Ranking My Favorite Dogs in Movies
In honor of National Dog Day today, a list of my favorite movies about or with dogs.
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- DirectorDavid FrankelStarsOwen WilsonJennifer AnistonEric DaneA family learns important life lessons from their adorable, but naughty and neurotic dog.Marley
"A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes - A water log stick will do just fine - A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb - Give him your heart and he'll give you his."
My favorite dog movie off all time - explains like no other the bond between owners and their dogs - lots of humor but it makes me cry my eyes out at the ending. - DirectorFletcher MarkleStarsÉmile GenestJohn DrainieTommy TweedTwo dogs and a cat set off on a treacherous 200-mile journey towards home.Luath and Bodger (and their best friend Siamese cat who might think she is a dog, Tao)
Forget the remake where the animals talk - the one and only Incredible Journey for me will always be the fabulous 1963 original - where two dogs and a cat venture 200 miles across the wilds of Canada to make their way home to their masters - the record, book and movie were all a big part of my childhood, and the film still holds up today. - DirectorVictor FlemingKing VidorStarsJudy GarlandFrank MorganRay BolgerYoung Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto are swept away by a tornado from their Kansas farm to the magical Land of Oz, and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others' wishes.Toto
"Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore"
Toto is one of the earliest but still one of best and most memorable dogs in film history - Dorothy's journey to Oz starts with her trying to save Toto from the evil dog hating Miss. Gultch - and Toto walks by Dorothy's side the whole way in her journey through the magical land of Oz. - DirectorRobert StevensonStarsDorothy McGuireFess ParkerTommy KirkA teenage boy grows to love a stray yellow dog while helping his mother and younger brother run their Texas homestead while their father is away on a cattle drive. First thought to be good-for-nothing mutt, Old Yeller is soon beloved by all.Old Yeller
"But there's no animal that's more faithful, that's more loyal, more loveable than the mutt - Who saw Old Yeller? Who cried when Old Yeller got shot at the end? - Nobody cried when Old Yeller got shot? I'm sure -I cried my eyes out." - Bill Murray in
Stripes
The movie that shaped an entire generation of dog lovers - those with a heart and feelings anyway - I mean seriously, who didn't cry at the ending of Old Yeller? - DirectorJoel SchumacherStarsJason PatricCorey HaimDianne WiestAfter moving to a new town, two brothers discover that the area is a haven for vampires.Nanook
'We trashed the one who looks like Twisted Sister!'
'Totally annihilated his night-stalking ass!'
'Well, Nanook helped a little."
There are many things that make The Lost Boys my favorite Vampire movie of all time and one of them is certainly is Sam's beautiful, fiercely loyal, Vampire fighting dog, Nanook. - DirectorLewis TeagueStarsDee WallaceDaniel Hugh KellyDanny PintauroCujo, a friendly St. Bernard, contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.Cujo
"It's not a monster, it's just a doggie."
Sure Cujo ended up as a wild, ravenous, monster who tried to eat little children, but he started out as a big old sweet, lovable Saint Bernard, who just had the misfortune of being bitten on the nose by a rabid bat - which is part of what made Cujo such a scary movie, it could happen to any dog. - DirectorFrancis LawrenceStarsWill SmithAlice BragaCharlie TahanYears after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.Sam
"You can't go running into the dark."
Robert Neville appears to be the last man on earth after a mutated virus wipes out humanity, with only his beloved German Shepherd, Sam to help him fend of hordes of mutant zombies - but then Sam dies and Neville discovers there are more human survivors, at which point I pretty much lost interest in the movie. - DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael J. FoxChristopher LloydLea ThompsonMarty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.Einstein
"Jesus Christ, Doc - you disintegrated Einstein."
A chimp may have been the first animal in space, but Doc Brown's dog Einstein was the first to take a ride in the DeLorean and become the world's first time traveler. - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHenry ThomasDrew BarrymorePeter CoyoteA troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.Harvey
"Harvey, is that you, boy?"
