The Ugly Dachshund

The Ugly Dachshund

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Norman Tokar
Produced by Walt Disney
Winston Hibler
Written by Albert Aley
Gladys Bronwyn Stern (Novel)
Based on The Ugly Dachshund
by Gladys Bronwyn Stern
Starring Dean Jones
Suzanne Pleshette
Charlie Ruggles
Music by George Bruns
Cinematography Edward Colman
Edited by Robert Stafford
Production
company
Distributed by Buena Vista Distribution
Release dates
 February 4, 1966 (1966-02-04) (premiere)
February 16, 1966 (1966-02-16)
Running time
 93 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Box office $6.2 million (est. US/ Canada rentals)[1]

The Ugly Dachshund is a 1966 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette in a story about a Great Dane who believes he's a dachshund. Based on a 1938 novel by Gladys Bronwyn Stern, the film was written by Albert Aley and directed by Norman Tokar. The Ugly Dachshund was one of several light-hearted comedies produced by the Disney Studios during the 1960s.

Plot

Fran Garrison (Suzanne Pleshette) and her husband Mark (Dean Jones) are a young happy 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 that they are on the way to the hospital and indicating that Fran is the one in labor, Officer Carmody pulls in front of them and turns on the sirens to escort them to the county hospital.

After he arrives and turns to find 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 on Fran, Officer Carmody catches up to him and 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 to $110. On the day that Mr. Garrison arrives at the vet to pick up Danke and her three newborn puppies: Wilhelmina, Heidi, and Chloe, veterinarian Dr. Pruitt (Charlie Ruggles) mentions that his female Great Dane, Duchess, has also just given birth but unfortunately does not have enough milk for all of her puppies and the runt of the group has been cast aside by her - as most dogs do under these circumstances.

Doc Pruitt convinces Mark to bring the Great Dane puppy home so that Danke may wet nurse him until he has weaned. When he arrives home and Fran notices that there is another puppy, she is surprised but does not 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. Before he knows it and after keeping his secret from Fran, the puppies have grown drastically in size. Of course, the Great Dane puppy whom he has named Brutus is significantly larger than the other four Dachshunds. As the dog grows up with Fran's Dachshund puppies, he believes he is one of them and picks up mannerisms like 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, Mark's studio being splattered with paint, and a garden party being turned topsy-turvy.

Fran wants 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 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.

Cast

Reception

Critical reception

The film has received generally mixed reviews.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Big Rental Pictures of 1966", Variety, 4 January 1967 p 8
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