i don't think anyone but a hardcore Disneyphile would make a argument for this as great cinema. however there is enough adorable doggie scenes to make it memorable. hardly the outstanding family classic that 'Old Yeller' is, but it's still one of the cutest 'doggie' flicks produced.
when the movie begins with footage of the newborn puppies in a box at the vet's with their eyes still unopened, any true dog fancier is going to get to get hooked in a little. the cuteness doesn't end with the sleepy newborns, it just keeps coming in major doses. Disney always did make some of the most satisfying "animal lover" films of all Hollywood products. this film is most certainly commercial product then actual cinema, but it knows what it's selling and it does it with economy and efficiency. probably not as easy as it appears on screen given the extremely lightweight subject matter.
i saw this film a couple of times while growing up and was curious to see it again after many years. i was pleasantly surprised that it offered more for the adult viewer than i had remembered. there are no children's roles in this movie, which is a good thing since it mostly aims for a "kiddie flick" audience and it's taste in comedy is purposely low brow and slapstick in order to appeal to the younger set.
not that the slapstick chaos isn't funny. as a kid i always thought this film was a real hoot. now that i'm much older i was surprised that the "canine comedics" actually seemed funnier and even a bit more real. as a pet owner myself for many years, i can only attest to the destructiveness and trying behavior of household pets. especially undisciplined and untrained ones. the evolution of Great Dane Brutus from overgrown oafish slob to champion dog show society, was very amusing and all too real. especially in the hilarious moment when he leaps onto the bed with Suzanne Pleshette in order to gain attention from the little Daschunds she is coddling.
even though the adult relationship between Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette is one dimensional and superficial, it is adult enough to distract older audience from all the canine cuteness. there are even some good statements about sharing and equality in married relationships that are accurate and insightful enough as to be a learning experience for more mature viewers. not to mention Jones and Pleshette are likable and charming and very "human". their "humaness" seems especially essential to a film where the doggies are the true stars.
competently handled by Disney director Norman Tokar, the movie holds true even today and is a primed example of efficiency if not ground breaking cinema.
Disney always did warmth and sentimentality better than most of the other studios which tended to shy away from such congeniality. something essential when making a film not just about animals, but about our ever lovable, and sometimes annoying, household pets which are so near and dear to so many of us.
when the movie begins with footage of the newborn puppies in a box at the vet's with their eyes still unopened, any true dog fancier is going to get to get hooked in a little. the cuteness doesn't end with the sleepy newborns, it just keeps coming in major doses. Disney always did make some of the most satisfying "animal lover" films of all Hollywood products. this film is most certainly commercial product then actual cinema, but it knows what it's selling and it does it with economy and efficiency. probably not as easy as it appears on screen given the extremely lightweight subject matter.
i saw this film a couple of times while growing up and was curious to see it again after many years. i was pleasantly surprised that it offered more for the adult viewer than i had remembered. there are no children's roles in this movie, which is a good thing since it mostly aims for a "kiddie flick" audience and it's taste in comedy is purposely low brow and slapstick in order to appeal to the younger set.
not that the slapstick chaos isn't funny. as a kid i always thought this film was a real hoot. now that i'm much older i was surprised that the "canine comedics" actually seemed funnier and even a bit more real. as a pet owner myself for many years, i can only attest to the destructiveness and trying behavior of household pets. especially undisciplined and untrained ones. the evolution of Great Dane Brutus from overgrown oafish slob to champion dog show society, was very amusing and all too real. especially in the hilarious moment when he leaps onto the bed with Suzanne Pleshette in order to gain attention from the little Daschunds she is coddling.
even though the adult relationship between Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette is one dimensional and superficial, it is adult enough to distract older audience from all the canine cuteness. there are even some good statements about sharing and equality in married relationships that are accurate and insightful enough as to be a learning experience for more mature viewers. not to mention Jones and Pleshette are likable and charming and very "human". their "humaness" seems especially essential to a film where the doggies are the true stars.
competently handled by Disney director Norman Tokar, the movie holds true even today and is a primed example of efficiency if not ground breaking cinema.
Disney always did warmth and sentimentality better than most of the other studios which tended to shy away from such congeniality. something essential when making a film not just about animals, but about our ever lovable, and sometimes annoying, household pets which are so near and dear to so many of us.