MGM's Dogville Comedies

[CourageEditor]

I wish MGM would release all 10 of the Dogville shorts (1929-1931) on DVD.They were directed by Zion Myers, who also worked with The Little Rascals.These humorus and groundbreaking short films opened the door for talking animal movies. The 10 films have never been released on VHS or DVD or anything. Turner Classic Movies shows them in between movies but never annouces when they are going to show them.They own the rights and I think they should release them. Here are all of the titles, The plots can be found at the Internet Movie Database.

1929
Hot Dog
College Hounds

1930
All Quiet on the Canine Front
The Dogville Murder Case
The Big Dog House
The Dogway Melody
Who Killed Rover?

1931
Love Talks Of Morocco
Two Barks Brothers
Trader Hound

[Patrick McCart]

All pre-1986 MGM product is with Warner Bros. now (because of their Turner aquisition).

[Pilmedium]

This is probably one of those things that they would not think about in terms of DVD release.

All pre-1986 MGM product is with Warner Bros. now (because of their Turner aquisition).

Supposedly, TCM can air WB-owned things, and they have copies of plenty of it.

[CourageEditor]

This is probably one of those things that they would not think about in terms of DVD release.

Oh yeah, well look at this e-mail I got back from Turner Classic Movies when I e-mailed:

Response (CLAIRE) - 04/25/2003 01:13 PM
Dear viewer,

Believe it or not there have been talks recently of releasing the set of Dogville Comedies to DVD. We are still in the "talks" stages of this and I don't know exactly when it will actually happen. I'm sure we will announce it on air and on the website it/when we do. Thanks for writing.

TCM Web Staff

[Nelson]

Regarding the "cult" one reeler "Dogville comedies" from the early sound era was created by Jules White, who first began his career at the Mack Sennett Studios in the 1920s and later directed many of the Three Stooges shorts over at Columbia Pictures.Along with Myers, the two of them were given the task to come up with a new sound series for MGM'S new shorts dept, which the studio opened with the arrvial of sound in 1929.The two men came up with the idea to bring to the screen, actual dogs doing take-offs of popular movies during that period of time.When it came for the dogs to talk, the filmakers would put peanut butter in the dogs mouth to move and suspend the costumes with wire and to have the dogs walk.Between 1929 to 1931, a total of nine Dogville Shorts were produced and this series still has major controversey even with today's audiences.Back when the Dogvilles were in production, reports of animal crulety was taken to notice, but when ASPCA inspectors would arrive to the studio, they found out the all of the dogs were well taken care of and not abused.But by today's politically correct world, there has been several reports that animal rights activists have tried to have the Dogville shorts banned, but have not been successful.Back in the mid-1990s, when MGM/UA released a laser disc boxed set containd the early sound MGM short subjects, somehow the Dogvilles wasn't included for reasons unknown.I do own all nine Dogville comedies on video and they are a delight to watch, but this series is not for everyone, as some will get offended by this excellent series.I do hope that the Dogvilles will see the light of day on dvd, but until then, just keep an eye out of the shorts on TCM.

[FuriousFreddy99]

I wish MGM would release all 10 of the Dogville shorts (1929-1931) on DVD.They were directed by Zion Myers, who also worked with The Little Rascals.

Who is this Zion Myers you speak of? I know Our Gang/ Little Rascals history, crew, cast, and film catalogue like the back of my hand, and I have never heard of that guy.

[CourageEditor]

I made a typing mistake. Zion Myers worked with The Three Stooges, not the Little Rascals.

[FuriousFreddy99]

I made a typing mistake. Zion Myers worked with The Three Stooges, not the Little Rascals.

"O'tay, 'Panky!"

;)