Dachshunds In Film: The Lemon Drop Kid

A cold Bob Hope steals Fifi's sweater

If you're looking to watch a classic Christmas movie this year, one with say, oh, a Dachshund in it, look no further than The Lemon Drop Kid starring none other than Bob Hope, and introducing the world to a song none other than Silver Bells.  That's right.  'Shelby,' 'Hope', and 'Scooby' write:


Dear Rowdy and Bette,

Tis the season to be watching Christmas movies! We watched "The Lemon Drop Kid" with Bob Hope the other night and to our mutual amazement there is a very funny scene with a long-haired wiener dog in it!  Perhaps you already know about this, but it took us by a nice surprise! The voice-over did not sound very like a Dachshund barking but we'll excuse them this considering how sweet a film it is.


If you want to check out the Dachshund scene, and we know you do, click on this youtube link, we've got it all queued up to start at the very best part. 

Big ol' film-hound rescue 'Scooby' is the newest member of his pack.  Ain't he a handsome boy?  Congrats to his family!

Dachshunds in Film: Bachelor Flat

Hold on to your seats Dachshund fans, looks like it's going to be a retro weekend here at The Long and Short of it All!  Thanks so much to our good pal 'Trinket' for writing in about the 1962 American comedy Bachelor Flat.  She pens:

Dear Rowdy and Bette,

I recently stumbled on this while looking up some information about the holiday movie "Susan Slept Here" starring Debbie Reynolds. It turns out that the movie’s director remade the film as "Bachelor Flat" a few years later in the early 60s. One of the roles in Bachelor Flat is played by 'Jessica' the Dachshund. The whole movie isn’t on youtube, but this is a great clip of her and a dinosaur bone. What would a small dog do when confronted by a huge bone?  Jessica, btw, is billed in the opening credits.

The plot, via Wikipedia: 
A charming British anthropology Professor Bruce Patterson (Terry-Thomas) has to live with Helen Bushmill (Celeste Holm), his fiancée. Helen is away traveling, and has failed to tell him that she has a seventeen-year-old daughter Libby (Tuesday Weld), who shows up at her mother's home unaware that Helen is engaged. Meanwhile he has to resist the advances of the neighbourhood ladies who barge in unexpectedly. At the same time, Patterson must deal with the continual invasions of his cynical neighbor, and law student, Mike (Richard Beymer), who soon develops a crush on Libby. Intertwined in the story is Mike's persistent Dachshund, determined to bury the professor's prize possession of a rare dinosaur bone. Director Frank Tashlin said he included the Dachshund as a satire on CinemaScope due to the dog's shape.

Better get this film on your must-watch list!   At the time Variety called it a "frivolous, farcical concoction" and credits much of the great comedy to the supporting cast.  They added "The Dachshund, incidentally, is an accomplished low comedienne."  Of course she is.


Related:  Dachshund Unearths Dinosaur Bone

Wiener Dog Nationals 2013 Movie Trailer

It looks like the long-awaited Wiener Dog Nationals movie is finally going to see the light of day!  Here's the trailer for the film, which is being released on DVD and Digital Video on July 2nd, 2013.  Start saving up your kibble!  Find out more at Inception Media.

Tim Burton "Dachshund" movie 'Frankenwee​nie'

Thanks so much to our pretty new pal 'Penelope' for writing in:

Hi Joey and Rowdy!  I love reading your blog, and enjoyed meeting you at the doxie meetup last weekend!
I just wanted to send you an article about the new Tim Burton movie coming out called 'Frankenweenie'.  It looks like so much fun! Finally, a Disney movie about us Dachshunds!  Here's the link.

And our friends 'Max' and 'Basil' write:

Hey Joey and Rowdy! I'm sure you'll be interested in seeing this new Tim Burton stop-motion animated movie.  Looks like it comes out October 5.

Thanks guys for sending the links and everything, we were excited to watch the trailer.  Now, we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but is that a Dachshund?  When we have to ask ourselves such a question, it's usually not.  Is this movie about a weenie dog in name only? 
We did a little bit of research on the subject and found the original Tim Burton Frankenweenie movie played by a real dog was in fact, a Bull Terrier, although he has a Dachshund for a neighbor.  You can watch the whole 30-minute short at youtube.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mr. Burton discussed the name of the film: 

Frankenweenie, though a stitched-together hodgepodge and scientific abomination, is ultimately still a cute little bugger. The goofy name itself was chosen to suggest something harmless. “It’s like a small pet name, a hot-dog kind of thing,” Burton says.

