The Ugly Dachshund | |
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Theatrical release poster
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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 |
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Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution |
Release date
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February 4, 1966 February 16, 1966 |
(premiere)
Running time
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93 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $6.2 million (est. US/ Canada rentals) |
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.
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 female puppies: Wilhelmina, Heidi, and Chloe, veterinarian Dr. Pruitt (Charlie Ruggles) mentions that his female Great Dane, Duchess, has also given birth, but pushed away one of her male puppies because she didn't have enough milk for him.
Doc Pruitt convinces Mark to bring the Great Dane puppy home, because Danke had too much milk, and she could save his life. 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. He eventually tells Fran the truth about the male puppy and named him Brutus. As he 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.