Arnold the Pig Was Really a Sextet

Regarding “Remembering Arnold: This Pig Was a Trouper Long Before ‘Babe,’ ” (Counterpunch, April 29): Margaret Hehman-Smith wrote a nice tribute to Arnold the Pig by comparing his talent with Babe, the Aussie porker whose acting skills were manufactured through special effects. Arnold had no such luxury; everything the script called for Arnold did, the hard way. I know, I was there for all 168 episodes. I was the director. In fact, I was known as the best pig director in town.

Hehman-Smith stated that Sugar, the original pig, took an early retirement and from then on only previously filmed clips of Sugar were used to depict Arnold. Here’s the skinny: We used six different Arnolds, a new one each year because they grew so fast. It would have been impossible to use film clips of Sugar because Jay Sommers, the producer-writer, would come up with new feats for Arnold every week.

The great animal trainer Frank Inn supplied the six different Arnolds we used until the show stopped filming in 1970.

RICHARD L. BARE

Newport Beach