It's a Dog's Life (1955)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Herman Hoffman

Writers:

Richard Harding Davis (story)
John Michael Hayes (writer)

Release Date:

23 December 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

A bull terrier tells his life story, from the streets of the Bowery to a life of luxury.

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Dog Actor

Cast

Jeff Richards	...	Patch McGill
Jarma Lewis	...	Mabel Maycroft
Edmund Gwenn	...	Jeremiah Emmett Augustus Nolan
Dean Jagger	...	Mr. Wyndham
Willard Sage	...	Tom Tattle
Sally Fraser	...	Dorothy Wyndham
Richard Anderson	...	George Oakley
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Paddy Corbin
Wildfire	...	Wildfire - a Dog

Also Known As:

Bar Sinister (USA)
Wildfire (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

88 min | Germany:83 min (TV)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved | Australia:G | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

There were actually two dogs used to play the lead. Wildfire was used for close-ups and non-action shots, and a double was used to perform the tricks.

A nice way to spend an hour and a half.

This is a period piece, set in what appears to be the late 1800s. Much of the film is narrated by the main character, Wildfire, a bull terrier, who moves upward from the Bowery in this "rags-to-riches" fantasy. At times Wildfire's narration may be `too cute', but remarkably it doesn't stray too far. This device of personifying the dog truly works, particularly due to the script. Wildfire gets high praise for his performance. Dean Jagger is excellent as is Edmund Gwynne.

The film is well-paced and I found it much more entertaining that I anticipated. This is good escapist fare-the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad, but not too terribly so.