EN: The Story of Audrey's Hepburn unusual pet,
the baby deer Pippin (aka "Ip")
the baby deer Pippin (aka "Ip")
Everybody knows that Audrey Hepburn was a graceful and beautiful British actress and model, who, after becoming one of the most successful film actresses in the world went on to a well regarded career as an international diplomat for Unicef.
But did you know that Audrey Hepburn had a pet fawn named Pippin? Around the internet are some pictures of Audrey and the little deer, and bellow you will read about the special bond between them and how did the actress manage to tame her deer to the point that the critter was docile enough to lie on the couch with her.
Audrey meets Pippin
In 1958, Audrey was shooting Green Mansions, directed by her (then) husband, Mel Ferrer. In the film, Audrey plays Rima, a girl living in the Venezuelan jungle. This girl is really connected with nature and a fawn follows her everywhere. Well, in real life, the fawn was called Pippin and the trainer suggested that Audrey take the animal home with her to get to know each other. The actress nicknamed the baby fawn "Ip" and started taking care of her.
For example, she mixed pabulum and milk and fed her with a baby bottle. Soon, the 3-foot-high pet was following her everywhere.
The story in the media
The reporters of the time, covering the shooting of Green Mansions, noticed the bond between the famous actress and the little animal. Harrison Carrol wrote for the newspaper The Day:
"When I talked to her [Audrey] on the set, she was petting the fawn that will work with her in the film. It's a cute little thing. It lay contentedly in her arms, kept nuzzling her neck and trying to lick her cheek". (Sep 15, 1958)
Vernon Scott, UPI writer, even dedicated a whole article to the subject. The Bulletin, for example, entitled Scott's story as "Co-star wins heart of Audrey Hepburn" (Sep 10, 1958), but the Oxnard Press Courier printed the full article:
(...) The diminutive actress cuddles the animal as if it were a child. In return, "IP" (Audrey's name for the fawn) bathes her face with kisses and runs to her side when she calls. "I've fallen in love with her", Audrey said, holding IP in her lap between takes. "Lord knows what I'll do when the picture (Green Mansions) is over and they take her away".
Terrier Growls
Ip fell to chewing on Audrey's blouse. She set the fawn down on her dressing room floor and the 3-foot-high pet proceeded to dampen the rug.Audrey wasn't fazed, but her Yorkshire terrier, Famous, growled from a neutral corner. His nose was definitely out of joint, but Audrey soothed him with a pat on the head. "They get along pretty well," she said. "And Mel is just as crazy about IP as I am." Audrey referred to her husband Mel Ferrer who is directing his wife in the picture."At the end of the day we all ride home together," she continued, "We have a two-seat sports car. Mel drives, Famous sits between us and IP falls asleep in my lap. She has the run of the house and garden at home: I feed her with a baby bottle. IP doesn't have any teeth yet, but she loves to nibble on everything."
Learning from IP
Audrey drew a large plastic knitting needle from her purse and IP chomped on it contentedly. "I've been working for years and living in small apartments, so I could never own pets. Now I'd like to have dozens, but we still travel a great deal and Famous is as much as I can handle.""Ip is a European deer. When she is fully grown she will stand only four feet high, and she'll be pure white. Fortunately Ip is a wonderful actress. In all our scenes she behaves beautifully -- never more than two takes and most of the times she comes through the very first time.""I don't have any children of my own," Audrey said wistfully, "But I'm learning a lot from IP." It was time for the star to return to the set. When she left the dressing room she called "Here, IP, IP, IP" and the leggy little fawn trotted after her.
The photographer remembers
But we wouldn't picture this story if it wasn't for a man called Bob Willoughby, a photographer for LIFE magazine. He accompanied Audrey on the set of many films and Green Mansions was one of them. On 2008 The NY Daily News published an article about the book Remembering Audrey, which features Willoughby's work (the sofa picture in my header is an example). And he remembered the little fawn. He wrote in the book that "It was truly amazing to see Audrey with that fawn" and:
"While Audrey's maid had been told about the little deer, she could not believe her eyes seeing Ip sleeping with Audrey so calmly. She was shaking her head and just kept smiling."
"Beverly Hills habitués are fairly blasé about what they see, but Audrey being followed around town by this lovely creature stopped everyone in their tracks."
Beverly Hills, California, 1958: ‘Pippin, the little fawn deer, sleeping in Audrey Hepburn’s arms. It felt safe and secure with Audrey, whose natural inner calmness contributed to this unique relationship. The deer lived with Audrey for weeks before filming would begin on Green Mansions, so it would follow Audrey in the film.’