Harvey was initially wary of E.T. and protective of Elliot, but he eventually became E.T.'s wingman in his beer guzzling shenanigans around the house while the humans were away, and even tried to board E.T.'s spaceship with him at the end. - DirectorRob ReinerStarsWil WheatonRiver PhoenixCorey FeldmanA writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.Chopper
"Now he said 'sick'em boy', but what I heard was 'Chopper - sick balls'"
Chopper, the guardian of Milo's junk yard in fabulous coming of age film Stand By Me, who had been taught according to town folklore to attack certain parts of the anatomy of those daring to scale the junkyard fence - of course Chopper turned out to be a cute little junkyard mutt whose bark was definitely worse than his bite. - DirectorJohn HustonStarsAileen QuinnAlbert FinneyCarol BurnettA spunky young orphan is taken in by a rich eccentric, much to the chagrin of the cantankerous woman who runs the orphanage.Sandy
"Sandy is his name if you please, if you don't believe me, ask any one of the fleas."
Along with Lassie, Rin Tin Tin and Benji - Sandy is one of the most well known and beloved dogs ever - a stray who befriends little Orphan Annie after she saves him from bullies and they become inseparable best friends. - DirectorHarold RamisStarsChevy ChaseBeverly D'AngeloImogene CocaThe Griswold family's cross-country drive to the Walley World theme park proves to be much more arduous than they ever anticipated.Dinkums
"Don't you trust me?"
"As long as you don't tie me to the rear bumper."
"That hurt, Ellen. "
They said Marley was the world's worst dog, but they never met Aunt Edna's dog Dinkums, with his fondness for peeing on picnic baskets and chewing on ankles - but he showed his metal by trying his best to keep up with the family truckster before his untimely demise after Clark forgetfully tied his leash to the rear bumper - as the cop who pulled Clark over stated, Dinkums was one tough little mutt - DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsWill SmithBill PullmanJeff GoldblumThe aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy Earth. Fighting superior technology, mankind's best weapon is the will to survive.Boomer
" If he wants to impress me he should get a job and stop slobbering all over my shoes."
Boomer is in the background for most of Independence Day, but he does have one memorable, scene stealing moment with a breath taking leap to safety a spit second ahead of the huge fireball destroying LA to close out the first day. - DirectorBrian LevantStarsCharles GrodinBonnie HuntDean JonesA slobbering St. Bernard becomes the center of attention for a loving family, but must contend with a dog-napping veterinarian and his henchmen.Beethoven
"You'd better think of something to name him 'cause when I come home and he's destroyed my house, I wanna know what to call him"
The other Saint Bernard movie - but Beethoven is much more friendly than Cujo and he fiercely protects his family rather than trying to eat them - Beethoven is a great dog in the film, but the story is very dark for a goofy kids comedy - with dogs being kidnapped and threatened with death, plus the father, played by Charles Grodin hates the dog through most of the film - so while it did have some funny and warm moments that I enjoyed, I don't think it is a dog movie that I'd watch again. - DirectorBob ClarkStarsPeter BillingsleyMelinda DillonDarren McGavinIn the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.The Bumpus Hounds
'Our hillbilly neighbors, the Bumpuses, had at least 785 smelly hound dogs and they ignored every human being on earth, except my old man."
The Bumpus Hounds played a small but vital roll in the best Christmas movie of all time, as their devouring of the family turkey on Christmas morning, and in the process possibly saving the old madn from worms, led Ralphie's family to go out to eat and the discovery of Chinese turkey. - DirectorRoger SpottiswoodeStarsTom HanksMare WinninghamCraig T. NelsonA detective must adopt a rambunctious dog in order to help him find a killer.Hooch
"These are the simple rules - No barking, no growling, you will not lift you leg to anything in this house, this is not your room - No slobbering, no chewing, you will wear a flea collar, this is not your room - No begging for food, no sniffing of crotches and you will not drink from my toilet, this is not your room."
