The Dogfather Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Dogfather Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 8, 2018

Hunting for material to keep their empire of animation rumbling along, DePatie-Freleng elected to take inspiration from the movies during the 1970s, adding to their cinema-inspired arsenal that began with work on the “The Pink Panther” films. While Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” seems like an unlikely influence for any family-friendly cartoon endeavor, the creative forces at DePatie-Freleng weren’t intimidated by the feature’s R-rated interests, creating 1974’s “The Dogfather,” a canine-led spoof that largely did away with sex and violence, replacing the raw stuff with silliness. Exploring the daily life of the titular don and his league of nitwit enforcers, “The Dogfather” is largely traditional mischief from the company, who enjoy the challenge of creating wild antics for as cheaply as possible, giving the material some appealing speed and absurdity as it tries to make something as heavy as “The Godfather” into 17 shorts of extreme goofiness.

Of course, not all the hard edges are softened in “The Dogfather.” The opening song is a bit of an eye-opener, with the Don sharing his criminal philosophy as the main titles are displayed. A sampling of the lyrics: “Baby, that’s my offer, my final offer/That’s an offer you can’t refuse/I’ll cut your heart out/That’s an offer you can’t refuse.” Granted, being the leader of a criminal organization requires some bloody dealings, but these shorts are aimed at a family audience, making the introduction’s severity very strange, adding just a touch of menace before the slapstick begins. Once the endeavor moves past threats from the main character, “The Dogfather” settles into a groove of absurdity, often involving the Don and his top goon, Pug, who’s frequently sent out to take care of trouble and lead robberies, facing an array of rivals and stool pigeons, even facilitating a jail break. Enemies are usually cats and birds, but most of the plots involve the Dogfather ordering his underlings to make a mess of things while he surveys the damage, keeping order with threats to “take out contracts” on anyone that doesn’t fall in line. It’s good for parents to have this information ahead of time, to prepare an answer for the inevitable “what’s a contract?” question coming from children watching the shorts.

Episodes:

“The Dogfather” (6:53)
Calling for a meeting with all the local gangsters, the Dogfather (voiced by Bob Holt) decides to help Louie (Daws Butler) with a problem, assigning consigliere Pug (Butler) to help remove a dangerous wildcat from the neighborhood.

“The Goose that Laid the Golden Egg” (6:40)
When a special golden egg is laid inside a bustling hen house, the Goose takes credit for squeezing out the treasure. The Dogfather and his associates pay a visit to the Lazy-C Egg ranch to collect the Goose, setting him up in a luxury apartment to continue laying gold he’s not capable of producing.

“Heist and Seek” (7:04)
Volunteering to pull off a jewelry heist for the Dogfather, Pug and Rocky make off with the loot, soon pursued by the cops. Holing up inside a house while the heat dies down, the gangsters are now targeted for justice by Sam Spaniel, Private Eye.

“The Big House Ain’t a Home” (6:54)
Inside the city dog pound, Benny the Boom Boom sends a written request to the Dogfather to help spring him out of jail. Pug and Louie are sent to complete the job, only to be immediately caught, requiring the Dogfather to do the job himself.

“Mother Dogfather” (6:48)
Crazylegs Crane makes a mistake during his baby-delivery duties, trying to bring a fresh arrival to the Dogfather, who fortifies his house to prevent the idiot bird from completing the transaction.

“Bows and Arrows” (6:53)
Taking inspiration from the story of Robin Hood, the Dogfather sends Pug and Louie out to collect a fortune by robbing the Al E. Katt gang, who aren’t willing to give up their loot easily.

“Deviled Yeggs” (6:48)
Feeling pressure from the Infernal Revenue Service, the Dogfather calls in dancing hitman the Croaker to find and eliminate “squealer” Charlie the Singer. Bested by the tiny bird, the Croaker is sent to Hell, forced to work though his nine lives to fulfil the contract.

“Watch the Birdie” (6:50)
Preparing a major robbery at a local savings and loan office, the Dogfather’s plans are compromised by Charlie the Singer, who’s ready to go to the cops with the information. Sending Pug to knock off the troublesome bird, the gangster dog is subjected to a round of horrors inside a chemical factory.

“Saltwater Taffy” (7:00)
After losing his beloved yacht, the Mary Belle, in a card game, the Dogfather wants his boat back from card sharp Lucky McClaw. Louie and Pug are sent in to take care of Lucky, only to encounter a series of mishaps on the open water while the Dogfather enjoys the beach.

“M-O-N-E-Y Spells Love” (7:05)
Learning about a widow who’s inherited a fortune, the Dogfather sets out to marry the loaded woman, soon meeting the competition in Rocky, a rival gangster.

“Rock-A-Bye Maybe” (6:54)
Feeling tired, the Dogfather orders Pug to head to a mountain cabin to prepare for his arrival. Already moved in are Hickory and Coco, two squirrels who refuse to vacate the premises, declaring war on Pug for control of the dwelling while the Dogfather struggles to sleep.

