Animals have long been stars of film and television, but it wasn’t until the early 1950s that they were honored with their own award, the PATSY. An acronym for Picture Animal Top Star of the Year, the PATSY award show was the animal equivalent of the Oscars.
Ronald Reagan was the first master of ceremonies in 1951. The film Bedtime for Bonzo, which starred Reagan alongside a chimpanzee, had just been released. While Peggy, the chimp trained to perform as Bonzo did not receive a PATSY, dozens of other animals went on to receive the recognition.
The mule Francis took the inaugural award for his role in the film Francis the Talking Mule. By 1958, the awards were extended to animals that starred on television. Lassie the dog received multiple awards. Mr. Ed the talking horse and Flipper the dolphin both received PATSYs.
While horses and dogs were the most common recipients of a PATSY, awardees ranged across the animal kingdom, from rats and racoons to sea lions and even a goose.
See the Carol Weld papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more.
For more information, visit the American Heritage Center site.