When a Great Dane puppy is raised with a litter of Dachshunds, it naturally thinks it's a Dachshund too--even when it grows to 10 times the size. Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette star as the hapless couple who took in the galumphing dog, which wreaks havoc on their house and home.
The Ugly Dachshund is mostly a series of spectacular disasters (the doggy demolition of Jones's art studio will delight kids and reduce adults to nervous wrecks), but it's held together by the convincing domestic banter of Jones and Pleshette (who was quite a dish in 1965); the pair went on to star in a couple of other Disney live-action flicks,
Bluebeard's Ghost and
The Shaggy D.A.. Despite some racial and gender stereotypes, it's a good-natured and amusing movie in the Disney mold. Also featuring classic character actor Charlie Ruggles (
Bringing Up Baby,
The Parent Trap).
--Bret Fetzer
1 Delightful
Ugly dogs, especially dachshunds, are always funny. This film about an ugly dachsund dog is therefore funny. Buy it, you won't regret it.
2 The Ugly Dachshund
We have a Weimaraner, and two dachshunds. Well, Brutus, the Great Dane in this movie is halarious, and reminds me so much of our silly Weim! How Brutus thinks he can do everything the dachs do! I had to own this, as it reminds me of our household. I'm so glad it is back out! Anyone who loves dogs will find this very enjoyable!
3 Fun Disney Title for the Family
The Ugly Dachshund is the story of a Great Dane who grows up thinking he's a little Dachshund. Fran Garrison (played by Suzanne Pleshette) absolutely dotes on her little Dachshund, driving her husband Mark (Dean Jones) crazy. The cute little dog--and subsequent litter of puppies--doesn't really fit his idea of what a man's dog should be, and after getting a speeding ticket while rushing the mom-to-be to the vet, Mark opts to bring home (unbeknownst to his wife) one of the doc's Great Dane puppies as his own.
It's soon apparent that one of the pups isn't quite what it seems, and worse, even as he grows in size, the Dane believes he's just a little Dachshund. Though angels in Fran's eyes, the doxies are quick to cause enormous amounts of trouble, always pinning their antics on their larger "brother." The story devolves into a battle of the sexes between Mark and his "manly" Great Dane and Fran and her little Dachshunds, coming to a climax at a party Fran throws to impress the judge of an upcoming dog show.
Of course, being a Disney film, everything works out in the end. The film certainly isn't one of the best to have come out of the Disney studios of the era, but it's funny (if predictable) and should make for a good afternoon's entertainment with one's children.
4 Excellent movie for the whole family
You won't be disappointed with this movie. All of our kids love it. The dogs are cute, the storyline keeps moving and is interesting as well as funny. The kids especially love it when the dogs cause havoc (I don't want to give anything away). The only part that was a little objectionable is the bickering between the husband and wife at times -- especially when the husband yells at his wife to "shut up." But at least she doesn't let him get away with it and scolds him for talking like that.
Overall, a very safe movie for kids to watch -- and you'll all enjoy it!
5 War of the Sexes
Based very loosely a book said to be the only uncharming dog story ever written (by G. B. Stern), Disney manages to ad the charm and fun that are lacking from the book. Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette star as a young couple who lives get turned upside-down by the arrival of some puppies.
Suzanne has a dachshund that is pregnant. She is also set on raising a champion. Jones is a lone man standing against the force that is woman. When the pups are born, they are, of course, all female. But then the vet shows him a great dane pup that his been rejected by its mother and appeals to Jones to let his dachshund play wet nurse. Well Suzanne is a whirlwind that prevents Jones from letting her know what is going on at the start but she is no dummy.
The dane, Brutus by name, becomes the symbol of Jones's's masculinity in an otherwise female world. Add to the mix the fact that Brutus thinks he is a dachshund and that the real dachshunds just love to get in trouble and frame their gigantic sibling and you have a hilarious slapstick comedy that I have loved for decades (now my kids love it). Eventually the battle lines are drawn and the war of the sexes continues right to a local dog show.
This is a classic Disney film and all works out in the end (although the trouble-making nature of the dachshunds is never really revealed) and the happy couple are a happy couple again. Charlie Ruggles plays the vet and ands very nicely to the cast. The disk's extras include a trailer, a montage of other Disney dog stars, and a documentary of The Faces of Mako (seen in this movie as a Japanese waiter). All in all a wonderful disk that is suitable for the whole family.
6 Don't count out this oldie but goodie
You can read the plot synopsis elsewhere...
