Dogpound Shuffle (1975) User Reviews

Sweet little gem

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 24 June 2015]

Irascible and cynical drifter and former vaudeville tap dancer Steps (a terrific performance by Ron Moody) enlists the assistance of fellow amiably dim-witted derelict and harmonica player Pritt (a fine and likable portrayal by David Soul) to raise the necessary money to get his beloved dog Spot (the simply adorable Scruffy) out of the pound.

Writer/director Jeffrey Bloom delivers a touching and uplifting tale about friendship, loyalty, devotion, and the remarkable human ability to surmount hardship which unfolds at a steady pace, offers a vivid evocation of the seedier side of Vancouver, and maintains a tone that's just gritty enough to prevent the potentially sappy story from degenerating into cloying sentiment. The natural and engaging chemistry between Moody and Soul gives this picture a winning abundance of charm and heart. Moreover, it's an absolute treat to watch Moody show off his dazzling dancing skills, with a lengthy set piece at a posh party rating as a definite highlight. Both David White's bluesy score and Gerry Fisher's sharp cinematography are up to par. A real delight.

BETTER THAN I EXPECTED

[stanleyfthompson · 8/10 · 3 March 2024]

I watched this film last night, I found it very engaging . Not much of a story by modern day standards. It was easy going on the mind and soul. Two good actors not crowding each other out. David Soul played the kind hearted dim wit, Ron Moody the worldly wise con man with a great love of his dog and his dancing ability. (I was greatly impressed with his dancing ability).

While the film may be slow for modern tastes it as OK for me. The fight scene was well acted. I did like the latter scene with the escaped dogs. I also enjoyed the two leads conning the wife to open her door to rescue Steps dog. Also the happy ending.

Thought i was the only one who ever saw this

[parisel · 9/10 · 11 February 2004]

I saw this movie on late night local tv when i was about 12. And ever since have asked people about it but nobody ever heard of it. Literally no one...I began to think maybe i dreamt it.

It was sad and funny and left you with a good feeling about love and friendship. I would highly recommend this to everyone. Don't remember anything that a child shouldn't see in it...the beating was ugly but we see that all the time. So the whole family could watch it.

Good

[yyy_woman · 10/10 · 29 April 2004]

A film about a likeable tramp that loses his beloved dog to the pound. Another loser befriends him and together they fight for the return Of the tramps dog. The tramp goes to high-class restaurants and dances to get his dog Spot from the pound, passing his hat around at the end. He then has to face the bureaucratic robots (people that run the dog pound) to get his dog. I guess me being a dog lover I loved the film very much. It was acted so well, heart warming and a great film for children to know that they have to care for their pets. Just one thing wrong though. I have searched for this video for years and up to this very day I cannot find it. I have watched many films but Dog Pound Shuffle is one of my favourite movies. Naturally not as exciting as an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie but what I term a very heartwarming story about people who care. Definitely worth viewing

Quite often film titles can be misleading as to quality.

[KEITH-LANCASTER · 9/10 · 3 April 2002]

This film was most entertaining and well worth watching. The fact that Ron Moody was a principle player is almost a guarantee of a good film. This film concerns the adventures (or misadventures) of Moody who has lost his pet dog. He teams up with a drifter (David Soul) and together they hunt for the lost pooch. Their efforts get them into a series of predicaments one of which gets Soul a beating at the hands of the dogpound attendant ( a big brutal looking man). The beating was not in vain as they find out where the dog is. Another (not as hazardous) situation, has both men being asked to provide entertainment at a large house owned by one of the local bigwigs. Earlier Moody and Soul had strutted their stuff in a downtown bar. Moody the song and dance man and Soul accompanying him with his harmonica. They earned a few dollars ( both men being broke ) and also gained the attention of the son of the the bigwig. He invites them to perform at a party which his father is giving the following evening. They agree but only after substantial financial rewards are promised. They prove to be a resounding success and fortified with food and money continue the search for the dog. Eventually the whereabouts of the dog is located but the new owner is not prepared to give up the dog. Moody, who is also a drifter, is a most persuasive character ( a "skill" he has acquired via his many years on the road) and he has little trouble in tricking the reluctant new owner into parting with the dog. The film ends with Moody and Soul making plans for their future together. See it, I,m sure you will find it very entertaining and a nice departure from so many humdrum offerings.

