The Shaggy Dog (1959)

A teenage boy is cursed with periodically turning into an sheepdog.

Director:

Charles Barton

Writers:

Bill Walsh (screenplay), Lillie Hayward (screenplay)

Stars:

Fred MacMurray, Jean Hagen, Tommy Kirk

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Fred MacMurray	...	Wilson Daniels
Jean Hagen	...	Freeda Daniels
Tommy Kirk	...	Wilby Daniels
Annette Funicello	...	Allison D'Allessio
Tim Considine	...	Buzz Miller
Kevin Corcoran	...	Moochie (Montgomery) Daniels
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	...	FBI Chief E.P. Hackett
Gordon Jones	...	Captain Scanlon, Police Chief
Jacques Aubuchon	...	Stefano

Storyline

Through an ancient spell, a boy changes into a sheepdog and back again. It seems to happen at inopportune times and the spell can only be broken by an act of bravery....

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Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | blockbuster | boy turns into dog | three word title | animal in title | 

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Taglines:

It's dog-gone FUNNY!

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The liner notes for a Disney DVD release claims that this is "The first ever live-action movie ever produced by Walt Disney...." This is completely false and ignores over a dozen live-action features (not counting shorts) that were produced and released by Disney.

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Goofs

The basement window is hinged at the bottom and is open at the top into the room. Then, when Shaggy/Wilby goes through the window, it is hinged at the top and opens outward on the bottom.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: This is a shaggy dog story. It could've happened anywhere or to anyone. It so happened that it happened to Wilson Daniels. A man who loved people, but hated dogs.

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Alternate Versions

This film is also available in a computer colorized version. The colorized version was made for syndicated TV in the 1980s and was originally 10 minutes shorter than the original theatrical cut. The DVD release contains both versions of the film, with the colorized version being the same length as the original theatrical black and white version.

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Connections

Referenced in Disneyland '59 (1959)

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Soundtracks

The Shaggy Dog
Written by Hazel George (as Gil George) and Paul J. Smith (as Paul Smith)

User Reviews

Shaggy Dog- It's A Dog's Life **1/2

Fred MacMurray and Jean Hagen starred in this 1959 film. Miss Hagen was given very little to do here. Ironically, about 15 years after this film, both MacMurray and Hagen were diagnosed with throat cancer. He survived,dying from pneumonia years later. She succumbed 2 years later, in 1977, at age 54.

This lighthearted film deals with MacMurray being afraid of dogs only to have his son fall victim to a Borgia curse and turn into a dog at times. Naturally, there is the new girl next door whose father leads a spy ring. Our son turned dog hears all about their plots and the rest of the film is devoted to MacMurray not being believed by police that his son has turned into a dog. There is the usual wily car chase but this time a dog is at the wheel.

A typical Disney film without the usual fanfare. That's probably because the film is in black and white.

Details

Official Sites:

Disney's Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 March 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Shaggy Dog

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$100,935

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1