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     The Shaggy Dog

1959  NR  COMEDY  1h 44min

CAST— Fred MacMurray, Jean Hagen, Tommy Kirk, Annette Funicello, Tim Considine, Kevin Corcoran, Cecil Kellaway, Alexander Scourby

MUSIC— Paul J. Smith  DIRECTOR— Charles Barton  BASED ON— The Hound of Florence (novel), by Felix Salten

     “… one ring to rule them all; and in the darkness bind them.” Oh, wait; that’s the wrong ring. The ring in this story has the power to turn the owner into a dog, of all things. After reading the inscription on an ancient ring young Tommy Kirk finds himself in the doghouse as he shape-shifts between being a boy and being a shaggy sheepdog, all at the most inopportune times. A useless subplot involving spies is dumped into the last half hour, seemingly a last minute addition. Younger kids may not care for the film as much as nostalgic parents on a yesteryear bender. Final note: this was a big hit for Disney, their first foray into live action comedy.

OUR RATING— ** ½

FOLLOWED BY— The Shaggy D.A. (1976), The Return of the Shaggy Dog (1987)

REMADE AS— The Shaggy Dog (1994/2006)