Mr. Burton goes on to say that Frankenweenie has similarities to a dog he had as a child:

As outlandish as Frankenweenie was, it also had roots in a real-life pet dog Burton had while growing up in Burbank. “It’s such an unconditional relationship,” Burton recalls. “A lot of kids have that experience – I certainly had that experience with a first pet. You’ll probably never have it again in your life in that way, it’s so pure and memorable.”
“His name was Pepe — we lived in a Spanish neighborhood,” Burton recalls. “Our dog had this thing called distemper, and wasn’t supposed to live more than a couple of years. He lived much longer than that, which kind of fed into this Frankenstein mythology as well.”
What kind of dog was Pepe? “It was a mix, kind of a mutt, with a bit of terrier, and a bit of something else,” Burton says. “I don’t know what it was. It was kind of a mixture.”

So, that's the unfortunate Long and Short of it All - a major movie about a dog with "weenie" in the title isn't about a Dachshund.  What are the odds?  Not to fear though, we will have our day.

Our new pretty pal 'Penelope' is shocked and saddened by the news.

This toy pile is just too much!  Our handsome friends 'Max' and 'Basil' say:  "Hummmph.  Wake us up when a real Dachshund movie comes out."

A Dachshund in Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?!!

We had no idea!  Thanks so much to our pal 'Poncho' for writing in to let us know!  He writes:

Dear Joey and Rowdy,

I was watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer this evening when I saw what looked like a Dachshund leading Yukon Cornelius' dog sled. 

After the show, I asked my human to verify the sighting on the Internet and he came up with this screen capture.

That's a doxie up front with a St. Bernard!  Ho ho ho!

Happy Holidays,

Poncho

Dachshunds in New Scorsese Film: HUGO

Watch closely Dachshund fanatics, and catch Martin Scorsese's first 3D movie, Hugo, an adaptation of the childrens book "Hugo Cabret," this Thanksgiving. 
Thanks to our good friend Jerry for sending this in.  Will the Dachshunds be even longer in 3D?  Can't wait to find out!

Dachshunds on the Big Screen: "Flawed Dogs" Picked Up by DreamWorks Animation

We love it when we're on the BIG screen, we look so much larger than we really are!  Via Variety:

DreamWorks Animation will adapt picture book and novel "Flawed Dogs," by cartoonist Berkeley Breathed, for the bigscreen.
Story centers around a dachshund who must reclaim his place in the family after being wrongly exiled by a jealous show dog.
Breathed, who will exec produce the project, is best known for creating "Bloom County," the 1980s comicstrip featuring Opus the Penguin.
DreamWorks Animation head of development Alex Schwartz and development exec Damon Ross will oversee the project.
"All my stories are sparked by a nugget of truth hiding in plain sight," Berkeley said in a statement. "In this case, it's that all animals dream… but only dogs dream of us."

We'll keep you updated on the film's progress.  Other Dachshund films in the works include "Lonely Dog":  Warner Bros. Acquires Screen Rights to 'The Lonely Dog' - Get Ready for an Epic Dachshund Movie and "Wiener Dog Nationals, The Movie," which has been renamed "One Lucky Dog" and again renamed to Wiener Dog Nationals.   



There was just a funny little video posted to promote "Wiener Dog Nationals."

Dachshunds in Film: Corky Romano

Corky Romano:  In this 2001 movie, Chris Kattan plays Corky Romano, a veterinarian who is forced by his family to infiltrate the local FBI facility to steal evidence incriminating his father, Mafia boss Francis A. "Pops" Romano of racketeering charges.  The film went on to rank #64 on Rotten Tomatoes 100 "Worst of 2001."
At least there was a Dachshund.  Thanks to youtuber hjoen3 for uploading these videos.  Above is the Flying Dachshund scene. 



And then of course, the resulting mouth to mouth resuscitation scene. 

'Wiener Dog Nationals' Movie Renamed 'One Lucky Dog'

Movie buffs may be interested to know that the previously titled Dachshund race film Wiener Dog Nationals, which is currently in production, has been renamed One Lucky Dog.  This is a little promo of sorts.  Find out more: Wiener Dog Nationals, The Movie.  It doesn't look like there is an official site for the movie at the moment; the previous site was taken down.

Dachshunds On A Walk Get Movie Role!

