The Shaggy Dog

Movie: The Shaggy Dog (1959), Rated G

Date Watched: March 20, 2009

Stars Your Parents May Know: Fred MacMurray from The Absent-Minded Professor, Tommy Kirk from Swiss Family Robinson and Annette Funicello

Recommendation: ★★★★☆

Interruptions: Patrick
Film Recommended by: Skip, Father of Mabel. See Mabel here:

Treats Served: Spaghetti
We were going to have the famous cookies by Pam (Mabel's mom), but we didn't have time to make them. I haven't really met Mabel because Skip and Pam put her in the back room so she doesn't bite anyone.

Summary: A teenage boy turns into a shaggy dog and he catches spies.

Review: There were lots of funny parts in this movie. First the family has weird names: Wilby (the boy/dog) and Moochie (the little brother.) Second, the dad (Wilson) HATES dogs, which causes problems when his own son turns into a dog.

When Wilby turns into a dog, it is hilarious. His hair starts growing and turning gray, his nose becomes a big round, wet ball, and then he becomes a dog. A professor explains to Wilby that he is a "shape shifter." My dad tells me shape shifting is a common theme in mythology and folklore thats involves physical changes between human form and that of an animal, plant or object. I read about shape shifters before in Harry Potter. (One example is Sirius Black who can turn into a black dog named Padfoot.)

Here's what Wilby is like when he's a dog: he speaks like himself, he brushes his teeth, puts on pajamas and goes to the bathroom in a toilet. He doesn't turn into just any dog, he turns into the dog of the new neighbors. This is good because he can go into their house without suspicion....and it turns out that the dad is a spy.

I'm not going to tell you what happens, but Wilby's dad ends up being a dog lover.

Watch the clip of Wilby's dad finding out that he has a four-legged son...and you decide.

Patchy's Favorite Part:"The one when he turns into a dog."