My Dog, the Thief (1969)

Join all the fun as Dwayne Hickman and Mary Ann Mobley star in Disney's hilarious canine caper that will steal your heart. As ratings for Jack Crandall's (Hickman) lifeless airborne traffic reports plummet, a super-size St. Bernard on the lam stows away in his chopper. Crandall's new co-pilot helps send ratings sky-high, but the canine's chronic kleptomania generates girl trouble, jewel thievery, and loads of laughs. Also featuring favorites Elsa Lanchester, Joe Flynn, and Roger C. Carmel, your whole family will howl as the big dog learns some clever new tricks -- now on DVD!

Am I missing something?

I enjoy the old Disney movies. "The Shaggy Dog" and "The Ugly Dachshund" are two movies centering around dogs that are really very good. But this? Am I missing something? This movie is terribly unsophisticated even in comparison to typical Disney fare.

The plot is not thin, just hard to buy into (yes, even in comparison to "The Shaggy Dog"). Apparently this traffic reporter goes up in his helicopter and can go on the air do his radio broadcast whenever he wants to, for as long as he wants to. The radio station owner tells the protagonist that unless he spices up his traffic report and attracts more listeners, he's going to be fired. Apparently the only thing on this station is the traffic report.

So when this dog accidentally gets in the helicopter and eats the protagonists donuts during the traffic report, it causes the radio station's listenership to skyrocket. From then on, the guy has to take this dog up with him during his reports, and apparently the dog barking and the guy saying, "This dog is licking my ear!" is a real draw for radio audiences. Am I really supposed to buy into this?

The script is amazingly weak. There seemed to be many set-ups for jokes that never happened. Characters are extremely undefined, really just watered-down Disney stock characters. We have the handsome protagonist who stumbles into silly situations, we have the nosy landlord, we have the beautiful next-door neighbor who fully supports the pursuits of the leading man. Even at the climax, when our two main characters are held at gunpoint, they treat the situation with such calm smiles that I really didn't care what happened.

Laughs in this movie are few and far between. It's at a certain level that you can't even laugh *at* the movie. And yes, you can tell that it's a made for TV movie, especially with the fade-out and subsequent fade-in on the same exact shot of the dog's face, a clear indication of a commercial break.

Okay, okay, I'm being unfair. It's a movie intended for kids. I understand. Kids will probably love it, especially if they like dogs. But compare it with any theatrically-released Disney movies, and this one simply doesn't measure up. Unless you automatically love every movie with a dog in it, pass on this one and pick up "The Ugly Dachshund," "The Shaggy Dog," or "That Darn Cat" instead. July 8, 2008

Loved It!!

After having this movie for 3 years, I just now watched it today. And I have to say that this movie was hilarious! This is a great movie to watch with your kids. You will honestly be laughing through out the whole movie.
Can't believe it took me so long to watch it!!! July 7, 2007

hilarious hi-jinks of St. Bernard

THE STORY: This kind of fun filled family movie is really hard to find anymore. Right from the fun opening song and opening credits, this animal comedy caper movie starts with a laugh and never stops. It is the story of a St. Bernard named Barabbas (after the biblical thief) that has been through 8 owners, all who give him up since he escapes from home to steal stuff. Barabbas spends a lot of time running from the dog catcher. He takes lunch bags, gloves, and the other things that interest a dog out for a stroll and he usually drops it somewhere when it doesn't interest him anymore. But he meets the helicopter pilot (Dwayne Hickman) for a radio station whose traffic reporting puts people to sleep and they hit it off - and together on the air they turn the sagging ratings around. During an unscheduled stop for a dogy break, the dog steals a lunchbox from some real thieves, and it has a million dollar necklace inside. The pilot, his new girl Mary Ann Mobley), and the dog are in danger from the desperate thieves when the dog is kidnapped. And all of this is occurring while the pilot tries to keep his horse-sized dog hidden from his landlady. If you like dogs, you will really connect with this movie.

BEHIND THE SCENES: Directed by a Disney powerhouse, Robert Stevenson, who directed over 20 of the studio's biggest hits including Darby O'Gill, Mary Poppins, Blackbeards Ghost, The Love Bug, Kidnapped, The Absent Minded Professor, and Old Yeller just to mention a few. One of the things that really works in this movie is the great supporting cast, all of which had been in other Disney features. Elsa Lanchester as apartment landlady and Disney regular Joe Flynn as the radio station manager are two perfect examples. Charles Lane has a bit part as the owner of a dog food company. Roger C. Carmel and Michael Shaugnessy are the bungling jewel thieves. The catchy opening song was written by Terry Gilkyson, who also wrote "The Bare Necessities" song for Disney's The Jungle Book. The song really explains and sets the stage for what is to come. This was originally created as a movie for the weekly "Wonderful World of Disney" show, and it aired for the first time as a two part episode on September 21 & 28 1969. It re-aired 19 April of 1975, and again on July 1979. It was also edited to be released theatrically to the overseas market in 1970, and this is the version we see here. It was done so well, that you can't spot any places where they usually edit for commercials.

DVD ISSUE: January 2006 saw the movie's release to DVD, in a full screen format and mono sound as it was originally filmed for television. The strange part is that the color on my old VHS release is much better than the new DVD, where they did not bother to do a re-master or improve the picture in any way. There are no extra features her either, no cartoons, or behind the scenes footage. Bottom line is, save your old copy of the VHS, until a better copy comes out. The movie itself is a favorite of mine, charming and funny, much better than many more well-known Disney movies. April 3, 2006

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