''The Ugly Dachshund'' is a 1966 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Norman Tokar Norman Tokar (November 25, 1919 – April 6, 1979) was an American director, actor and occasionally writer and producer of serial television and feature films, who directed many of the early episodes of '' Leave it to Beaver'', and found his gr ...

, written by

Albert Aley Albert Aley (April 25, 1919 - January 1, 1986) was an American producer, screenwriter, script doctor and story editor. Aley began his career, as an actor on the radio series ''Let's Pretend''. Later in his career, Aley worked on radio and wrot ...

, and starring Dean Jones and

Suzanne Pleshette Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...

in a story about a

Great Dane The Great Dane is a large sized dog breed originating from Germany. The Great Dane descends from hunting dogs from the Middle Ages used to hunt wild boar and deer, and as guardians of German nobility. It is one of the largest breeds in the world ...

who believes he is a

dachshund The dachshund ( or ; German: "badger dog"), also known as the wiener dog, badger dog, and sausage dog, is a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. The dog may be smooth-haired, wire-haired, or long-haired, and comes in a variety of c ...

. Produced by

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

, the film was based on a 1938 novel by Gladys Bronwyn Stern. It was one of several light-hearted comedies produced by the Disney Studios during the 1960s. The animated featurette ''

Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree ''Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree'' is a 1966 animated featurette based on the first two chapters of ''Winnie-the-Pooh'' by A. A. Milne. The film was produced by Walt Disney Productions, and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution on February ...

'' directed by

Wolfgang Reitherman Wolfgang Reitherman (June 26, 1909 – May 22, 1985), also known and sometimes credited as Woolie Reitherman, was a German–American animator, director and producer and one of the "Disney's Nine Old Men, Nine Old Men" of core animators at Walt ...

, was attached to the film in theatrical showings.

Plot

Fran Garrison (

) and her husband Mark ( Dean Jones) are a young, happily married couple and the proud owners of an award-winning Dachshund named Danke. The movie begins with them frantically getting into the car and heading to the hospital as "the pain has started and it's about time." In a hurry to the hospital, Officer Carmody tries to pull them over for going 50 mph in a 25 mph zone. After notifying him that they are on the way to the hospital and indicating that Fran is in labor, Officer Carmody pulls in front of them, turns on the sirens, and escorts them to the county hospital. After he arrives and finds that Mr. and Mrs. Garrison have gone past him, he gets back on his motorcycle and follows them to the vet. It is then revealed that Danke is the one in labor. While Mark is outside waiting for Fran, Officer Carmody catches up to him. After Mark thanks him for helping them get to the vet on time, Officer Carmody reveals that he was under the impression that Mrs. Garrison was the one in labor and proceeds to write multiple traffic violation tickets, totaling $110. When Mr. Garrison arrives at the vet to pick up Danke and her three female puppies, (Wilhelmina, Heidi, and Chloe), veterinarian Dr. Pruitt (

Charlie Ruggles Charles Sherman Ruggles (February 8, 1886 – December 23, 1970) was an American comic character actor. In a career spanning six decades, Ruggles appeared in close to 100 feature films, often in mild-mannered and comic roles. He was also the e ...

) mentions that his female Great Dane, Duchess, has also given birth, but pushed away one of her male puppies because she didn't have enough milk for him. Doc Pruitt convinces Mark to bring the Great Dane puppy home because Danke had too much milk, and she could save his life. When he arrives home and Fran notices that there is another puppy, she is surprised but doesn't suspect that the puppy is from another litter and reminds Mark that he should thank Danke for giving him a boy like he always wanted. He eventually tells Fran the truth about the male puppy and names him Brutus. As he grows up with Fran's Dachshund puppies, he believes he is one of them and picks up mannerisms, such as hunching close to the ground to walk. The Dachshunds are mischievous creatures and lead poor unsuspecting Brutus through a series of comic misadventures with Officer Carmody (now Sergeant Carmody) being chased up a tree after Brutus mistakes him for a burglar, Mark's studio being splattered with paint, and a garden party being turned topsy-turvy after the caterers mistake Brutus for a lion. These events and her refusal to believe her Dachshunds are behind the mischief result in Fran wanting Mark to remove Brutus from the house once-and-for-all, but when Brutus saves her favorite puppy, Chloe, from the garbage truck, she changes her mind. Mark and Fran later enter their dogs in a dog show with Brutus meeting others of his breed. He notices a female Harlequin Great Dane and stands at attention. He goes on to win two blue ribbons. Brutus finally finds out what it's like to be a Great Dane, making the Dachshunds respect him while Mark and Fran decide to end competing in dog shows and embark on a much happier relationship.

Cast

* Dean Jones as Mark Garrison *

as Fran Garrison *

as Doctor Pruitt *

Kelly Thordsen Kelly Thordsen, born Sherman Jess Thordsen (January 19, 1917 – January 23, 1978) was an American film and television actor. Life and career Thordsen was born in Deadwood, South Dakota. He served in the United States Navy during World War II ...

as Officer Carmody *

Parley Baer Parley Edward Baer (August 5, 1914 – November 22, 2002) was an American actor in radio and later in television and film. Despite dozens of appearances in television series and theatrical films, he remains best known as the original "Cheste ...

as Mel Chadwick * Robert Kino as Mr. Toyama *

Mako , better known by the mononym name Mako (sometimes stylised MAKO), is a Japanese voice actress, singer and a member of the band Bon-Bon Blanco, in which her prominent role is as the maraca player. She has also performed in a Japanese television d ...

as Kenji * Charles Lane as the Judge *

Gil Lamb Gilbert L. Lamb (June 14, 1904 – November 2, 1995) was an American actor. He appeared in more than 60 films and television shows between 1935 and 1980. He was also was a stage actor, who appeared in several musicals on Broadway, including ...

as the Milkman *

Dick Wessel Richard Michael Wessel (April 20, 1913 – April 20, 1965) was an American film actor who appeared in more than 270 films between 1935 and 1966. He is best remembered for his only leading role, a chilling portrayal of strangler Harry "C ...

as Eddie the Garbageman (voice dubbed by

Paul Frees Solomon Hersh "Paul" Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986) was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass, and Walt Disney theatrical cartoons during ...

)

Reception

Howard Thompson of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called it "a thin, contrived, one-joke comedy." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' stated that the film's "sum total adds up to firstrate family entertainment, not to mention as having definite appeal for dog lovers and audiences generally." Margaret Harford of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' wrote, "The fun runs thin early in ''The Ugly Dachshund,'' a new color film from our usually reliable friend, Walt Disney. Yet even with the old magic diluted, this latest picture from Buena Vista has some worthwhile moments for Disney fans and dog lovers." ''

The Monthly Film Bulletin ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with ''Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a ...

'' commented, "The story is a featherweight affair in which the invention frequently runs thin and seeks sanctuary in slapstick ... Apart from some uncommonly pretty colour photography, it is undoubtedly the dogs who take the honours."

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ugly Dachshund, The 1966 films 1960s English-language films 1966 comedy films Walt Disney Pictures films Films about dogs Films based on British novels Films directed by Norman Tokar Films produced by Walt Disney Films scored by George Bruns

Plot

Cast

Reception

See also

References

External links