Turner & Hooch is a lighthearted 80s dog-cop buddy movie that involves serious elements like a man’s stabbing, a dog’s shooting, and subsequent death. Tom Hanks and Beasley (the Dog) play the lead roles of Turner and Hooch, respectively.
In the series sequel of Turner & Hooch (continuation of the 1989 film of the same name), five brown-nosed Dogues de Bordeaux dogs, named Arnie, Hammer, Obi, Cyd, and Mya, take on the role of “Hooch.” This French breed gained recognition through the 1989 movie starring Tom Hanks. Unlike the original film, where a single dog, Beasley, played the role, the new version divides the character among five French Mastiffs, each contributing their unique skills.
When Hanks took a role of a cop, he started forming a bond with a dog. Director Roger Spottiswoode revealed that Hanks connected so well with his dog co-star that it caused some challenges during the entire filming process.
Turner & Hooch Director Roger Spottiswoode Talked About the Challenges of Working with Non-Human Actors
Tomorrow Never Dies director Spottiswoode discussed his time directing Turner & Hooch. He highlights both the obvious and unforeseen challenges of working with a dog.
“We have a scene in the film where Tom and Hooch are on a stakeout all night watching a place, and I decided that they would just have to improvise this.”
The above statement was said by Spottiswoode, noting he couldn’t give the dog a script to read. Few dogs can read, even those with a limited vocabulary, but the director faced subsequent difficulties regarding his case.
Tom Hanks’ Dog Co-Star Created Problems on the Sets of Turner & Hooch
Besides the expected challenges of working with non-human actors, there are also uncertain difficulties when dealing with dogs (especially on set). A particular unpleasant incident arose on the sets of Turner & Hooch due to Tom Hanks‘ determination to connect with all his co-stars (whether human or not). Spottiswoode went on to say after recalling an incident:
“We ran for an hour or two, and Tom Kept giving Hooch a little bit more food and talking to him. Hooch reacted and so forth, and Hooch was getting his own close-ups. It was great. But he was slobbering. We found after about an hour of shooting, this car they were sitting in, which was a promotional car, a brand new car… the seat had somehow eroded. Even in that short period of time… There was so much slobber on Hooch’s seat that he was sinking into the seat.”
Filming with a dog is not at all a piece of cake. Even though Spottiswoode’s Turner & Hooch faced many troubles while filming, it was a huge success.
You can watch Turner & Hooch on Disney+ and Amazon Prime.
Source: Mental Floss
