This movie is being released on Blu-ray by Olive Films (www.olivefilms.com – www.facebook.com/olivefilms) on March 21st, 2017.
Anyone remember Rin Tin Tin? If you do, you’ll recall the heroic German Shepherd as one of the biggest stars of the silent film era. Even if you do know of the pooch, you may still have a tough time recalling Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood, a movie that spoofs the canine celebrity and the world of filmmaking. This title has never been particularly easy to come by, but all that has changed with this week’s Olive Films release of the Blu-ray.
Opening in the present (which would be 1975 in the case of this film), a Grauman’s Chinese Theater tour guide relates to his patrons how the lead animal played an important role in the industry back in the 1920s. He relates the tale of a poor German Shepherd who finds fame after befriending an aspiring actress Estie Del Ruth (Madeline Kahn). When the dog rescues Estie from a nasty character on a Hollywood backlot it doesn’t do much for her career, but it does propel Won Ton Ton to stardom and a movie contract with studio head J.J. Fromberg (Art Carney).
Also in on the mix is tour bus driver/aspiring screenwriter Grayson Potchuck (Bruce Dern). He’s continually dismissed by executives for pitching terrible script ideas (which include a movie about a killer great white shark and one involving a girl possessed by a demon), but immediately sees an opportunity after crossing paths with Won Ton Ton and Estie. Fromberg hates Estie, but the dog won’t follow directions from anyone but her, so she and Grayson keep her presence hidden on set with the hope of eventually introducing her into a role on a film.
The movie is full of references to silent film and Golden Era Hollywood, working in a few modern cinema jokes along the way (including the references to Potchuck’s unproduced movie concepts). And I can honestly say I’ve never seen so many cameos in a feature film before. There are so many that it takes the opening credits nearly a minute to list them all. Billy Barty, Milton Berle, John Carradine, Jackie Coogan, Yvonne De Carlo, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Shecky Greene, Tab Hunter, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lawford, Keye Luke, Victor Mature, Ethel Merman, Ricardo Montalban, Dean Stockwell, Johnny Weismuller and Henny Youngman are just some of the names that pop their heads briefly into frame.
In a way, the constant barrage of guest appearances is a bit of an overload. It’s good fun to see familiar faces pass by and pick them out of the crowd, but sometimes the cameos appear to stand in for actual jokes. And a lot of the comedic routines in the movie are hit and miss. Of course, like many other titles of its age, there are a few politically incorrect jokes and stereotypes that just don’t play today.
At least there are a few moments here and there that do hit the mark. Kahn and Dern are clearly giving it their all and eke out a laugh or two. And the dog is talented as well. Truthfully, the movie is at its funniest when the four-legged lead is down on his luck. The best two bits in the movie involve the animal in a pound being read his last rites by a priest as he’s about to be euthanized; later, depressed after falling from grace, the dog ends up alone in a shabby room attempting to hang himself with a rope noose. The absurdity of melodramatic scenarios played out with a dog are when the movie is at its most humorous and effective.
While the canine is fun to watch and the movie does contain a laugh or two, it’s an uneven affair. Director Michael Winner (Death Wish, Death Wish II, Death Wish 3) seems like a bizarre choice to helm the project. He doesn’t seem as adept at this genre and the comic timing and editing feels a bit haphazard. Another oddity is that despite starting with a tour guide relating the story of the German Shepherd, the movie never cuts back to the storyteller or wraps things up at the close. So why even bother opening with it?
This movie definitely has its followers and one can understand why. The various cameos and eccentricity of the concept make it an interesting curio, even if the final product has its fair share of flaws. For me personally, it was great to catch up with a movie I had never seen or even heard of before. And the Blu-ray debut is certainly as much of an upgrade on a feature as one could hope for, with a generally stronger image than on previous releases. Fans of the film will be quite happy with this high definition upgrade of Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood.