The Ugly Dachshund (Disney) (1966)

Charlie Ruggles Marks 60-Year Acting Career With Walt Disney Comedy Role Sixty years ago Charlie Ruggles stepped before the footlights of the Alcazar Theatre in San Francisco to play a schoolboy in “Nathan Hale” and has been active in show business ever since. A master of comedy, Ruggles divides his time between stage, screen and television. Now he co-stars with Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette in Walt Disney’s newest funfilm, “The Ugly Dachshund,” playing the role of an amiable veterinarian. This is his third motion picture under the Disney banner. Previously he had played Hayley Mills’ understanding grandfather in the comedy hit, “The Parent Trap,” and the _ befuddled judge in “Son of Flubber.” In 1907 he made his Broadway bow and from then, until 1929, he appeared in shows like “Help Wanted,” “Rolling Stones,” “Passing Show of 1918,” “The Girl in the Limousine,” ‘“‘Ladies Night,” “Queen High” and “Spring is Here.” During this period of his life he found time to make three silent films, “Reform Candidate” with Macklyn Arbuckle, “Heart Raiders” with Agnes Ayres and “Peer Gynt” with the renowned English actor Cyril Maude. In the early twenties, Ruggles was also active in vaudeville. With the advent of talking pictures, Ruggles signed a long-term contract with Paramount and made his film debut in “Gentleman of the Press.” This was followed by a succession of screen roles like “The Lady Lies,” “Young Man of Manhattan,” “Her Wedding Night” and “Charlie’s Aunt.” He was costarred with Maurice Chevalier in “The Smiling Lieutenant,” “Love Me Tonight” and “One Hour With You,” and a few of his other Paramount credits include “Trouble in Paradise,” “Six of a Kind,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Pursuit of Happiness” and “Ruggles of Red Gap.” In 1941, having left Paramount te work as a free-lance artist, Ruggles was starred in “It Happened on Fifth Avenue,” “Three’s a Family,” “No Time for Comedy” with Rosalind Russell, “Invitation to Happiness” with Irene Dunne and Fred MacMurray, “Balalaika,” “Look for the Silver Lining” and “Give My Regards to Broadway.” The early forties saw his career divided between films and radio. He was heard over the air waves in shows like “The Texaco Hour” with John Barrymore, “The Maxwell House Hour,” and his own program, “A Barrel of Fun.” During World War II he devoted considerable time to bond-selling drives and entertaining service men at home and abroad. During the Berlin Airlift of 1947, Ruggles returned to Europe to entertain the occupation forces in a stage production of “Over 21,” with Constance Bennett as his co-star. In 1949, he entered television, starring in a_ half-hour comedy series for ABC called “The Ruggles.” This top-rated show ran for 139 consecutive weeks. Following this he moved to New York to star in a live TV series for NBC, “The World of Mr. Sweeney,” for two and a half years. On returning to California to resume his movie and TV career on the West coast, Ruggles was made honorary mayor of San Fernando, where he resided for several years. In television he guested on most of the top-rated shows, including “Life of Riley,” ‘“Playhouse 90,” “U.S. Steel Hour,” “The Dick Powell Show,” “Follow the Sun,” “Frontier Circus” and “The Red Skelton Show.” On screen he co-starred in “All in a Night’s Work” with Shirley MacLaine and Dean Martin, and “Papa’s Delicate Condition” with Jackie Gleason. “The Ugly Dachshund” is the featured motion picture in Walt Disney’s “perfect program” of entertainment, which also includes the fully animated cartoon featurette, “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.” £©1965 Walt Disney Produc Mat DAC 1D CHARLIE RUGGLES ROAD TO FAME WAS RUGGED FOR DISNEY COMEDIAN As a lad, Kelly Thordsen used to sit along the Mississippi River and listen to the singing and music from the riverboats. By the time he was seven years old he had won two dollars in an amateur singing contest. Never losing sight of his early ambition to be an entertainer, this six foot, four inch, 220-pound performer is today one of the most popular comedians and character actors in movies and television, and is currently seen as the harassed policeman in Walt Disney’s new comedy, “The Ugly Dachshund,” starring Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette and Charlie Ruggles. Success has not come early for Kelly, and with a family to support, he has found it necessary to take many detours along the way. During the lean years he has sold insurance, served as a Los Angeles policeman, franchised bowling establishments, operated two restaurants, a night club, a hamburger stand, and dabbled in real estate. Through it all he never lost sight of his eventual goal and he is now able to pursue his acting career without interruption. “The Ugly Dachshund” is the featured motion picture in Walt Disney’s “perfect program” of entertainment, which also includes the fully animated cartoon featurette, “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.” Mat DAC 2E Canine Party Crashers Raise Havoc in New Walt Disney Comedy One of the wildest comedy brawls ever staged for a motion picture can be seen in Walt Disney’s rollicking new comedy, “The Ugly Dachshund,” starring Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette and Charlie Ruggles. This particular fracas is not the usual saloon slugfest but more of the garden variety, wherein a Japanese-themed patio party is reduced to shambles, right down to the last torn paper lantern and smashed hibachi. It all comes about because Brutus, a canine giant with a Dachshund’s diminutive outlook, decides to follow a real Dachshund into the party at a dead run and carries guests, decorations, food, chairs and the rest of the pretty layout along with him. It’s strictly pandemonium, a barrel of laughs, a blur of