NEWTON, Iowa — When Bev Klingensmith of Newton first got an email about this, she didn’t take it seriously. Someone wanted her to bring her Great Dane named Bing to New York to film a movie.

She deleted the email.

Later, she reconsidered and thought she could somehow help the movie project find the right dog and she contacted the production. Then, she re-considered and sent some photos of her dog Bing to the movie company.

The producers got back to her, they were interested in having Bing be in this movie. It’s called “The Friend.” It’s about a man who dies, and leaves his Great Dane to his friend.

“The project sounded really cool so I would go ahead, and really have no clue what I was getting at this point, but I went ahead and submitted these photos for consideration,” said Klingensmith. “Then the two directors flew out to meet us in like mid-January maybe 2020, as soon as they met him, they knew they found the right dog.”

Things sort of drug out, but eventually the movie was filmed in New York City.

“I worked with this team of people as well as American Humane Association,” said Klingensmith. “They’re the ones that give you that seal of approval no animals were harmed in the making of this production and they had everyone around to ensure Bing’s well-being and safety and that was one of the priorities.”

Bev said she’s had the chance to view the movie, first last October at a film festival.

“I’ve seen them multiple times, the first time I watched that I had a hard time you know you’re thinking of where you were and what the next scene might be and what they used what they didn’t use and what the dog was doing,” said Klingensmith. “But the second time I watched it I step back and try to enjoy it as a film and I thought it was beautiful.”

Before the movie premiere Klingensmith went to New York to be on the Tonight Show and The View. This week she has been in Los Angeles doing interviews.

“It was so cool to see everybody differently behind the scene, like the dressing by the little room they have for you,” said Bev. “They had a sweet gift for us and the Fallon dressing room, they had a little stuffed toy for Bing and a little cute dog bowl that has the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on it.”

The movie opened in theaters around the country, including Newton. Klingensmith will actually bring Bing to the Capitol II Theater in Newton for a Q&A session April 13th and the 16th.

“The things that he has experienced through all of this has been absolutely crazy and he has been so unfazed by nearly all of it and it’s just, it makes me incredibly proud,” said Klingensmith.

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