I am a grad student in Texas who is tickled pink that this finally came out on DVD. When I was younger this and "The Happiest Millionaire" were two of my favorite movies. It is clean wholesome humor that can entertain the whole family. There are other reviewers that have sung the praises of the doxies, it made me a great dane fan forever, Brutus rocks.
This film is a great investment for anyone, especially for those with kids and/or dogs!!!
7 Beautifully restored DVD of mediocre Disney piffle
"The Ugly Dachshund" (1966) is a mediocre Disney piffle from the mid-'60's Disney assembly line of family-friendly entertainment that bears no resemblance whatsoever to the times in which it was made. Stars Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette and Charlie Ruggles do what they can to enliven a totally predictable, cliche-ridden script which relies heavily on silly slapstick to enliven a thin story that wouldn't even qualify as a Disney Channel Original Movie nowadays, but instead would probably premiere on the Animal Channel. Still, "The Ugly Dachshund" has its moments and will undoubtedly charm dachshund and great dane lovers of all ages.
Jones and Pleshette are Mark and Fran Garrison, a happily married couple whose beloved dachshund has just had a litter of puppies at the same time as their kindly veterinarian Dr. Pruitt's (Ruggles) great dane. When the great dane mother rejects her smallest puppy because of a lack of milk, Pruitt asks Mark to let the mother dachshund nurse the great dane pup until he can be weaned. Knowing Fran won't let him keep the pup, Mark agrees, but doesn't tell Fran; instead, he tells her the dachshund had another pup she didn't know about. By the time she figures out she's been tricked, Mark is attached to the pup, which he names Brutus. She reluctantly allows him to keep it. What follows is a series of cute "slapstick" scenes in which the unruly dachshunds create havoc while Brutus, who thinks he's a dachshund, gets blamed for everything.
To say "The Ugly Dachshund" is predictable is an understatement. This is the type of film in which the viewer can tell everything that is going to happen the minute the film starts. If the Garrisons have a dinner party, you know Brutus and the dachshunds will cause such havoc everyone will end up in the pool. If the dachshunds and Brutus are left alone in a room, you know the room will be trashed and Brutus will be left to take the blame. And if one of Fran's pups gets lost, you know who's going to save the day. And guess who wins the blue ribbon when Mark and Fran each enter a dog in the local dog show?
As Mark and Fran, Jones and Pleshette exhibit a natural chemistry and appeal that transcends their meager material. (They are good enough together that this film led to two other pairings, in the much superior "Blackbeard's Ghost" and a decade later in 1976's "The Shaggy D.A.") And Ruggles brings the same kindly, warm presence he brought to numerous Disney films of the era. The fine character actor Mako ("The Sand Pebbles" and "The Island at the Top of the World") also has an amusing bit as one of the Japanese caterers that Fran hires for her dinner party, although he is basically portraying a stereotypical Asian buffoon. And of course, Brutus and the dachshunds are adorable and will delight the kiddies and dog lovers of all ages. Everything is efficiently helmed by Disney veteran Norman Tokar, who seemed to direct all the mid-quality Disney vehicles while Robert Stevenson ("The Love Bug" and "Mary Poppins") and David Swift ("The Parent Trap") were given the classics and the critical kudos.
The best part of "The Ugly Dachshund" is the DVD transfer. The film, quite simply, looks great, with beautiful, lush colors and a production design that makes the entire film resemble a modern-day fairy tale. In fact, the opening credits appear to be presented over a matte painting, but then the camera pans down to reveal the actual village in which the Garrisons reside, as well as the gorgeous set which consists of their beautiful house (including white picket fence) and Mark's state-of-the-art studio. (Mark is an artist, and evidently the most successful one in history, since instead of "starving" he and Fran live and behave like upper-class socialites.) And for once, Disney presents the film in the correct widescreen aspect ratio of 1:75:1 and haven't cropped it additionally to fit 16:9 widescreen TVs. In addition, there is an amusing featurette with Mako discussing his experiences making the film and the original theatrical trailer, in which "The Ugly Dachshund" was advertised as a romantic comedy (!) and Jones and Pleshette as, apparently, the next "Hepburn and Tracy." And I thought today's trailers were misleading.
