You can't train a kangaroo

In this excerpt from Skippy: Australia's First Superstar (Stephen Oliver, Australia-UK, 2009), members of the crew talk about how they were able to get Skippy to 'act'.

Animal handler Scotty Denholm was clear that you couldn't train a kangaroo, as you could other animals. The crew frequently resorted to using kangaroo paws on sticks for close-ups when Skippy needed to open doors or put objects in her pouch.

The clip also features some behind-the-scenes audio related to the recording of Skippy's famous 'voice' (in reality, a sound not made by kangaroos at all).

For anyone interested in how Skippy was filmed, this clip is a real treat. The inserts of black-and-white production footage effectively show just how challenging it was to get a kangaroo to cooperate on set, and the shot of animal handler Scotty Denholm wiping the sweat from his brow speaks volumes.

The casual interviews with members of the crew looking back at how they used kangaroo paws on sticks is amusing in its own right.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen and Adam Blackshaw