Once in a while, I like to revisit classic Disney movies that are not cartoons. This time, I picked The Shaggy Dog starring Fred MacMurray. I remember as a kid I could not wait for any movie that starred Fred MacMurray to hit the local theatre. The Absent Minded Professor and Son of Flubber are two of my favourites. MacMurray knew how to deliver a line and set up other actors for the punchline. In this film, he helped Tommy Kirk shine as the actor who played the shaggy dog.
“In canis corpore transmuto” is one of the greatest lines ever spoken in a Disney movie. It sets up the whole movie for what is about to come and the results are hilarious. With a Borgia ring and the famous line, Tommy Kirk is turned into a shaggy dog. The device that makes the movie a comedy is Tommy changes to a dog and back to a boy randomly throughout the movie. I guess there would never be a good time to turn into a shaggy dog.
Disney took a gamble on the Shaggy Dog because maybe the dog could not do what the trainers wanted. It turns out the dog was a scene stealer and Fred MacMurray was quoted as saying the dog had the best part in the movie. The dog was natural and had the personality to make the film a success at the box office. If you love dogs and old Disney films, this movie is tailored for you.
Kevin Lazzari, owner of Video Stop, is reviewing movies for the Fitzhugh. The Shaggy Dog (1959) is available on DVD, Blu-ray and for digital streaming and download.
