The Shaggy Dog

History and Review Written By Michael J. Ruhland





















Michael's Movie Grade:B+

Year Released: 1959


                                                   History
The Shaggy Dog could have been Disney's first live action film. In 1941 Walt Disney was planning on making a live action film version of the Felix Salten (he also work the books Bambi and Perri were adapted from) book The Hound of Florence. The Hound of Florence was about an Italian art student turning into a dog. This was going to be the studio's first live action film. However once World War Two came around, and after the finical disappointments of Pinocchio, Fantasia and Bambi, the film was put on hold.

In the late 1950's Disney writer Bill Walsh wanted to go back to The Hound of Florence and make it into a television series. The major difference was that instead of an Italian art student, an average American teenager would turn into a dog. However ABC (before Disney owned it) executives felt the idea was much to silly and immediately turned it down. Walt however liked the idea and decided if it couldn't be a TV show it would instead be a theatrical feature.  

The director chosen for The Shaggy Dog was Charles Barton. Charles Barton was a director known for directing comedy (perfect for this film). Barton had directed some of the best Abbott and Costello film (including The Time of Their Lives and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein), as well as every episode of The Amos and Andy Show (for TV). He had already worked at Disney for the Zorro TV show.

This film as Disney's first live action comedy, and would start a trend of many more to come. It was also the first Disney feature to be done in entirely black and white. This was done because it was felt the effects would be too obvious in color. Being a lighthearted comedy this film was considered by many to be a return to an earlier style of movie for actor Fred MacMurray. Earlier in Fred MacMurray's career he was known for appearing in lighthearted comedies like The Gilded Lily, Hands Across the Table, and Standing Room Only. In 1944 his type of film to a change with the much darker Double Indemnity. He would continue playing more serious roles in films like The Caine Mutiny and Pushover.   

Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran play brothers in this film. They had already played brothers in Disney's Old Yeller. They would play brothers in three more movies for Disney after this, Bon Voyage, Swiss Family Robinson and Savage Sam (the sequel to Old Yeller).

The Shaggy Dog was a huge hit that surprised everyone at the studio. It was very popular with both audiences and critics. In fact it was the second highest grossing film of 1959 (Ben-Hur was the highest). It became obvious to those working at Disney that live action comedies were a very profitable type of film for the studio. Because of this the studio would make many more live action comedies until this became the film type of choice for the studio. This would also lead to Fred McMurray reappearing in many of these films. This film would receive a sequel called The Shaggy DA in 1976. The Disney studio would remake this film twice, once as a made for TV movie in 1994 and once as a theatrical movie in 2006.

                                                 Review

Disney's first live action comedy may not be the funniest, but is very charming and an excellent film in it's own right.

Interestingly for such a broad comedy this film is played at slower relaxed pace. This actually works very much to film's advantage. It lets this film have a pleasant unassuming feeling that is actually quite refreshing. While I love faster pace broad comedies, this style also works quite well. Since it's quite unique in that regard, it just makes the film all the more enjoyable.

The characters are all very likeable and relatable. The acting is great. This film captures a great sense of Americana the way only Disney can. Simply put this movie is just charming.

The humor isn't consistently funny, and the movie doesn't keep you laughing all the way through. However this film does still have some great laughs in it, such as the dance scene. The butler trying to keep the dog locked up, and most everything with the police officers. Even though the humor in this film is not consistently great, there are no real bad jokes here, and  nothing that distracts from the great charm of this film.

Overall a very enjoyable and charming film.

                                                                     Film Credits
Director: Charles Barton
Writers: Bill Walsh, Lillie Hayward
Inspired by a book by Felix Salten
Cast: Fred MacMurray (Wilson Daniels), Tommy Kirk (Wilby Daniels), Kevin Corcoran (Moochie Daniels), Jean Hagen (Freeda Daniels), Annette Funicello (Allison D'Allessio), Tim Considine (Buzz Miller), Cecil Kellaway (Professor Plumcutt), Alexander Scourby (Dr. Mikhail Andrassy),
Roberta Shore(Franceska Andrassy), James Westerfield (Officer Hanson), Strother Martin (Thurm), Forrest Lewis (Officer Kelly),  Ned Wever (E.P. Hackett), Gordon Jones (Captain Scanlon), Jacques Aubuchon (Stefano),  Jack Albertson (Reporter), Jim Bannon (Betz), Larry J. Blake                   (Officer Ed Mercer),  Charles Cane (Police Officer), Paul Frees (Narrator, J.W. Galvin), John Hart (Police Broadcaster), Gregg Palmer (FBI Agent), Mark Rodney (Kid),  Mack Williams (FBI Agent), Shaggy (Chiffon)
Producers: Walt Disney, Bill Walsh
Music: Paul Smith
Songwriters: Paul Smith, Hazel George
Cinematographer: Edward Colman
Editor: James Ballas
Art Director: Carroll Clark
Set Designers: Emile Kuri, Fred M. MacLean
Makeup Artist: Pat McNalley
Hair Stylist: Ruth Sandifer
Assistant Director: Arthur J. Vitarelli
Sound Artists: Robert O. Cook, Harry Lindgren                                                               
Special Effects: Eustace Lycett
Stunt Artists: Carey Loftin
Cameraman: Jim Whitman
Assistant Cameraman: Bob McGowan
Costume Designers: Gertrude Casey, Chuck Keehne
Animated Opening: T. Hee, Xavier Atencio, Bill Justice

                                               Recourses Used
Walt Disney: An American Original by Bob Thomas
http://www.thedisneyfilms.com/search/label/Shaggy%20Dog%20%28The%29
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/25095/The-Shaggy-Dog/articles.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053271/?ref_=ttsnd_snd_tt

-Michael J. Ruhland