All Dogs Go to Heaven facts for kids

Quick facts for kids All Dogs Go to Heaven
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Don Bluth
Produced by	Don Bluth Gary Goldman John Pomeroy
Screenplay by	David N. Weiss
Story by	Don Bluth Ken Cromar Gary Goldman Larry Leker Linda Miller Monica Parker John Pomeroy Guy Schulman David J. Steinberg David N. Weiss
Starring	Loni Anderson Judith Barsi Dom DeLuise Melba Moore Charles Nelson Reilly Burt Reynolds Vic Tayback
Music by	Ralph Burns
Editing by	John K. Carr
Studio	Goldcrest Films Sullivan Bluth Studios Ireland Ltd.
Distributed by	MGM/UA Communications Co. (United States) The Rank Organisation (United Kingdom/Ireland)
Release date(s)	November 17, 1989 (1989-11-17) (United States) February 8, 1990 (1990-02-08) (United Kingdom) April 6, 1990 (1990-04-06) (Ireland)
Running time	85 minutes
Country	Ireland United Kingdom United States
Language	English
Budget	$13.8 million
Money made	US$27.1 million

All Dogs Go to Heaven is a popular animated musical fantasy adventure movie from 1989. It was directed by Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, and Dan Kuenster. The film tells the exciting story of a German Shepherd named Charlie B. Barkin, voiced by the famous actor Burt Reynolds.

Charlie is a dog who was sadly tricked and killed by his old friend, Carface Carruthers. But Charlie doesn't stay in Heaven for long! He decides to sneak back to Earth. His main goal is to get revenge on Carface. On his journey, Charlie meets a kind-hearted orphan girl named Anne-Marie, voiced by Judith Barsi. She has a special gift: she can talk to animals! As Charlie spends time with Anne-Marie and his best friend, Itchy Itchiford (voiced by Dom DeLuise), he learns important lessons. He discovers the true meaning of kindness, friendship, and love.

This movie was made by companies in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. When it first came out, it was shown in cinemas at the same time as Disney's The Little Mermaid. Even though it didn't earn as much money in theaters as some of Don Bluth's other movies, like An American Tail, it became very popular when people watched it at home on VHS. It was one of the best-selling VHS tapes ever! Because it was so loved, the movie later inspired a sequel film, a TV show, and a holiday movie.

Meet the Voice Cast

The movie features many talented actors who brought the dog characters to life. Here are some of the main voices you'll hear:

Charlie B. Barkin

• Burt Reynolds voices Charlie B. Barkin. Charlie is a brave and sometimes tricky German Shepherd. The animators even designed Charlie to look a bit like Burt Reynolds!
• Later, other actors voiced Charlie in the sequels and TV show. These included Charlie Sheen and Steven Weber.

Itchy Itchiford

• Dom DeLuise plays Itchy Itchiford, Charlie's loyal and a bit worried Dachshund friend.
• Dom DeLuise continued to voice Itchy in all the follow-up movies and the TV series.

Anne-Marie

• Judith Barsi voices Anne-Marie, a sweet 7-year-old orphan girl. She has the amazing ability to understand animals.
• The song "Love Survives" at the end of the movie was dedicated to Judith Barsi.

Carface Caruthers

• Vic Tayback is the voice of Carface Caruthers. Carface is a tough American Pit Bull Terrier/Bulldog gangster.
• In later movies and the TV show, Ernest Borgnine took over the role of Carface.

Other Fun Voices

• Charles Nelson Reilly as Killer, a funny and nervous Schnoodle who works for Carface.
• Loni Anderson as Flo, a friendly Rough Collie and one of Charlie's friends.
• Melba Moore as a beautiful Whippet angel who greets dogs in Heaven.
• Ken Page as King Gator, a singing alligator who lives in the sewers of New Orleans.

The Movie's Music

The music for All Dogs Go to Heaven was created by Ralph Burns. The songs have lyrics by Charles Strouse, T.J. Kuenster, Joel Hirschhorn, and Al Kasha. A special album with the movie's songs was released on July 1, 1989. It included 13 songs, with many sung by the movie's voice actors.

The beautiful song "Love Survives" is played during the ending credits. This song was a special tribute to Judith Barsi, who voiced Anne-Marie.

Awards and Recognition

All Dogs Go to Heaven was recognized for its quality. It was nominated for "Best Family Motion Picture: Adventure or Cartoon" at the 11th Youth in Film Awards. Even though it didn't win that award (it lost to Disney's The Little Mermaid), the home video release received an "Award of Excellence" from the Film Advisory Board. This shows how much people enjoyed watching it at home!

More Adventures: Sequels and TV Shows

Because All Dogs Go to Heaven was so popular, especially on home video, more stories were made!

• A movie sequel called All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 was released in theaters.
• A television series was created, continuing the adventures of Charlie and Itchy.
• A special Christmas movie, An All Dogs Christmas Carol, was also made. This movie was based on the classic story A Christmas Carol.

The original director, Don Bluth, was not involved in these new productions. Also, Burt Reynolds did not voice Charlie in the sequel film. However, Dom DeLuise continued to voice Itchy in all the movies and the TV series, keeping his character consistent throughout the franchise.

See also

In Spanish: Todos los perros van al cielo para niños