Audrey’s natural calm made her a perfectly suited surrogate mother for this nervous little fawn. She fed it, took it shopping in Beverly Hills, and even had afternoon naps with it. It loved her and followed her everywhere. When Audrey was away, it missed her, and when she came back, it would nuzzle up against her, and be excited to see her. No one else could come near it, unless Audrey was there. Audrey’s little Yorkshire, “Famous,” turned out to be very jealous, as it had always been the prima donna in the household. I have photographs of it pouting behind lamps, grumbling to itself, when the deer was getting Audrey’s attention, like a rival sibling. — Bob Willoughby
Epilogue
The information about how the story ended for the two friends is confusing. Some say they separated and some say that Audrey and Mel kept the fawn. My take is this: after Green Mansions was finished (end of 1958), Audrey and Pippin had to part ways. Audrey was heartbroken.
She started shooting Huston's The Unforgiven, but on January 28, 1959, she was thrown of a horse and suffered two fractured vertebrae. Sadly, two months after this accident, on May, she suffered a miscarriage and was confined to bed. She was feeling very depressed, so Mel Ferrer brought Ip to cheer her up and to keep as a pet. They made a bed for him out of a bathtub.
RO: Audrey Hepburn si animalul sau de companie neobisnuit,
puiul de cerb pe nume Pippin (alias "Ip")
puiul de cerb pe nume Pippin (alias "Ip")
Toata lumea stie ca Audrey Hepburn a fost o gratioasa si extrem de frumoasa actrita de nationalitate britanica care, dupa ce a devenit una din cele mai de succes actrite de film din lume, a trecut mai departe la o cariera ca diplomat international pentru Unicef.
Insa stiati ca Audrey Hepburn a avut ca animal de companie un pui de cerb pe nume Pippin?
Pe internet se gasesc cateva fotografii cu Audrey si micutul animal, iar mai jos puteti citi mai multe informatii despre legatura dintre ei si cum actrita a reusit sa imblanzeasca cerbul pana la punctul in care animalutul a fost suficient de docil pentru a cu ea pe canapea.
Audrey il intalneste pe Pippin
In 1958, Audrey a filmat pentru filmul Green Mansions, regizat de Mel Ferrer, sotul sau (de la acea data). In film Audrey o interpreteaza pe Rima, o fata care traieste in jungla din Venezuela. Aceasta fata este foarte apropiata de natura si un pui de cerb o urmareste peste tot. Ei bine, in viata reala, puiul de cerb se numea Pippin si dresorul i-a sugerat lui Audrey sa ia animalul cu ea acasa astfel incat sa se obisnuiasca unul cu altul. Actrita a poreclit puiul de cerb "Ip" si a inceput sa aiba grija de ea. De exemplu, amesteca furaj si lapte si hranea puiul de cerb cu un biberon pentru copii. In curand, animalul de companie de 3 picioare (aproximativ 1 metru), se tinea dupa actrita oriunde se ducea.
Povestea a ajuns si in presa
Reporterii vremii, care urmareau evolutia filmarilor la Green Mansions, au observat legatura dintre celebra actrita si micutul animal. Harrison Carrol a scris pentru ziarul "The Day" (Ziua):
"Cand am vorbit cu ea [Audrey] pe platou, mangaia puiul de cerb care va juca alaturi de ea in film. Este foarte dragut. Sta multumit in bratele sale, isi punea boticul aproape de gatul ei si incerca sa o linga pe obraz". (15 Septembrie 1958)
Vernon Scott, scriitor UPI, a dedicat un articol intreg acestui subiect. Revista "The Bulletin", de exemplu, a intitulat povestea lui Scott "Partenerul de scena ii castiga inima lui Audrey Hepburn" (10 Septembrie 1985), insa "Oxnard Press Courier" a tiparit un articol intreg:
"(...) Actrita foloseste diminutive petru a alinta animalul, de parca ar fi un copil. In schimb, "Ip" (porecla data puiului de cerb de Audrey) ii acopera fata cu sarutari si fuge alaturi de ea atunci cand este chemat.
"M-am indragostit de Ip", spune Audrey, in timp ce o tine in poala, intre scene. "Dumnezeu stie ce o sa ma fac cand filmarile (la Green Mansions) se vor sfarsi si o vor lua".
Terierul maraie
Ip a inceput sa mestece bluza lui Audrey. Aseaza puiul de cerb pe podeaua camerei si animalul inalt de 3 picioare(aproximativ 1 metru) a continuat sa mestece covorul.
Audrey nu era deranjata, insa terierul Yorkshire, pe nume Famous, marai dintr-un colt necunoscut. Isi scosese nasul din ascunzatoare insa Audrey l-a potolit cu o mangaiere pe cap.
"Se inteleg destul de bine" ne spunea ea. "Si Mel este la fel de incantat de Ip, la fel ca si mine." Aici Audrey face referire la sotul sau Mel Ferrer care era regizorul filmului in care juca sotia sa.
