Studio: Sullivan Bluth Studios, Goldcrest Films
Distributor: United Artists (U.S.); Rank Film Distributors (U.K. and Ireland)
Produced by: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy
Short Synopsis
In New Orleans in 1939, Charlie B. Barkin, a German Shepherd mix, breaks out of the dog pound with his friend Itchy and returns to the riverboat casino he runs with his partner, Carface. Carface, who had Charlie put in the pound, now has him killed. Charlie arrives in Heaven, where the angel dog Annabelle explains that all dogs go there because dogs are naturally good. But Charlie wants revenge. He steals the watch that represents his life and winds it back, returning to Earth, warned that he can never come back to Heaven. Back in New Orleans, he discovers that Carface's winning streak comes from Anne-Marie, an orphan girl he keeps captive because she can talk to animals and knows which rats will win the races. Charlie rescues her and uses her gift to win money at the track, promising her a home while really using her. Gradually he grows to love her. When Carface attacks, Anne-Marie falls into the water during a fight at the old riverboat, and Charlie saves her life at the cost of his own. Because of his sacrifice, he is allowed back into Heaven, after saying goodbye to Anne-Marie, who is adopted by a loving couple.
Why It Matters
- The film is darker and stranger than most family animation of the time, with a murdered hero, a nightmare vision of Hell, and a hellhound pursuing Charlie, and Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise recorded many of their scenes together, giving Charlie and Itchy a loose, improvisational banter.
- It was the third feature from Don Bluth's Irish studio, released the same weekend as Disney's The Little Mermaid, and it did only moderately well in cinemas, but it became one of the best-selling VHS releases of its time. It also preserves the last performance of Judith Barsi, who voiced Anne-Marie and was killed before the film's release.
Notes and Trivia
- It spawned a theatrical sequel (1996), a television series and a Christmas film.
- See also: The Rescuers Down Under (1990), A Troll in Central Park (1994).