Dog Gone People (1960) User Reviews

See it for Rupert

[nnwahler · 5/10 · 7 July 2023]

Far too many folks, I fear, list this as one of Warner's worst. That is where I come in, to bolster it a little. Sure, there are the shortcomings,such as Hal Smith, despite his best efforts, failing to approximate Arthur Q. Bryan's voice qualities, and its being a late McKimson-Pierce outing (McKimson's two directorial colleagues still turning out a few very good ones into the 60s).

But, surprise, surprise, McKimson has hit on a great (one-shot) character creation in Rupert; he carries the day. This director never was strong in pantomime humor, but he achieves it in the canine character. And he's helped along by strong personality animation (Bonnicksen? Grandpre? Tom Ray was doing the close-up speeches by this time). And the film's climax, where Rupert takes Fudd on a drunk-driving spree, is a comic high point.

It definitely has its moments.

With this DOG GONE PEOPLE short . . .

[oscaralbert · 7/10 · 29 November 2015]

. . . Warner Bros. contends that it's better to be the dog of a One Per Center than any one of the other 346.5 million Americans (adjusted for population inflation, of course). Elmer Fudd works in some personal capacity for a Fortune 500 CEO with a namesake 110-story company headquarters tower. When Boss Crabtree experiences a schedule conflict, he expects Elmer to board his mutt Rupert regardless of Mr. Fudd's own personal agenda. Elmer is required to feed Rupert HIS OWN SUPPER, and turn over his toothbrush, bed, and car to this totally spoiled canine. Though Rupert gets busted on a DUI charge, it's Elmer who winds up in Crabtree's doghouse. History shows us that a Queen can maintain a stiff upper lip when losing a warship crewed by hundreds of 99 Per Centers, but when she comes up a Corgi short she's all tears. Perhaps Milhouse Nixon's "Checker's Speech" inspired Warner to produce DOG GONE PEOPLE. (That's the rant in which Tricky Dick told the Press where they could go if they kicked around his mongrel mutt Checkers again.) Or maybe it was the one where he complained that actress Thelma Ryan had just a "plain cloth coat to wear," rather than a Dalmation fur such as the one sported by Cruella De Vil.

Not the best of Looney Tunes

[alexracer · 3/10 · 24 November 2012]

This Warner Brothers cartoon directed by Robert McKimson is without doubt not one of his best. It's quite slow paced and the replacement actor for Elmer's voice is also highly distracting. Regarding the plot Elmur is asked by his boss to take care of his dog "Rupert" who thinks that he is a human and Elmor has to treat him as such. Of course Elmer being only to happy to do a favor for his boss accepts it and thinks that he may go "up" to become vice-president. Of course the gags focus on this issue with dog thinking that he is human and Elmer forgetting this. I won't spoil the ending here. Most of the gags aren't that funny. The animation isn't quite mid 50s level of awesomeness but it's not as bad as the later Looney Tunes. Only for die-hard Looney Tunes fans.

A Guilty Pleasure

[ianlueck · 8/10 · 13 April 2017]

"Dog Gone People" has a few things working against it: It has basic animation, the gags are kind of predictable, and Hal Smith, try as he might, doesn't really sound like Arthur Q. Bryan's Elmer Fudd.

But you know what? I love the cartoon despite (or perhaps because of) these things. The cartoon is so delightfully corny, with Fudd repeatedly putting his foot in his mouth by treating his boss's dog, Rupert, like a dog instead of a person, saying things like "Oh no, another boo-boo!" and "I goofed again!" There are also silly moments like Fudd eating dog food while Rupert gets to chow down on Fudd's dinner, or Rupert getting drunk on bay rum and then driving drunk, which Fudd is blamed for, or the boss promoting Rupert over Fudd (who's demoted to cleaning the top of flag poles) that are so dumb you can't help but love them.

Hal Smith's decidedly un-Fudd-like voice? Yeah, that's part of the guilty pleasure charm.

The music by Milt Franklyn is a big part of why this cartoon is so fun. He weaves in quite a few catchy vintage songs as part of the background music, such as "Cheerful Little Earful", "Can't We Be Friends", "I Want to Be Happy", "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone", and of course the favorite "We're in the Money". Referencing old songs was less common in the late '50s/early '60s Looney Tunes shorts, so the practice here gives the cartoon a certain throwback feel that works in its favor.

Overall, if you can check your brain at the door, "Dog Gone People" is one of the better later Looney Tunes shorts.