Reel Dogs at the Genesis Awards

The Humane Society of the United States contacted me last year to ask if I would create a video tribute to dogs in movies to be shown at the 24th annual Genesis Awards in Beverly Hills. The video featured a variety of clips from old and rare, to very well known and modern films. From Rescued by Rover and A Dog's Life with Charlie Chaplin, to Hotel for Dogs and A Dog Named Christmas (both of which won Genesis Awards this year). To learn more about this year's awards, and see who won, go here.

I attended the awards on March 20 at The Beverly Hilton and shot some behind the scenes video and photos. The book, Wonder Dogs, was featured in the Genesis celebrity gift bags, and all 850-odd guests took home a Wonder Dogs bookmark in their bags. Lindy Gravelle's song, I Love My Dog, was featured in the video, which received oohs and eager applause from the star-studded audience.

Among the celebrity guests and speakers in attendance were Teri Hatcher, Kristen Bell, Pierce Brosnan, Antonio Banderas, Ginnifer Goodwin, Tricia Helfer, Jon Lovitz, Moby, Tippi Hedren, Melanie Griffith, and Nubs, the dog rescued from Iraq by Major Brian Dennis. I got to meet Nubs, canine hero of the book Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle, and handler, Major Dennis, who told me Nubs' story has been optioned for a feature film and a script has been written by Justin Zackham. The project is currently titled Nubs and has yet to begin production.

The Genesis Awards will be shown on Animal Planet on April 24th and 25th and the HSUS also offers it for sale on their website once production on the DVD is complete.

Below is the Reel Dogs behind the scenes Genesis video.

Some Genesis winners this year:

Reel Dogs Freeze-Frames 8

This Alaskan Husky waits for a race to get underway in

Toby McTeague (1986).

A pair of Doberman Pinschers play for the bad guys in

The Brothers Grimm (2005).

An Australian Cattle Dog keeps his eye on the flock in

1915 (1982), a TV mini-series.

Wonder Dogs

Great news for Wonder Dogs this month!

It was reviewed on the Seattle Kennel Club website. ~ “Wonder Dogs” packs a bite and a can-do spirit while serving as an impassioned homage to one breed’s incredible run of powerful – and entertaining – performances. ~ You can see the full review Here.

Dogwise has also picked up the book and it's now available on their website. They will have Wonder Dogs for sale at their booth for the Seattle Kennel Club Dog Show on March 13th and 14th. With a book signing on Sunday the 14th!

Upcoming Dog Stars

There are three huge-budget feature films about dogs coming to theaters this year—all involve talking dogs and two are sequels to previously big dog films.

The first is Marmaduke, coming out in June, based on the classic newspaper comic by Brad Anderson, and following the misadventures of a Great Dane and his family. Though it was originally under consideration to have the dog be fully CGI, such as the Scooby-Doo films, Marmaduke is played by a very real fawn Great Dane in the film. His voice is provided, with CGI aid, by Owen Wilson.

Next is Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, coming out in July. This sequel to 2001's Cats & Dogs again features an Anatolian Shepherd, Chinese Crested, Bloodhound, and other returning breeds, but the main canine hero, formerly a Beagle, has been replaced by a German Shepherd Dog.

The release date has yet to be set for Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2, which is still filming. Some of the original canine cast returns, including Angel and Samson, as Disney puts together yet another enormously ambitious animal film.

Tenacious Terriers

Another terrier won top honors at the 134th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last week. Sadie, a Scottish Terrier, was just one in a long line of her group to take Best in Show at the most prestigious dog show in the USA. These dogs seem to thrive at everything they try, and it's no surprise that they are not only top show dogs, but top dogs in the entertainment industry as well.

Here are just a few of the hundreds of movies out there which these amazing dogs have made their own:

A Border Terrier visits Earth from outer-space in Good Boy! (2003) and has to get the Earth dogs in shape before their inspection by the Greater Dane. An Irish Terrier goes from Hollywood hotshot to hometown hero in Firehouse Dog (2007). The most recent incarnation of the Greyfrier's Bobby story, The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby (2006), highlights a West Highland White Terrier playing the role of a Skye Terrier.

The 99 puppies captured by Cruella de Vil would not have made it out alive without the the help of a heroic Airedale Terrier in 101 Dalmatians (1996). And who could forget scene-stealing "Winky," the Norwich Terrier from Best in Show (2000)?

