Also, today from the archives, let’s celebrate the Magic of Willow with this Tonka figure of a Death Dog!
I wonder if the idea for Death Dogs occurred in the mind of George Lucas after he was unable to find a way to physically show Womp Rats in the Star Wars Original Trilogy. Or maybe he was trying to outdo the Rodents Of Unusual Size, first appearing in the 1973 Princess Bride novel, realized on screen in the 1987 film.
Regardless of origin, the Death Dogs appearing in the Willow film were frightening for children, but slightly less ferocious to adult viewers I’m sure, as they are played by Rottweilers wearing rubber masks and fur suits. Though well-trained, the dogs were still dangerous enough in real-life, that actors on set were kept at a distance.
This “Death Dog (Evil Beast)” figure is lucky to be attached to a base, as I’m sure it would topple over without one in this running pose. So, what do you think, are Death Dogs scary? Here is a clip that you should watch for at least four seconds to see infant Elora Danan’s reaction to Death Dogs, and longer to see them in action set to James Horner’s score:
The Willow film turns 37 years old this week! I figure there’ll be a new Willow item from my collection to share here for the rest of the month. Happy 37 years to the Magic of Willow!
Dale's Toys 