The Shaggy Dog (1959 film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Shaggy Dog
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Charles Barton
Produced by	Walt Disney Bill Walsh
Written by	Lillie Hayward Bill Walsh
Narrated by	Paul Frees (opening only)
Starring	Fred MacMurray Jean Hagen Tommy Kirk Annette Funicello Tim Considine
Music by	Paul J. Smith
Cinematography	Edward Colman
Editing by	James Ballas
Studio	Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by	Buena Vista Distribution
Release date(s)	March 19, 1959 (1959-03-19)
Running time	104 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	under $1 million or $1,250,000
Money made	$12.3 million (US and Canada rentals)

The Shaggy Dog is a fun American comedy movie from 1959. It was made by Walt Disney Productions. The film is based on a book called The Hound of Florence by Felix Salten. Charles Barton directed the movie. It stars Fred MacMurray, Tommy Kirk, Jean Hagen, and Annette Funicello.

The story is about a teenage boy named Wilby Daniels. He finds a special ring that belonged to the Borgia family. This ring has a magical power. It can turn Wilby into a shaggy Old English Sheepdog!

The movie came out on March 19, 1959. It earned over $9 million, making it one of the most popular films of that year. The Shaggy Dog was so successful that Disney made a sequel in 1976 called The Shaggy D.A.. There was also a TV sequel in 1987 and two remakes in 1994 and 2006.

What the Story is About

Wilby Daniels often feels like his dad, Wilson, doesn't understand him. Wilson used to be a mailman and doesn't like dogs. He also worries about Wilby's sometimes risky inventions. Wilby's younger brother, Montgomery, who everyone calls Moochie, really wants a dog.

One day, Wilby goes to a museum with his friend Buzz Miller and a girl named Francesca Andrassé. Wilby gets separated from them. He meets an old friend, Professor Plumcutt. The professor tells him about old legends, including the Borgia family. They supposedly used magic to change into animals to trick their enemies.

As Wilby leaves, he bumps into a display case. A ring falls into his pants cuff. It's the cursed Borgia ring! When he reads the words on it, "In canis corpore transmuto" (which means "Into a dog's body I change"), he suddenly turns into a shaggy dog. This dog is Francesca's pet, named Chiffon.

Wilby, now a dog, goes to Professor Plumcutt. The professor explains that Wilby has put the Borgia curse on himself. The only way to break it is to do something truly brave and selfless. Wilby has many adventures as he keeps changing between human and dog form. Only Moochie and Professor Plumcutt know his secret.

One night, Wilby (as a dog) overhears Francesca's adoptive father, Dr. Valasky, and his friend Thurm. They are planning to steal a secret government plan.

The next day, Wilby (still a dog) tells Moochie about the spies. He even tries to tell his dad, who thinks he's crazy. Francesca's butler, Stefano, takes Wilby (as a dog) back to Francesca's house. Moochie runs to get his dad, Wilson, for help.

At Francesca's house, Wilby suddenly changes back into a human in front of the spies! They realize he knows their secret. The spies capture Wilby and force Francesca to leave with them. They tie Wilby up in a closet. Luckily, Moochie sneaks into the house and finds Wilby, who has turned back into a dog while tied up.

Buzz Miller arrives to take Francesca on a date. Wilby, still a dog, steals Buzz's car. Buzz tells the police, who are shocked to see a dog driving! Wilson and Moochie follow the chase. The spies try to escape on a boat.

Wilby, as a dog, swims to the boat and fights the spies. Francesca falls into the water. Wilby saves her life by pulling her to shore. This brave act finally breaks the curse! When Francesca wakes up, Buzz tries to take credit for saving her. This makes Wilby (still a dog) angry, and he attacks Buzz. Then, Buzz is surprised to find himself wrestling with the real human Wilby. The real Chiffon the dog also reappears. Since Chiffon is soaking wet, Francesca thinks he saved her and gives him a big hug.

Because Wilson and Chiffon are now heroes for stopping the spies, Francesca can go to Paris. Her evil adoptive father and butler are arrested. Francesca gives Chiffon to the Daniels family as a thank you. Wilson, who used to hate dogs, changes his mind. He realizes that loving dogs helped him stop the spies. So, he lets Moochie keep Chiffon. Wilby and Buzz decide to be friends again instead of rivals.

Who's Who in the Movie

Books and Comics

The movie is based on a book, but a novelization (a book version of the movie) was published later in 1967. This book changed some things. For example, the character Allison, played by Annette Funicello, was completely removed. This also made the rivalry between Wilby and Buzz much smaller. Also, Dr. Valasky became Francesca's uncle instead of her adoptive father.

A comic book version of the movie was also made. It followed the movie's story more closely.

The Movie's Impact

The Shaggy Dog was a huge success for Walt Disney Productions. It made a lot of money. This success encouraged Disney to make more live-action movies. They often used a special formula: mixing magic or fantasy with everyday American life in the mid-1900s.

These movies were called "gimmick comedies." They had lots of action to keep kids entertained. They also had some light humor for adults. Disney often used TV actors who were popular but didn't cost a lot of money. They also reused sets from the Disney studio. This made the movies inexpensive to make. They could easily earn back their cost just from people going to matinee shows. These films could also be shown on the popular TV show The Wonderful World of Disney.

The popular TV show My Three Sons (1960–1972) later brought back actors Fred MacMurray and Tim Considine. That show also featured a pet shaggy sheepdog named "Tramp."

More Movies in the Series

• The first sequel was a movie called The Shaggy D.A. in 1976. It starred Dean Jones as a 45-year-old Wilby Daniels.
• In 1987, there was a two-part TV movie called The Return of the Shaggy Dog. It showed Wilby Daniels as a 30-something adult.

New Versions of the Movie

• The first remake was a TV movie in 1994. It starred Scott Weinger as a teenage Wilbert 'Wilby' Joseph Daniels. Ed Begley Jr. played a role similar to Fred MacMurray's from the original.
• In 2006, Disney released another live-action remake. This one starred Tim Allen as a 50-something Dave Douglas. This movie had a completely different story, characters, and how the transformation happened. It was not connected to the original movies. To go along with the 2006 remake, the original 1959 movie was re-released on DVD. It came in both black and white and a colorized version.