|
 Fred
the Cockatoo - White cockatoo on the detective drama BARETTA/ABC/1975-78.
Fred was the pet of Tony Baretta (Robert Blake), an ex-merchant marine
turned undercover police detective, who worked in an unnamed city
(supposedly L.A.). He resided in a rundown apartment at King Edward's
Hotel. In real life, Fred was actually called Lalah (or Lala). Owned by
animal trainer, Ray Berwick, Lalah was born in Hong Kong in 1967 and
originally spoke only Chinese before Ray Berwick brought him home to
America. His bird was a quick study and soon learned English and a number
of clever tricks. For the series, Lala had a bird stunt double named Weird
Harold used for flying sequences.
Lalah won a PATSY award in 1976-77 and
Photoplay magazine awarded him with a Gold Medal for being their favorite
animal star. As of the 1980s, Ray Berwick featured Lalah in an animal show
at the Universal Studio's Tour in southern California.
External Links
Back to Top |