Rock solid family fare.

[Hey_Sweden · 10/10 · 18 July 2012]

Writer / director Jeffrey Bloom scores a bull's eye with this appealing, lovely, whimsical fable about "Steps" (the great Ron Moody), a vaudevillian turned vagrant whose beloved dog Spot is grabbed by a dogcatcher and taken to the pound while Steps is briefly incarcerated for vagrancy. Steps tracks Spot down, but learns that he will have to come up with $30 to get his dog back thanks to bureaucratic dog pound rules. What Steps does is fall back on his tap dancing abilities to raise the money, with the assistance of his new young acquaintance Pritt (David Soul), who plays a mean harmonica. As luck would have it, Steps and Pritt meet a young man who hires them as entertainers for a swank party, but despite nicely profiting from the experience, an unforeseen circumstance prevents Steps from reuniting with Spot. Don't worry, though, by the time this is over man will once again be in the company of his best friend. Bloom never makes this too unpleasant, although Steps and Pritt *do* have to deal with a pound attendant (Raymond Sutton) with the face of a bulldog and who is nothing but 100% pure thug. This dude does rough up Pritt a fair bit, but the latter was a pugilist himself and can give as good as he gets. The movie is no less than heart warming in the end, with an endearing dog named Scruffy playing Spot. The dance sequences, staged by Jack Baker, are especially impressive, and the scene at the party serves as a major highlight. It shows just how much of a talent Moody is. (Norton Buffalo dubs Soul's harmonica playing.) It's also very appreciable that this little story focuses so much on character, and even though Steps can be irascible, he does have a big heart, and Moody and the likable Soul get a decent chemistry going. The music by David White is beautiful, perfectly accenting the movie's themes of love, devotion, and friendship. Filmed on location in, and actually set in, the Canadian city of Vancouver. 10 out of 10.

Watch This Movie Now!!

[cosmoromeo · 9/10 · 4 November 2006]

I recorded this gem off the "Foremost Movie" late one Sunday night and am surprised this film isn't more popular or available!! After watching so called 'Hollywood North' spring up over the last 20 years or so it's great to see where the true pioneers came from. Dogpound Shuffle was shot entirely in Vancouver sometime in 1973 and has a pre-Starsky and Hutch David Soul along with Ron Moody who apparently made his fame in Vaudeville in England. The story is basically about two down on their luck bums who spend most of the movie trying to raise enough money to get Steps dog, Spot(alternate title) out of the East Vancouver dog pound!! For anyone living in the lower East Side (one of the worst drug problems in the world) it's great to play recognize the location after watching "Rumble in the Bronx" one too many times. But God knows how you're going to do that when you can't find the movie ANYWHERE!! I seem to remember it appearing on e-bay awhile back but why the hell ain't it on DVD??

Nice little film (Spoiler)

[ikinmoore · 10/10 · 11 October 2007]

I found a video of this film recently on E-bay and I must admit I really loved it. The relationship between Ron Moody and David Soul was about two losers, one of which (Ron Moody) lost a dog who turned up at the local pound and needed to use the other guy (David Soul) to get him out of the Pound by working as a double act and begging for money in local Bars. They are seen by a rich guy and is impressed by their act and invites them to a party to show off their act to his guests. Ron Moody, then has the money to free his dog from the Pound. When he turns up at the Pound the dog has been sold to a loving family. Upset and distress, he tell David Soul that he does not want to go into partnership with their double act and David Soul goes on his way! Then Ron Moody decides to go to the Pound to get the address of the new family who bought the dog. Thinking that this will be easy he comes across the attendant who calls the police. David Soul had followed Ron Moody and there is a fight involving the attendant and David Soul and the address is retrieved so they can both find the dog. The dog is then rescued by our two heros ! All I can say it is a very nice gentle film. I hope one day it will be out on DVD as it is one of my favourite films.