Hadn't seen Turner & Hootch in a couple decades, but I wanted to include it on my list so I watched it again to close out National Dog Day, and I remembered why it has been a couple of decades since I watched it - funny slapstick comedy about an unruly undisciplined dog with a heavy slobbering problem, who guzzles beer and eats cars is reluctantly taken in by a police investigator after the owner is murdered - but a fun early Tom Hanks movie is then ruined by a cruel, heartless unnecessary ending. - DirectorCarl ReinerStarsSteve MartinLily TomlinVictoria TennantA dying millionaire has her soul transferred into a younger, willing woman. However, something goes wrong, and she finds herself in her lawyer's body - together with the lawyer.Bix
"There's something very odd about Cobb."
"The man has been bringing a dog to a law office for three years, and you just noticed he's odd?"
Roger Cobb took his dog Bix to work with him every day, but wisely left him in the company of his blind jazz musician friend Tyrone, after half of Cobb's body was taken over by the not so late Edwina Cutwater. - DirectorTobe HooperStarsJoBeth WilliamsHeather O'RourkeCraig T. NelsonA family's home is haunted by a host of demonic ghosts.E.Buzz
The Freeling's snack food loving Golden Retriever EBuzz was mostly in the background, being amazing calm, during the wild paranormal activities that were terrorizing the Freeling family in Poltergeist, but he did try to bring the poltergeists a chew toy as a peace offering at one point. - DirectorClyde GeronimiWilfred JacksonHamilton LuskeStarsBarbara LuddyLarry RobertsPeggy LeeThe romantic tale of a sheltered uptown Cocker Spaniel dog and a streetwise downtown Mutt.Lady and The Tramp
Classic Disney tale about a good society girl falling in love with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, only told with two adorable dogs - most famous for the iconic spaghetti sharing scene between Lady and the Tramp that leads to a kiss, which has been parodied countless times. - DirectorBlake EdwardsStarsJulie AndrewsWilliam HoldenMarisa BerensonA successful movie director makes the most expensive film in his career and it becomes a huge flop. He tries to salvage his career by reshooting the film as an erotic production, where its family-friendly star takes her top off.Unnamed Dog
In the most biting and funny satire of movie making in Hollywood in, well probably ever, the most poignant segment is an unnamed dog who sits loyally by the side his unnoticed dying owner on the beach until he is found, the dog also is a silent observer of Felix's viking funeral. - DirectorPaul MazurskyStarsNick NolteBette MidlerRichard DreyfussA rich but troubled family find their lives altered by the arrival of a vagrant who tries to drown himself in their swimming pool.
- DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsJack NicholsonHelen HuntGreg KinnearA single mother and waitress, a misanthropic author, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.
- DirectorAlan JohnsonStarsMel BrooksAnne BancroftRonny GrahamAt the onset of WW2, a Polish actor's family and the Polish Resistance help the troupe of a theatre escape Poland and the invading Nazis.
- DirectorFranklin J. SchaffnerStarsGeorge C. ScottKarl MaldenStephen YoungThe World War II phase of the career of controversial American general George S. Patton.
- DirectorStephen HerekStarsGlenn CloseJeff DanielsJoely RichardsonAn evil high-fashion designer plots to steal dalmatian puppies in order to make an extravagant fur coat but creates an extravagant mess instead.
- DirectorByron HowardChris WilliamsStarsJohn TravoltaMiley CyrusSusie EssmanThe canine star of a fictional sci-fi/action show that believes his powers are real embarks on a cross country trek to save his co-star from a threat he believes is just as real.
- DirectorFred M. WilcoxStarsRoddy McDowallDonald CrispMay WhittyAfter her destitute family is forced to sell her, a collie named Lassie escapes from her new owner and begins the long trek from Scotland to her Yorkshire home.
- DirectorDavid Mickey EvansStarsTom GuiryMike VitarArt LaFleurIn the summer of 1962, a new kid in town is taken under the wing of a young baseball prodigy and his rowdy team, resulting in many adventures.