This is just another good reason to take your dogs on a long walk every day - you never know if they might end up in a major film!  Meet 'Hamish' (foreground), and 'Rosie,' and their human Jill Kellie, who hail from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.  While on the way to the dry cleaners on Tuesday, they were stopped by filmmakers working on the upcoming film Dream House, starring Daniel Craig and Naomi Watts.  Excerpt from York Region:

Before she reached the dry cleaners, the Newmarket resident heard someone call after her.
"All I heard was someone yell, 'Get that woman with the dogs,'" she said. "I thought they were yelling at me because I ruined the shoot. I was expecting them to ask me to move."
But instead, film crews asked Mrs. Kellie to stay and asked the two tiny dogs to attack.
Film crews wanted to catch the dachshunds going after a large Doberman pinscher.
"Bickering with another dog is no problem for them," Mrs. Kellie said. "(Rosie and Hamish are) totally into that. They think they're great Danes."
For a little more than an hour, Rosie and Hamish attacked and re-attacked the large dog.
"It was about four or five takes. They were very patient waiting for the director to yell, 'Action," Mrs. Kellie said. "They knew exactly what to do. They did the same thing every time and never got bored. They're a bit exhausted today."

Read all about these lucky dogs at York Region.

'The Lonely Dog' Movie Continues Production

This mannequin is a sneak peak at what the Dachshund characters might look like in the upcoming 'Lonely Dog' film.  Artist and creator Ivan Clarke will be executive producer for the film, which could still be years away.  He states:

"Pre-production has started, but it is still at the concept stage.
"They are talking about live action with actors, but with digital replacement of the heads of the characters - a bit like in the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
"But I am still not sure exactly how they will end up creating the movie version of this adults' fairy tale," he said.

Read more at the Otago Daily Times.

Related:  Warner Bros. Acquires Screen Rights to 'The Lonely Dog' - Get Ready for an Epic Dachshund Movie

Wiener Dog Nationals, The Movie

Fasten your seat belts, Dachshund fans.  In case you haven't heard, there's a new family film in the works called Wiener Dog Nationals. The film will be produced by Patricia Gillum of Two Boys Productions, Inc., and is written by Kevan Peterson.  The film will be distributed worldwide. 
Here's a brief synopsis:  "Wiener Dog Nationals" follows the story of a young boy and his adopted puppy. After the loss of his wife, Phil Jack adopts a dachshund runt from a shelter to help ease the pain of loss for his young son. It turns out that "Shelly" and her new family are in store for a new adventure as they enter the nation's "Wiener Dog Race." One Boy, One Race, One Wiener.
Now, we know what you're thinking:  "But Joey and Maggie, we wanna be in the movie - how can we win a walk-on roll?!"
It's elementary, my dear Schatzie:  win a contest on Facebook!   To enter, a dachshund's Facebook profile must be created and must become a member of the Wiener Dog Nationals Facebook group.  The winner will be selected based on the most creative page, the largest number of wiener dog friends, the strongest character development, and the best video and photo wall.  The contest is from now until April 15, 2010 - so show off your Dachshund pride!
We'll do our best to keep you updated on the progress of this exciting new new film.  Find out all about it at the official website.  Woof, WOOF!!!

Dachshunds in Film: The Pink Panther Strikes Again

Does your dog bite?

Thanks as always to our good pal 'Polly' (the rat and goldfish hunter!) for sending this in.  Polly would also like to let it be known that a mouse or rat a day keeps the cat away.  She is determined to keep her human from getting a cat, so she is mouser supreme.  As of today, her count is 12!

Dachshunds in Film: Bunny and the Bull

What's that phrase?  Don't shoot the messenger? 

A Dachshund makes an odd appearance in the upcoming film Bunny and the Bull, released this Friday in the UK, where a young shut-in takes an imaginary road trip inside his apartment, based on mementos and memories of a European trek from years before. 

via youtuber MetzgerNovicoff.

Dachshunds in History: President Nixon

OK, so this isn't actually President Nixon, but rather a scene with Frank Langella, who plays Nixon in the new film Frost/Nixon, released today in the US. The story goes: It's 1977, and disgraced former president Richard Nixon, played mesmerizingly by Frank Langella, has lost his public swagger. He emerges from the final bout in a series of interviews with British talk-show host David Frost looking beaten down and bewildered.
A crowd gathers as he heads for his limousine. Nixon walks up to a woman holding a dachshund and pets the dog, tapping it gingerly, then tugging clumsily on its ear. With this wordless gesture, he conveys a palpable sense of defeat and social awkwardness. Read more at USA TODAY.

Also from LA.COM: Following his last interview with David Frost, Nixon is seen leaving the suburban home where the conversations were taped. Shaken and emotionally vulnerable, he tentatively approaches a woman holding a small dog.
"Is that what they call a dachshund?" Nixon asks the woman in a characteristically awkward moment of public interaction.
Nixon then pats the dog and walks to his waiting car.
"Everybody mentions that moment with the dachshund," says Frank Langella, who plays Nixon in the movie. "It's just 35 seconds, but that's the power of film. There must be something in all of us that responds to that need for some form of contact with another living creature after feeling failure." Read more, including director Ron Howard's take on the scene at LA.COM.

Slightly Related: Dachshunds in the White House