Okay, I saw this first when I was a kid and loved it. It's a rare talking animal film from an era that didn't indulge in these kinds of things. There's really nothing cutesy about it and it's tough around the edges, possibly too much so. This is Charles Dickens territory, not Benji. But it has charms (although the brutal treatment of animals and women can rightfully discredit this film, so I offer a caveat to any sensitive viewer). There is enough things right in this film to make up for the wrong in my book. Honestly, the ugly stuff this dog character goes through without losing his innate decency is very appealing (yeah, I know, it's a talking dog--although he narrates so there is no animated mouth movements making it cartoonish). I was surprised to learn that Vic Morrow did the dog voice-over. Nice job, perhaps better than many of his on-screen performances. And always reliable Edmund Gwenn and Dean Jagger provide solid support. This is a weird one, but I find it memorable.
Review of It's a Dog's Life
