Oh Heavenly Dog (1980)

A murdered detective must avenge his murder after he is reincarnated as a dog.

Director:

Joe Camp

Writers:

Rod Browning, Joe Camp

Stars:

Chevy Chase, Jane Seymour, Benjean

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chevy Chase	...	Browning
Benjean	...	Benji a.k.a Browning
Jane Seymour	...	Jackie
Omar Sharif	...	Bart
Robert Morley	...	Bernie
Stuart Germain	...	Higgins / Deaf Postie
Alan Sues	...	Freddie
John Stride	...	Alistair Becket
Donnelly Rhodes	...	Montanero
Barbara Leigh-Hunt	...	Margaret
Margaret Courtenay	...	Lady Chalmers
Richard Vernon	...	Quimby Charles
Frank Williams	...	Mr. Easton
Albin Pahernik	...	Pelican Man
Susan Kellermann	...	German Clerk

Storyline

Browning is a PI with a bad cold, who's sent to investigate a case by a mysterious client.He stumbles across the body of a young woman and is stabbed to death, and when he wakes up in heaven, they tell him he's "marginal material," and they can only decide on his final destination through one last assignment: to go back and solve his own murder. As a dog. A cute fluffy little dog (Benji). Undaunted, Browning begins to investigate the case as best he can around his canine disabilities (dialing the phone presents a special challenge) to solve the murders, save the girl, and see justice done.

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Plot Keywords:

detective | murder | london england | talking dog | private detective | 

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Taglines:

Chevy Chase and Benji team up for big laughs in this tail of murder, mystery and puppy love.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Fantasy | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language and some mild scenes of violence and sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joe Camp: The director as Mover No. 1.

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Goofs

After it's established that Alister Becket's birthday is March third, Benji remarks that it is six months passed (or six months away). Earlier, however, when scouting the scene of the crime, he looks at the desk calendar and sees that it's mid-October, so really Becket's birthday was less than five months ago or away.

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Quotes

Jackie: Excuse me, is Mr. Shackleton in?
Margaret: I'm Mr. Shackleton. Mr. Browning thought it sounded more official to have two names on the door.

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Crazy Credits

After nearly all of the end titles have passed, "WOOF!" appears on the screen as the final title.

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Connections

Followed by Benji the Hunted (1987)

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Soundtracks

Arrow Through Me
written by Paul McCartney
Performed by Wings

User Reviews

A Classic

I first saw this movie when I was 8 years old. We had just gotten our cable, which was a big treat back in 1982. I use to get the program guide and mark all the times "Oh Heavenly Dog" was on. I became a bit obsessed with this movie. There was something about how goofy and sad Chevy Chase's character appealed to me. I was so intrigued by the beauty and elegance of Jane Seymour's presence. When you combine the two in the movie, everything seemed to fall into place. It was simple and honest. The movie isn't a dramatic masterpiece but its not crap either! As a child and as an adult I still feel the same way. This movie is a warm fuzzy. It is fun to watch, has a good plot and I really like the songs in the opening and ending. It's a classic. Somewhat an unknown among many, but a favorite of mine.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 July 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Oh Heavenly Dog

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$323,320, 13 July 1980

Gross USA:

$6,216,067

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,216,067

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mulberry Square Productions, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1