The fact that actor - bend - chair Ronald Reagan once co - starred with a Pan troglodytes inBedtime for Bonzo(1951 ) supply him with a long - run source of embarrassment after his political career assume off tenner later . The movie was , according to Johnny Carson , “ a favorite of old movie buffs and Democrats ” while other critics went on to advert Reagan as “ the first president in account to be out - acted by a chimp . ” Inhis own words , “ I fought a lose battle with a scene - stealer with a built - in edge : he was a chimp ! ” Making the cinema was certainly not monkey business ; in fact , one unfortunate runnel - in with its leading ape most be Reagan his life .
Known professionally as Peggy , the train chimp in motion was actually a female playacting a part designed for the opposite sex ( this was disguised by a tuft of fur cautiously situated between her stage ) . According to witnesses , the vivacious and rum Peggy had been coached to perform hundred of actions on instruction , include weeping , snarling , and puckering up .
One sidereal day on the set , Peggy ’s born inquisitiveness got the better of her . espy Reagan ’s tie , she grabbed it with both hands and commence to pull . Startled , the actor tried to back away , but the harder he resisted , the harder she pulled , virtually suffocating our fortieth President of the United States in the process . Eventually , Reagan was able-bodied to break spare of her grasp — but by then , he later recall , the knot in his tie was “ as small as my fingernail . ” Far too blind drunk to be untied by paw , the garment had to be cut off Reagan ’s neck opening by a nearby crewmember .
To see Peggy ( and Reagan ) in reality follow the script , here ’s a brief snippet from the motion picture :
