

July 1, 1998 / 2:39 PM EDT / CBS

Meet Crystal and Sam: two stars in the movie Dr. Dolittle. Head animal trainer on the set, Mark Forbes, says the small Capuchin monkey named Crystal, lives with and was trained by another professional in the field, Tom Gunderson.

"We actually got Crystal about a year and a half before we started shooting this movie," explains Forbes. He says although Crystal is a sweet little animal, Capuchin monkeys do not make great pets for home.

"They take an incredible amount of time...they're a very high-maintenance animal. The sad thing is people that see a monkey like this want them as a pet, but they don't give them the time they really need."

News About Animals

Sam the dog, who plays "Lucky" in the movie, was obtained from an animal shelter in Los Angeles about three years ago. He is now 5 years old.

Forbes says the animals seem to know when they're "on":

"After a while, they definitely learn when the camera is rolling, and they definitely ham it up," Forbes told Correspondent Patty Spitler of CBS affiliate WISH-TV in Indianapolis.

For anyone who may be wondering, the American Humane Society was on the set at all times during the making of themovie, and no animal was harmed in any way.