A bull terrier tells his life story, from the streets of the Bowery to a life of luxury.A bull terrier tells his life story, from the streets of the Bowery to a life of luxury.A bull terrier tells his life story, from the streets of the Bowery to a life of luxury.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Paddy Corbin
- (as J. M. Kerrigan)
- Bar Patron
- (uncredited)
- Bar Patron
- (uncredited)
- Dog Catcher
- (uncredited)
- Bar Patron
- (uncredited)
- Dogcatcher with Net
- (uncredited)
- Citizen
- (uncredited)
- Dog Owner
- (uncredited)
- Carney
- (uncredited)
- Bettor at Contest
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
The movie itself, on finally seeing it again as an adult, is not nearly as bad as some reviewers would have you think. From my point of view, it doesn't condone dog-fighting, nor even abuse of women. Sure, it shows some fairly unacceptable behaviour, but I didn't get the impression that this was being shown as an example of the behaviour on which our own should be modelled. When I think how many times in my viewing history I've seen people (not necessarily women) punched, kicked, shot, tortured, and murdered in cold blood, then this movie is pretty darn tame.
Since buying the DVD, and then buying the book on which this movie was based (yes, this movie made a huge impression on the child who saw it years ago), I still think it's a good movie. Clunky, sure. A little strange sometimes - absolutely. Displays outmoded behaviours - no argument. But still, for Wildfire alone, worth a view or two.
The film is well-paced and I found it much more entertaining that I anticipated. This is good escapist fare-the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad, but not too terribly so.
My children grew up on this film, via a grainy, over-the-air VHS cassette. We all love it and someday, when it finally comes out on DVD, we'll throw a family party and watch it all together again.
The original story was based on something that famed nineteenth century newspaper correspondent Richard Harding Davis wrote. When he was not covering things like the Spanish American War, Davis took his hand at fiction. He wrote the Gallegher stories that Walt Disney filmed during the Sixties with Roger Mobley.
This is the rags to riches story of a stray dog who managed to get from fighting dog of the Bowery to pampered show dog on Long Island. As Vic Morrow who supplies the dog's voice and does the narration, Horatio Alger would have loved this story. He certainly would have because Horatio was writing his stuff during this same time.
Of the human actors we have to single out Edmund Gwenn and Dean Jagger, two of the most accomplished character actors around. Gwenn as the groom and stableman on Jagger's estate and Jagger as the wealthy dog breeder who has a lot of issues in a lot of areas both are just fine in the roles. And they don't let the appealing little canine steal the scenes either.
I wish I could rate this film better, but sad to say I know all too well that dogs who are bred as killers are not likely to change their ways and become show dogs. Maybe Davis could sell that as fiction in his time and maybe MGM could see it in 1955, but it doesn't go over today.
Still some may find this a cute film.
Boy, was I glad I did! As other posters have stated, this is a weird movie. No children star in this movie, but it has a talking dog narrator! And he's actually trained as a fighting dog -- something you probably wouldn't see in a "talking dog" movie made today.
Vic Morrow's voiceover was a bit distant -- joking a bit too much when you knew the dog was in sheer terror, for instance. But I liked the New York accent. It worked for the little street tough that the dog (his name was Wildfire) was supposed to be.
Human cast was terrific, especially Edmund Gwenn. Dean Jagger also good.
If you have a tolerance for G-rated talking animal movies, this one is different and worth checking out. It's not exactly a kids' movie -- children may be bored, in fact, since the action, though fast, isn't exactly at the breakneck cartoony pace that kids today are accustomed to. And there is some implied violence and "adult situations." But it's a brisk story that moves along nicely, and with some genuinely funny moments. And a sweet ending.
Did you know
- GoofsWhen Patch first encounters Wildfire at the bar, he takes him over and places him on a table. The dog is then shown sitting and standing in subsequent successive shots.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Wildfire: [about him and his mother as they wander the streets and back alleys of the Bowery] We ate at only the best restaurants in the waterfront o' little old New York. Well, behind the best restaurants anyway. Hoffmeier's garbage can belonged to me and my mother. Everybody knew that. That's Ma, working on a steak bone. As for those mongrels, thinking they were going to push us out of the way, that was a large mistake. Although I do not admire the expression, it was strictly dog eat dog on the waterfront.
- Crazy credits[prologue] "I agree with Agassiz that dogs possess something very like a conscience." Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man.
- ConnectionsReferenced in My Three Sons: It's a Dog's Life (1965)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Bar Sinister
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $891,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.55 : 1