action, a crashing, bashing, smashing situation that adds up to the funniest scene ever filmed by Disney. Brutus, wide-eyed, trusting and completely without understanding as to his true status, his real role in life, is a combination of all things funny in Disney dogdom, a bonafide real-life successor to Goofy and Pluto. One moment there is a humming, well-lanterned, beautiful decorated patio party onscreen, the next a miasma of torn and falling splendor, with guests spilling over each other and into the pool and dogs — five of them — swinging underfoot with joyful abandon. The chase is a climactic one. Its implications and effect on the hilarious story are awesome. The damage is really never undone, and although this happy picture has a happy ending, Suzanne and Dean will never be the same again, on or off the screen. “The Ugly Dachshund” is the featured motion picture in Walt Disney’s “perfect program” of entertainment, which also includes the fully animated cartoon featurette, “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.” Filmed in brilliant Technicolor, “The Ugly Dachshund” was coproduced by Winston Hibler for Buena Vista release. DOING WHAT COMES NATURALLY has to be taught to the Great Dane that thinks he's a dachshund in Walt Disney's Technicolor comedy, “The Ugly Dachshund.” Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette are doing the teaching. 11965 Walt Di Mat DAC 2D EXPENSIVE TRANSPORTATION — Dean Jones, who has just rushed an expectant dachshund to the vet, watches as officer Kelly Thordsen adds up the toll in traffic violations. The scene is from Walt Disney's Technicolor comedy, ‘‘The Ugly Dachshund." Suzanne Pleshette also stars. Walt Disney’s ‘The Ugly Dachshund’ Is a Rollicking, Romantic Comedy (Prepared Review) If you’re in midwinter doldrums and in need of a good. laugh, Walt Disney has a cure for what ails you in his new rollicking, romantic comedy, “The Ugly Dachshund,” opening ar ea eta an Ome bak eds at the (date) (theatre) “The Ugly Dachshund” is the featured motion picture in Walt Disney’s “perfect program” of entertainment, which also includes the fully animated cartoon featurette, “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.” Two of Hollywood’s brightest young stars, Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette, are teamed for the first time in the hilarious Technicolor feature as a pair of newlyweds, whose honeymoon cottage goes topsy-turvy when four mischievous dachshunds and a confused great Dane, who thinks he, too, is a walking weiner, move in. Sharing the stellar spotlight is veteran comedian Charlie Ruggles, whose inimitable brand of whimsy sparks the role of the family’s veterinarian. The real scene-stealers of this comedy caper, however, are the canine performers. Four precocious dachsies named Heidi, Tokey, Peskey and Norma come in for their share of the plaudits and an amazing great Dane called Diego, could well make off with the next patsy Award (the animal equivalent of Oscar) for some truly inspired thesping. “The Ugly Dachshund” is a guaranteed blues-chaser, with built-in appeal for the entire family. Norman Tokar directs with his usual comedy flair and keeps the action moving briskly. One sequence, in which a colorful Japanese garden party literally goes to the dogs as the household pets break loose and wreck everything from the buffet table to the guests’ nerves, will be long remembered as a comedy classic. Albert Aley’s screenplay is keyed for a maximum of laughs and Winston Hibler, Walt’s co-producer, has richly mounted the entire production. Buena Vista releases the feature. Canine Starmaker Casts Lead for Walt Disney’s ‘The Ugly Dachshund’ In casting the title role of Walt Disney’s “The Ugly Dachshund,” one of Hollywood’s top animal trainers and handlers, Bill Koehler, was recruited to find a great Dane that could be taught to perform on cue, The dog had to have exceptional endurance, a stable temperament, a wide scope of attitudes ranging from utter dejection to bounding joy and, above all, a firm foundation of obedience training. Koehler soon found a champion with all these requirements in Pirate of Martincrest, bred and trained by John and Laura Martin of Costa Mesa, California. Having worked with the Disney Studios in the past on successful screen fare like “The Shaggy Dog,” “Old Yeller,” “Swiss Family Robinson” and “That Darn Cat,” Koehler proved to be right again in his choice of canine performers. Pirate delivered such an outstanding performance he could easily be a contender for this year’s Patsy Award, the animal equivalent of the Oscar. For equally important canine roles in the romantic comedy starring Dean Jones, Suzanne Pleshette and Charlie Ruggles, Koehler also was required to find and train four dachshunds. In Heidi, Tokey, Peskey and Norma, he discovered four precocious pups that played their parts to perfection, vying for second place only to Pirate in acting honors. Prior to his entering the motion picture field, Koehler was principal trainer for the War Dog Reception and Training Center in San Carlos, California during the war years. In addition to his movie work he also runs the largest class obedience training program for dogs in the United States, the Orange Empire Dog Club in Pomona, California. Most of his dog actors have been selected from among the 11,500 dogs he has put through obedience training. Of all his discoveries, Koehler considers Sam, the English sheepdog of “The Shaggy Dog,” his greatest coup. Filmed in brilliant Technicolor, “The Ugly Dachshund” was directed by Norman Tokar and coproduced by Winston Hibler for Buena Vista release, “The Ugly Dachshund” is the featured motion picture in Walt Disney’s “perfect program” of entertainment, which also includes the fully animated cartoon featurette, “Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.”