Top Draw Show~A Dog Picture for those who don't like Dog Pictures

[krocheav · 9/10 · 15 September 2015]

Here is an absolute rare joy. "Dogpound Shuffle" represents a special treat for lovers of tough, yet thoughtful 'dog' related stories. Writer, Director, Jeffery Bloom has created a very different kind of warm, dramatic, and touching movie about those who have fallen from life's fortunes.

Mr Bloom was fortunate enough to bring together the prolific NYC born producer: Elliot Kastner and UK born Denis Holt (AKF: "Becket" '64) combined with Lew Grade, enabling him to bring his own story to the screen. Paramount in the USA seems to have given this film its only known theatrical release in 1975. Unfortunately, it seems the rest of the world discovered its special charms via Television releases. The highly talented British song and dance man Ron Moody is cast as a character known as 'Steps' and amiable young American David Soul (playing the part of Pritt) are about as unlikely a pair imaginable to be brought together for a film such as this. Both work exceptionally well together indeed.

The Dog in question (Spot) an absolute trooper belongs to 'Steps' (Moody) a down-and-out ex-Broadway star. Moody is perfectly cast as the disgruntled has-been tapper. Steps is out looking for his next meal and lodging for the night, usually gained by busking in bars and on street corners with his talented faithful friend. Along comes equally broke Soul, who happens to play a 'mean' Harmonica and, an unlikely 'partnership' just might be possible.

Award-nominated British Cinematographer Gerry Fisher captures the, at times bleak, Canadian locations to the point of making the viewer feel we have joined the intrepid trio on their varied locations. The music score by pop man David 'Dave' White, who started out as a member of the 60's group: Danny and the Juniors...then went on to compose and produce various chart toppers and film scores, adds a nice bounce to this very original story.

The Paramount theatrical film version is rated PG for a particularly nasty fight scene that involves Moody, Soul, and a thuggish dog pound attendant - yet a DVD version I bought from ITV is oddly rated G!. A slightly disappointing aspect of the ITV DVD release is a cut made to the closing scene...where 'Steps' says to Pritt; Quote: "Ya know, I've been thinkin' (then pauses) Pritt says... "Well, you gonna tell me or not?. Steps continues... "I've been doin' a lot of thinkin', Broadway is out, there is no more Broadway, not like it was anyway, Hollywood, hell, that place was taken over 10 years ago by the queers, so I been thinkin', maybe there is a place, someplace, for us"... The above scene has been disappointingly expunged from the DVD.

Leaves me wondering who had this cut from the DVD version, and why...was it for Political Correctness? Was it instigated by certain Cancel Culture pressure groups? This character's statement was made not as a form of malice but as a matter-of-fact observation, from someone who had lived through the ever-changing social conditions during his showbiz working days. Writers can, and generally do draw from their experiences within the industry. So if the quote was made from the point of view of the writer's own experiences--with regard to certain difficulties and pressures involved in getting particular projects off the ground-- then why should it be removed. No matter what your personal feelings are regarding this edit, it has the tendency to weaken part of the overall narrative.

This edit won't bother those who have not seen the original film version but if you're lucky enough to locate an earlier issue, check it out. I see there was an earlier release from Playhouse Video, maybe that has this scene intact (?) If not, hang on to those older film prints. Maybe someone, someday, just might shed more light on this? That said, I can certainly recommend this film to anyone who loves an offbeat 'dog' story featuring realistic situations, and is also smart enough to balance both humour and social drama with excellent results. Watch for an excellent performance from Pamela McMyler (then wife of the writer/director) playing the receptionist at the Dog Pound! She is great, and we should have seen her in many more films - someone in the industry missed out there!

The ITV DVD is quite good quality and features a commentary by the writer/director.

One of Lew Grades better films

[malcolmgsw · 9/10 · 22 March 2024]

Lew Grade had to step down as a director of ATV when he reached the age of 70 so he decided to go into the production of films,more's the pity. He inflicted some truly awful films on cinemagoers,including Raise the Titanic,which eventual him and his company.

This however was a totally delightful film starting the great Tom Moody and scruffy the dog. Moody proved to be a fantastic dancer in this film.

Even if you are not a dog owner of lover you will really enjoy this film.

So what did Lee Grades do? He sold the film to television so it never got a cinema showing. His judgement clearly failed him,but given his many poor decisions it is little surprise.