|
Dogs and films go back a long way. Many dog movies have been
made since the birth of film making. Dogs in movies are a
favorite subject with many film makers and Hollywood has made
many such Dog movies, some of which have gone on to be blockbusters.
During the era of silent movies, dogs played small parts.
However in 1925, a German Shepherd named “Rintintin”
became a huge star with the release of the movie ‘Where
the North begins’. With the success of Rintintin, many
other dog movies were made but they did not make a mark at
the box office and dog movies began to decline.
In the 1970s the Walt Disney studios decided to once again
recreate the doggy magic and make Dog movies aimed primarily
for kids. Into the spotlight came Benji, and five Disney movies
were made about Benji and his wild adventures. In the 1990s,
a big Saint Bernard called Beethoven became the new dog hero
for kids.
Since then many such dog movies have been made. Given below,
is a list of some classic dog movies in alphabetical order
with a synopsis on each.
101 Dalmatians: This animated classic revolves around the
pet Dalmatians Pongo and Perdita, and their 15 pups that are
stolen by the devious Cruella De Vil. Pongo with the help
of his canine connections manages to rescue his pups and 86
others that were stolen by Cruella. The 101 Dalmatians then
make their way home. The hit tune “Dalmatian Plantation”
was composed for this movie. The animated movie 102 Dalmatians
was released by Disney as a sequel to 101 Dalmatians.
Air Bud: This is the story of Buddy, who befriends a small
boy. With his incredible talent for basketball, Buddy soon
becomes a star. With the success of Air Bud, many movies were
made on Buddy like Air Bud Golden Receiver, Air Bud Seventh
Inning Fetch, Air Bud Spikes Back, Air Bud World Pup etc.
Babe: This movie made in 1995 is a story about a piglet called
Babe who is separated from his family. Adopted by a friendly
dog, Babe grows up thinking it is a dog and defies tradition
to become a sheep dog er....pig. Babe's stirring story was
loved by both, audiences and critics, and the movie won an
Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
Beethoven: This is the story of a runaway Saint Bernard
pup who is adopted by a suburban family and how he disrupts
their life with his actions. However he does manage to save
the family business and ends up as the hero of the house.
Beethoven became the next dog hero for kids and a sequel Beethoven’s
2nd was also released.
Benji: This family classic is the story of Benji a spunky
little Pyrenean Shepherd mix. Benji is an intelligent little
dog who is adopted by a loving family. When the kids in the
family are kidnapped, it is Benji who comes to their rescue.
The role of Benji was played by a dog named Higgins who with
his charismatic performance soon became the favorite of every
kid. Benji: Off the Leash, a sequel to Benji did not fare
as well.
Homeward Bound:- The Incredible Journey: This is the touching
story of three pets who plan to return to their family and
set out on their own on an incredible journey. The sequel,
Homeward Bound II, Lost in San Francisco, had several breeds
of dogs like a Golden Retriever, an American Bulldog, a Bullmastiff,
a Boxer etc acting in it.
Lassie Come Home: An old classic, this movie made in 1943,
is set during the time of the 1st World War. The extremely
poor McDowall family is forced to sell their pet Lassie. However
Lassie, repeatedly escapes from the home of her new owners
and keeps heading back to the McDowall home, depending upon
the kindness of strangers on the way. Lassie is a legend.
The latest Lassie movie was made in 2005. Since female dogs
shed while in heat, all the collies who played the doggy heroine
Lassie were actually males in disguise. Pal, a splendid collie
was the screen's first Lassie.
Old Yeller: This Walt Disney live-action movie is again
the story of an incredible dog that wanders into a farm and
is adopted by a little boy and finds a loving family. With
the runaway success of Old Yeller, Walt Disney began to make
live-action films rather than animated ones. In 1963, Disney
released a sequel to Old Yeller titled Savage Sam.
Zeus and Roxanne: This is the story about a dog and a dolphin
who become very good friends. The dog, Zeus belongs to a rare
breed known as Portuguese Podengo.
Turner and Hooch: This movie stars Tom Hanks and a French
Mastiff named Hootch. Hanks plays Turner, a detective who
is investigating the murder of John McIntyre. The only witness
to the murder is McIntyre’s pet Hootch. Turner hates
dogs in general but he now has to teem up with Hootch to find
the bad guys. This movie won two Oscars.
Lady and the Tramp: This classic is the story of Lady a
pampered female dog who begins to feel neglected when a baby
arrives in the family. Add to that an insufferable Aunt and
two nasty Siamese cats, and Lady’s life becomes a torment.
She runs away from home and meets Tramp, a dashing male dog
and they spend an idyllic romantic evening. However disillusion
and despair await Lady as the story moves forward but culminates
with a happy ending. This movie was Disney studio's first
Cinemascope animated feature, and it was also their first
complete cartoon based on an original story.
Snow Dogs: This is the story of Ted Brooks a Miami dentist
played by Cuba Gooding Jr. who finds out that he has been
named in a will. However he needs to travel to Alaska to claim
his mystery inheritance: helped by a mischievous team of sled
dogs led by an alpha dog named Demon!
Having dogs in movies is not very easy and requires a lot
of patience and perseverance from the dog trainers and the
ones shooting the film. A dog may not always understand what
is required and may not be consistent in doing what it is
supposed to do. Today there are various professional training
schools that train dog actors in everything from basic obedience
to acting for the camera. Here thousands of hours are spent
on training them in every aspect of acting as well as in their
grooming. Having dogs in movies has become easier with these
special training schools.
However all movies featuring animals are monitored by animal
protection organizations to ensure the welfare and safety
of the animal actors and all movie houses need to abide by
the laws set down by these organizations. Although many dog
movies may not win Oscars, most movies are well-liked by audiences
all over the world because of the tone set by dogs in movies
that touch the heart and make us love dogs even more.
|
