Cujo

Top 10 Fun Facts

1. Cujo is supposedly an ancient Indian word meaning "unstoppable force." We would have assumed it meant "cranky St. Bernard."
2. On the set, it turns out the St. Bernards weren't quite cranky enough: crew members had to tie the dogs' tails to their legs to eliminate any telltale happy wagging.
3. Unfortunately, a wagging tail isn't the only sign of a playful pooch. In some scenes the St. Bernards playing Cujo still seemed too friendly in the face, so the crew brought in a painted Rottweiler instead.
4. In addition to the Rottweiler, the film made use of five St. Bernards, one mechanical dog head and one guy in a dog costume. Sounds like the best frat party ever!
5. When Cujo foams at the mouth, he's actually covered in a tasty concoction of egg whites and sugar. You know what happens when you put meringue on a dog's face? He licks it off. Hope they budgeted for that in the filming schedule.
6. Elsewhere on set, corn syrup was dyed red to simulate blood. See above, re: dogs love sugar.
7. 6-year-old Danny Pintauro hadn't yet learned to read, so his mom helped him memorize his part in between scenes. Wonder if she also pitched in with Tony Danza's lines on Who's the Boss?
8. That kid's a method actor: during the seizure scenes, Pintauro really bit Dee Wallace's fingers. So her reaction is part acting, part "you're hitting bone!"
9. After completing endless days of filming in the tiny car, Dee Wallace publicly stated that she never wanted to see another Pinto in her life. No word on whether she held the same grudge against "Chompers" Pintauro.
10. Stephen King believes the moment when Cujo first leaps at the Pinto is the most effective scare of any of the movies based on his works. No one tell Jack Nicholson.

Cast

Crew