The statue was carved from a solid redwood tree stump by local artist Edmund Kara. He used a cast of Elizabeth Taylor's face to enhance the realism of the artwork. The statue weighed 2,200 pounds (998 kg) and was insured by Lloyd's of London for $100,000 (nearly $1M in 2024) during the film's production.
According to one published report, the redwood sculpture was destroyed accidentally years later when it tipped over and smashed; it was discovered to be teeming with termites.