"La sfarsitul zilei mergem impreuna acasa," continua ea, "avem o masina sport de 2 locuri. Mel conduce, Famous sta intre noi si Ip adoarme in poala mea. Are suficient loc de zbenguiala in casa si in gradina; o hranesc cu un biberon pentru bebelusi. Ip nu are inca dinti dar ii place sa roada orice prinde."
Ce am invatat de la Ip
Audrey a scos din poseta o andrea de plastic mare si Ip a inceput so o molfaie multumit. "Lucrez de multi ani si traiesc in apartamente mici asa nu am putut sa am animale de companie. Acum as dori sa am o duzina insa calatorim inca destul de mult si e suficient daca pot sa ma descurc cu Famous".
"Ip este un pui de cerb european. Cand va creste va avea doar 4 picioare(aproximativ 130 cm) si va fi alba complet. Din fericire Ip este o actrita foarte buna. In toate scenele ea se comporta foarte bine -- nu e nevoie niciodata de mai mult de 2 incercari si de multe ori se descurca excelent din prima."
"Nu am copii," spune Audrey nostalgica, "insa invat multe de la Ip." Aici s-a terminat interviul deoarece actrita trebuia sa se intoarca pe platoul de filmare. Cand a plecat din camera din cabina de proba a strigat "Vino Ip, Ip, Ip" si micuta ciuta a tropait vesela dupa ea.
Fotograful isi aminteste
Insa nu puteam sa dam contur acestei povesti daca nu ar fi fost un om pe numele sau Bob Willoughby, un fotograf de la revista LIFE. El a insotit-o pe Audrey pe platoul de filmare de la multe filme iar Green Mansions era unul din ele. In 2008 cand "The NY Daily News" a publicat un articol despre cartea "Remembering Audrey"(Amintindu-ne de Audrey), in care era prezenta munca lui Willoughby. Si atunci si-a amintit si de micutul animalut. A scris in carte ca "Era extraordinar sa vezi pe Audrey cu acea ciuta" si:
"Cu toate ca menajera lui Audrey a fost informata ca va fi adus puiul de cerb, nu isi putea crede ochilor vazandu-l pe Ip dormind cu Audrey atat de linistit. Dadea din cap si continua sa zambeasca."
"Locuitorii din Beverly Hills sunt familiarizati cu privelisti neobisnuite, insa toti se opreau pentru a vadea cum era urmata Audrey prin intreagul oraselul de aceasta creatura incantatoare."
Beverly Hills, California, 1958: "Pippin, micutul pui de cerb, dormind in bratele lui Audrey Hepburn. Acesta se simtea in siguranta cu Audrey, a carei calmitate interioara naturala a contribuit la relatia lor unica. Ciuta a trait cu Audrey pentru cateva saptamani inainte ca filmarile la Green Mansion sa inceapa, asfel incat sa se obisnuiasca sa o urmeze pe Audrey in film."
"Calmul natural al lui Audrey a facut-o pe Audrey sa fie potrivita ca mama surogat pentru nervosul pui de cerb. L-a hranit, l-a luat la cumparaturi prin Beverly Hills si in unele amiezi chiar atipea alaturi de el. Ip o iubea si o urma oriunde. Cand Audrey era plecata, ii ducea dorul si cand revenea, isi arata incantarea de a o vedea. Nimeni nu putea sa se apropie de el daca Audrey nu era acolo. Micutul catel Yorkshire, Famous, se pare ca era foarte gelos, deoarece pana atunci era centrul atentiei in casa. Am fotografii cu el in timp ce statea bosumflat dupa lampe, in timp ce maraia pentru sine, atunci cand ciuta acapara atentia lui Audrey, precum un frate rival." - Bob Willoughby
Epilog
Exista informatii confuse legate de modul cum s-a terminat povestea celor doi prieteni. Unii spun ca s-au despartit si altii spun ca Audrey si Mel au tinut cerbul. Ceea ce cred eu este ca dupa Green Mansions s-a terminat de filmat (la sfarsitul lui 1958), Audrey si Pippin au trebuit sa mearga pe cai diferite. Audrey a avut inima frunta.
A inceput sa filmeze la The Unforgiven regizat de Huston, insa in 28 ianurie 1959 a fost aruncata de pe cal si a avut 2 vertebre fracturate. Din pacate, dupa 2 luni de la acest accident, in mai, a suferit o pierdere de sarcina si a fost nevoita sa stea la pat. Se simtea foate trista asa ca Mel Ferrer l-a adus pe Ip ca sa o inveseleasca si sa il pastreze ca animal de companie. I-au facut un culcus dintr-o cada de baie.
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