Wire Fox Terriers made their mark on film history forever when Skippy, "Asta," played alongside William Powell and Myrna Loy in the Thin Man series of the 1930s. Smooth Fox Terriers have known much less film fame than the wires, but can be seen in a few features like Disney's Charlie the Lonesome Cougar (1967), in-which a Smooth named "Chainsaw" terrorizes a mountain lion. I think the dog was typecast.

American Pit Bull Terriers, Pete the Pup and Luke, were two of Hollywood's first canine stars. Later, Bull Terriers flourished in movies from It's a Dog’s Life (1955), to The Incredible Journey (1963), to Oliver! (1968).

The most famous movie terrier ever, and one of the world's most famous movie dogs, is "Toto," played by a female Cairn Terrier named Terry. It wasn't the book that made Dorothy's "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," so well known. The Wizard of Oz (1939) remains one of the world's best known dog movies to this day, even though it was never meant to be a real dog movie.

Far and away the most prolific Hollywood Earth Dogs, are the Jack Russell and Parson Russell Terriers. Both in movies and TV, like Frasier and Wishbone, these dogs have stolen the hearts of audiences all over the world. Some noted performances can be seen in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), Clean Slate (1994), Richie Rich (1994), Michael (1996), Son of the Mask (2005), Hotel for Dogs (2009), and of course, one of the best loved Russell films, My Dog Skip (2000). Though in the true story the film was based on, Skip was a Smooth Fox Terrier, he was played by the talented father and son team Moose and Enzo in the movie.

Want to see a Parson Russell Terrier pull a sled in a dog sled race? Check out Kevin of the North a.k.a. Chilly Dogs (2001).

Writing Contest about Movie Dogs

Reel Dogs Press is holding an essay contest for people who love dog movies! Entrants have a chance to win DVDs, the book Wonder Dogs, get their story published on the site, and more. Hope you'll all enter! Check out their contest page for all the details.

Happy Holidays

There have been a larger than usual number of new Christmas-themed dog movies out this season. The highlight of which is certainly A Dog Named Christmas, the Hallmark Hall of Fame film with aired last month. Others include less inspired films like Santa Buddies and The Dog Who Saved Christmas.

If you're looking for a dog movie for the holidays, don't stop at the new ones. Try the Benji classic Benji's Very Own Christmas Story (1978), or the French Canadian film The Dog Who Stopped the War (1984) (this one is tragic). Then there are more recent releases like The 12 Dogs of Christmas (2005) and A Dog's Tale (1999). This one is about a boy who turns into a German Shepherd for Christmas. It was just rereleased under the title A Christmas Tail.

Hope you will enjoy the Reel Dogs holiday tribute below, featuring A Dog Named Christmas.

Happy Holidays!

Wonder Dogs!

Wonder Dogs: 101 German Shepherd Dog Films is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com! This amazing tribute to Hollywood's, and the world's, greatest canine superstar is a unique book, giving in-depth and behind the scenes details about dogs in movies from 1921 to 2010. There is nothing else like it on the market, either in print or out. It's a must have for anyone who loves dogs or wants to learn more about dogs in film! The cover features Canczech's Solo, who starred in Ace of Hearts (2008), and featured in The Pink Panther (2006) and Watchmen (2009).

Making it Big

Renowned animal trainer Karl Lewis Miller worked with twelve Saint Bernards for twenty-four weeks before filming on the 1992 Beethoven began. Of the twelve, Miller chose one that he knew had that perfect star power. Kris was a six-month-old puppy when Miller got him from a Riverside, CA, kennel. He grew up to be 185 pounds of beauty and brains whose skills included sharing ice cream cones with delicate bites, opening doors, and diving into swimming pools to save the little girl of his family. Kris worked with only two doubles, who stood in for lighting and setup, as well as some animatronic assistance.

Along with Barry, Kris, usually known only as Beethoven, is probably the most famous Saint Bernard ever. Though he only starred in the first two movies of the Beethoven series, he helped make Beethoven one of the top-grossing animal films ever.

Working on the set with this superstar was not all biscuits and kibble however. When the production team first began working with the dog, they were unhappy with his performance. Miller soon realized they were expecting a ballerina instead of a linebacker. He had to explain the physical limitations of a dog built like a truck, and the reactions from the crew improved. Because Kris, and the other Saint Bernards working on Beethoven's 2nd, had the unfortunate habit of drooling profusely in the mildest heat, the set was never over 60 degrees fahrenheit. But the dogs came first. When anyone on the set complained about the cold, director Rod Daniel advised them to put on a sweater.

Pictured: Kris, on the set of Beethoven, from author's collection. Copyright Universal Pictures, 1992.