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.
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.