Love My Dog

Love My Dog (1927)

*** (out of 4)

Our Gang short has Farina befriending an elderly dog but things turn more grim when the dog catchers announce that there's a disease going around and all dogs will be gassed unless they can get vaccinated. The men eventually catch Farina's dog so he and the gang must try and get five dollars to save him. On many levels this is a very cute short but at the same time you can't help but wonder about a story aimed at kids that deals with killing dogs with gas. It's somewhat interested to see how the dog catchers are looked at because they really are played as being pure evil. Quit often they laugh at the kids crying over their dogs and they're extremely abusive to the kids. Some of the dialogue goes even further in making them to be evil and it's a rather interest portrayal for this type of movie. The final few minutes has the dog in the gas chamber and how it plays out contains some nice drama. The film is a must-see thanks in large part to the dog and Farina. Poor Farina gives it his all and actually delivers a great performance, which is something I don't often say about any of the kids. I think Farina did a terrific job playing up the tears and this is especially true once the dog first gets taken. Another great comic bit as a rich kid paying the gang a quarter each time they let him punch them in the nose. LOVE MY DOG has a few questionable dark moments but it's still one of the best in the series.