Manis (orangutan)

Manis was the trained orangutan that played Clyde as Clint Eastwood's sidekick in the 1978 box office hit Every Which Way But Loose. Its 1980 sequel, Any Which Way You Can (1980), did not feature Manis, as the "child actor" had grown too much between productions. In the sequel, two orangutans, C.J. and Buddha, shared the role.[1]

In a documentary produced by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), it was alleged that Manis was beaten on the set by his trainer to keep him docile. The trainer would spray mace in his face and then beat him with a newspaper wrapped in an iron pipe. However, no actual evidence was produced. The Los Angeles Times source of the story, provided no details, regarding the allegation. The same article also claimed that Buddha, one of the primates on the second film, was beaten to death by his trainer, who clubbed him with an axe handle until Buddha suffered a cerebral hemorrhage. His crime was stealing doughnuts from the craft service table. Again, no independent verification of this allegation was provided. [2]

Manis returned to working with his trainers' act in Las Vegas.[3]