“Haunting Dog” (6:53)
Paying his respects to the fallen Machine Gun Kolly (a hitman he had killed), the Dogfather learns he’s been willed the murdered mutt’s car, eager to take a ride in the luxury automobile. However, Kolly rises from the grave to seek revenge, instructing his loyal car to take the Dogfather on his final drive.

“Eagle Beagles” (6:57)
Pursued by the cops, the Dogfather and Pug take to the skies in a hidden plane to escape capture. High in the air, Pug can’t figure out how to fly, taking the Dogfather on a chaotic ride as they try to get away from law enforcement.

“From Nags to Riches” (6:57)
Disappointed in the performance of his elderly horse, Streaker, the Dogfather accepts a trade offer from rival Dutch, who delivers Lightning, a race horse who’s impossible to catch.

“Goldilox and the Three Hoods” (6:49)
Putting his nephew to bed, the Dogfather shares the story of Goldilox, who has the nerve to enter the hideout of the Three Hoods, a pizza-loving trio of goons who return home to discover the invader has taken over the dwelling, require brute force to extract.

“Rockhounds” (7:01)
The Van Waggers family has purchased a pedigree diamond, and the Dogfather wants to steal it. Sending Pug in to pose as a butler, the idiot enforcer encounters Woofingham, the youngest member of the Van Waggers, and a kid who’s not going to stand aside while Pug takes the diamond.

“Medicur” (6:44)
When Rocky McSnarl escapes from jail, the Dogfather decides to lay low and check himself into a hospital to relax. Following the man who sold him out, Rocky goes undercover as a nurse to sneak up to the Dogfather and kill him.

The Dogfather Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.34:1 aspect ratio) presentation supplies a reasonably alert view of the DePatie-Freleng animation achievements on "The Dogfather," which isn't an exquisitely produced series to begin with. Detail identifies creative labor, with passable textures on backgrounds and character design, preserving the rush job aspects of the work. Colors are acceptable, providing a brighter palette befitting cartoon standards, with secure reds and blues to set the underworld mood. Delineation is acceptable. Source is in fine shape, with only a mild amount of debris.

The Dogfather Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers a straightforward presentation of cartoon antics for "The Dogfather." Voice work is pronounced, retaining imitation clarity and broad accent work, clearly identifying lines of dialogue that are meant to be mumbled for comedic effect. Hushed orders and wilder reactions remain within an appealing range. Music handles satisfactorily, delivering acceptable instrumentation, reflecting the era-specific sound. Active sound effects are also easy to follow, adding necessary emphasis. Out of all the episodes, consistency is disrupted by "The Big House Ain't a Home," which sounds slightly muddier than the other shorts.

The Dogfather Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentaries feature filmmaker Greg Ford ("Goldilox and the Three Hoods," "The Dogfather"), author Mark Arnold ("Heist and Seek," "The Big House Ain't a Home"), historian Jerry Beck ("Deviled Yeggs," "Haunting Dog"), and cartoon writer William Hohauser ("Eagle Beagles").

• "Chips off the old Blockbusters" (23:12, HD) takes a look at the creation of "The Dogfather" and "Misterjaw," gathering interviews from author Jerry Beck, director Art Leonardi, artist Barbara Donatelli, director John R. Dilworth (interviewed while wearing snorkeling gear), author Mark Arnold, artist Martin Strudler, and music supervisor Doug Goodwin. For "The Dogfather," a simple case of replication is inspected, with DePatie-Freleng happily lifting from Looney Tunes shorts to find plots for their "Godfather" parody. The voice work of animation legend Daws Butler is highlighted, and the interviewees share favorite episodes and creative highlights, with "Misterjaw" viewed as more of an esteemed accomplishment. Closing out the featurette is a short tribute to animation director Robert McKimson, who worked on "Misterjaw" and actually passed away while having lunch with David D. DePatie and Friz Freleng.

• "Tales of Production and Production Overload" (30:41, HD) returns to the interviewees to explore the machine of DePatie- Freleng during the 1960s and especially the '70s, where the animation house exploded with work, masterminding specials, shorts, commercials, and shows in a short amount of time. Also explored is the technical effort behind the projects, focusing on the speedy process, which involved a production line (located in windowless rooms) to keep pumping out the work. War stories are shared, including drinking, tennis, fires, and parking woes, creating quite the image of daily life at DePatie-Freleng.

The Dogfather Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Brando mimicry is good for many laughs in "The Dogfather," and a few of the faster gags have real zip, bringing editorial timing to the shorts, which isn't always a DePatie-Freleng priority. It's amusing stuff, and while it could work over "The Godfather" with more vigor, the production's polite ribbing of iconic performances and family ties is appealing, often colliding with the studio's animation habits, bizarre obsession with Crazylegs Crane, and comfort with repetition. Film fanatics might dig this short-lived curiosity, but it's really built for cartoon fans who enjoy cheerily moronic characters and bruising physical comedy.