The Ugly Dachshund (1966)

The Garrisons live with a Great Dane who thinks he's a dainty dachshund. His identity crisis results in an uproarious series of household crises that reduce the Garrisons' house to shambles.

Director:

Norman Tokar

Writers:

Albert Aley (screenplay), G.B. Stern (book)

Stars:

Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette, Charles Ruggles

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dean Jones	...	Mark Garrison
Suzanne Pleshette	...	Fran Garrison
Charles Ruggles	...	Dr. J.L. Pruitt (as Charlie Ruggles)
Kelly Thordsen	...	Officer Carmody
Parley Baer	...	Mel Chadwick
Robert Kino	...	Mr. Toyama
Mako	...	Kenji
Charles Lane	...	Judge

Storyline

Fran Garrison's all in a tizzy because her prize Dachshund, Danke, is having pups, and she has hopes of one of the pups becoming a champion. But at the vet's, her husband Mark is talked into letting Danke wet nurse a Great Dane pup that's been abandoned by his mother. And Mark wants to keep the Great Dane. But Brutus has this problem: he thinks he's a dachshund and he's too big to be a lapdog. But when Fran ridicules Brutus one too many times, Jim's got a plan to prove to everyone (and Fran) that a great Dane can be far more than just an ugly dachshund.

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Plot Keywords:

great dane | dachshund | speeding vehicle | siren the alarm | dog movie | 

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Taglines:

You don't have to own a pet to laugh with this story of a happy suburban household gone to the dogs.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Following Dean Jones' death on September 1, 2015, all of the actors in this film (including the extras) are deceased.

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Goofs

Just over 43 minutes into the movie, when the dachshunds climb up on the bed with Fran, it is clear that one of the puppies is a male. Early in the movie, all of the dachshund puppies are said to be female.

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Quotes

Mark Garrison: Look out, rion.
[Kenji jumps back into the tree]

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Connections

Edited into The Magical World of Disney: The Ugly Dachshund: Part 1 (1968)

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Soundtracks

Happy Birthday to You
(uncredited)
Written by Patty S. Hill (as Patty Hill) and Mildred J. Hill
Performed by Suzanne Pleshette

User Reviews

...Females always make the difference.

Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette star as married couple Mark and Fran Garrison, whose prize-winning Dachshund has just had pups. Then into their lives comes Brutus, a lovably exuberant Great Dane who comes to think of himself as a Dachshund. Much friction occurs between the husband and wife since she dotes on her dogs and he very much wants a dog of his own. The four Dachshunds get up to various mischievous escapades, and Brutus tends to get the blame.

The two lead characters aren't the most likeable you'll ever see in a Disney comedy, although he is often more sympathetic. She's very stubborn, and it takes a while before she realizes Brutus' worth. He's a good guard dog, and is quick to warn humans when one of the Dachsies gets into potential peril. There's also the standard amount of Disney slapstick and farcical situations, with the canines and humans alike being put through their paces. The highlight is a garden party that goes from bad to worse.

The cast gives it 100%, especially Disney veteran Jones. Co-starring are Charles Ruggles as the kindly old veterinarian J.L. Pruitt, Kelly Thordsen as the jovial Officer Carmody, Parley Baer as Dachshund expert Mel Chadwick, Robert Kino and a hilarious Mako as the Japanese-American men who organize the party, and Charles Lane as a dog show judge. Dick Wessel plays Eddie the garbage man, although he's curiously dubbed by the great voice-over artist Paul Frees. But any dog lover will want to watch this for the talented and endearing canines, who are obviously very well trained. It's particularly amusing when Brutus is in full "I'm a dachshund" mode.

Overall, "The Ugly Dachshund" is mild as far as comedy content goes, although it certainly does generate some decent chuckles along the way.

Six out of 10.

Details

Official Sites:

Disney's Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

16 February 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Ugly Dachshund

Filming Locations:

Walt Disney Studios, 500 South Buena Vista Street, Burbank, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$13,516,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1