Acensbart Excellent but underrated film
Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
MartinHafer When you think of comedy, you don't normally think of Farley Granger nor Shelly Winters. Neither (especially Granger) were terribly funny people and here the film just seems forced...and annoying.When the film begins, some gangsters have a dumb idea to use a dog to pass on information. But things go awry and the dog instead follows Bill (Granger) home. Eventually, this all leads to murders, some counterfeit money as well as the police. None of this film is funny and again and again they chose to be loud instead of funny. Winters and Granger yell a lot as well as horribly overact...so much so that the film was very difficult to enjoy. Overall, a very forced and unfunny film.
alan-pratt Moderate comedy of what used to be described as the "screwball" variety.There are so many user comments already that there is little point in my summarising the plot for the umpteenth time.Suffice to say that, on the plus side, the movie is lively and, mostly, good natured. Against that is the somewhat incomprehensible plot - I never really worked out what the two gangs of criminals were trying to achieve - and the "frantic" performances of the majority of the cast. Someone obviously decided that "loud equals funny" and, consequently, everyone seems to be in a constant state of yelling hysteria which gets wearing long before the picture is over.Farley Granger was, I thought, OK as the harassed husband: Shelley Winters - miscast as the young wife - was more irritating than amusing.
krorie What talent, Shelley Winters, Farley Granger, William Demarest, Lon Chaney, Jr., Hans Conried, Elisha Cook, Jr., Allen Jenkins, Sheldon Leonard, Francis L. Sullivan, King Donovan. What an idea for a funny movie, having a stray dog get a newly married couple who have to live with the wife's obnoxious mother into all kinds of murder and intrigue. What a talented dog, Archie, right up there with Asta. What fine cinematography by James Wong Howe highlighting Wilshire Blvd in the early 1950's. Then what went wrong? One thing is a lack of comedy timing by Farley Granger who even overacts at time. Apparently he was using Jerry Lewis as his model, but was unable to come close to Jerry Lewis' élan. Other weaknesses involve the script and direction, by the same person, George Beck. In more capable hands Farley Granger could have been restrained and, given his acting ability, could have turned in a good comic performance. The script? With some revision it could have been a winner. As is, the best performances are by Elisha Cook, Jr., Hans Conried, and Shelley Winters, with the standout being by an uncredited canine who must have had a gifted trainer. This comedy is worth seeing if you don't expect too much.
jcholguin A little dog turns out to be the most interesting feature of this film. This dog is the only lead for the "gangland buyers of the counterfeit money" to find the counterfeiters on Wilshire Blvd. Archie "the dog" has other plans and adopts Farley Granger and Shelley Winters as his family. Now the scramble by the gangsters to find the dog intensifies. Murder seems to follow this "pooch" and brings Granger to the center of all the mayhem. An amusing dog tale which ends answering the question "what if man bites dog."