In all, "The Ugly Dachshund" is nowhere near as good as the many Disney classics of the era that surrounded it ("The Gnome Mobile," "That Darn Cat," "The Love Bug" and, of course, "Mary Poppins" among others) but absolutely review-proof since its intended audience will undoubtedly love it. Others, beware. *** (out of *****)
8 Fun movie to share with your kids
This was one of my favorite movies when I was young. It's one of the old silly Disney movies like Herbie and Freaky Friday. You will enjoy this movie especially if you have dogs. It is a must have if you own a dachshund!
9 The Most Addorable Film Disney's Ever Made!!!
This is the most addorable movie ever made by Disney. Its great fun and entertaining for the entire family. Even if your not an animal lover yourself, you'll have such a great time watching this film. I fell in love with all the little dachshunds in the movie even though they were always getting Brutus the Great Dane into trouble. Its making me think about getting a dachi of my own. I first saw it when I was younger and I have been looking for this movie for years and I'm so happy they finally made it into DVD. For those of you who was searching it on Ebay the VHS version was going for at $80+ on average if it was still sealed and new in its original case so I was so pleased when I found out they were releasing it this July. This movie a true classic. Even if they ever made another version no one can out top this one. I hope you all enjoy it as well.
10 We love this movie!
Our whole family has enjoyed watching this many times over. It's just good, clean fun with great performances by Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette. And all of the scenes with the dogs were hilarious - whoever trained them did a fantastic job.
11 Always will love it!
I had the movie when i was a little girl and lost it, like 10 years ago, Now I HAVE FOUND IT at last!! I love it and will love it always!
12 Dog-Lover's Treat
This film has absolutely no meaningful social value,
it's just a cute, fun film for dog lovers about a
doting dachshund-loving woman (Suzanne Pleshette)
and her artist husband (Dean Jones), who's persuaded
by their vet, when his wife's doxie has pups, to
foster a runt Great Dane along with them. Jones'
character falls in love with the Dane, but the
dachshunds are constantly getting the poor pup in
trouble. Worse, their Dane thinks HE's a dachshund, too.
A nice Sunday afternoon movie.
13 Great for Dachshund fans!
Very cute movie for Dachshund fans or Great Dane enthusiasts! My favorite live action Disney movie -- long out of print. I am so happy that Disney released this on DVD. It is fun seeing the original trailer and the little featurette about Disney's dog stars too.
14 Funny movie!
This is a clean, funny movie for the whole family. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to laugh. This movie is particularly funny if you own a dachshund.
I've been begging Disney for years to release this movie on DVD. I'm so glad they finally did!
15 Classic Disney Film
In the classic tradition of Disney fluff, comes Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette who play Mark and Fran Garrison, a childless couple who's baby is Danke, their prize winning Dachsie. When the film opens, they are rushing to the hospital to have a baby. Not their own, rather, Danke's.
Mark is now even more outnumbered by females 5-1, and he's ready for some more masculinity in the family. When Mark picks up the Dachsies at the Vet hospital, Mark discovers from the doctor that a male Great Dane pup has been rejected by his mother, and agrees to take it home and allow Danke to nurse it. Fran believes that Danke just had another puppy, even though he looks different.
As time goes by, Fran realizes that "Brutus" is a Great Dane and insists that he be taken back to the hospital. Mark agrees, but can't get that pup off is mind. When Mark is given a birthday only fit for Dachshunds, he blows his top, only to find Fran surprises him with Brutus, now almost full grown.
Over time the Dane and Dachsies grow up and get into lots of mischief. Most of the times the Dachsies were responsible, but Fran can't believe that for one minute! The ending of the film brings Fran and Mark back together and they both become proud of the Dane Brutus has grown up to be.
I highly recommend this film to all ages. I watched The Ugly Dachshund when I was little, and now my daughter enjoys it, so it definitely stays a favorite over the generations. This wholesome, comedic type of film is hard to find these days, so grab this dvd up while you can! I also recommend other Disney titles starring Dean and Suzanne- Blackbeard's Ghost and Shaggy D.A.
16 The Ugly Dachshund
This is one of the best movies for children that I have seen. It keeps moving so you don't get bored. And is very funny. I recommend it to anyone who wants a good laugh. Watch it and enjoy!!
17 The Ugly Dachshund, Great For The Whole Family
This is one of my favorite movies! Dean Jones plays an artist married to Suzanne Pleshette who has a purebred dachshund about to have puppies. As a favor to their vet, Dean sneaks in a Great Dane pup with the dachshund pups and that's when all the fun begins! I had this movie on video and I've shared it with children and adults...everyone laughs at it. It's a sweet comedy that everyone can enjoy.
