Doberman Patrol

I remember this made-for-tv film as a kid. I was 7 when this came out, and in 2nd grade. Doberman's scared me then. But as a dog owner I can't help but wonder if the writers thought this one through. What high end department store chain used dogs to guard their merchandise? Was this even a real scenario? I'm curious because even my well-trained service dogs are not left alone running around in our house all night unsupervised. They get into things and sometimes make messes. I can't imagine a high end store using such a service, when most stores lose merchandise to shoplifting regularly (it's called "shrinkage") and take that into account when setting their prices. And that is during the day when they are opened for business. So as an adult I find this scenario ridiculous.

This review is murky because the last time I saw it was when it aired in the 70's. James Brolin in a department store facing man-eating security dogs. The movie scared me more than if the store had mannequins that came to life. I will not give away the ending or key parts. There are plenty of suspenseful moments. Remember this was in the days predating cellphones and electronic security systems. Brolin's character was s.o.l. The things Brolin does to ward off the dogs rivals that of MacGuyver. ABC needs to package this and other movies-of-the-week as a DVD compilation. As an adult, I'm still afraid of scary dogs.

I first would like say that I would never do anything like that as to spoil this TV movie for anyone.

I saw this TV movie, when I was a teen back in 1973; and I enjoyed this movie. I hope you put it out soon! What I would also like to say is that television and movie studio's, have a lot of old shows and films that have been locked away since I was kid. One example, would be "Sargent's Three" that had the "Rat Pack" in it. I've search high and low for this movie and not even a bite!... ya really should show it. I enjoy a good western and that was one of them, I watch TMC and AMC and I haven't seen it at anytime.

The set-up for this early 70's made-for-TV thriller is simplistic but efficient and much more frightening than any horror movie revolving on zombies, vampires or immoral ax-wielding psychopaths could ever be. The situation where the male protagonist finds himself trapped in may not be likely to happen any time soon, but it's definitely not unthinkable. Being the victim of a robbery, Chuck Banner is left behind in the restroom of a big shopping complex. When he regains consciousness, the store is closed down for the weekend and severely trained guard dogs stand between him and the exit doors. His only hope for rescue is his ex-wife and daughter, with whom he was supposed to meet at the airport, but by the time they figure out where Chuck is stuck, it might be too late. Movie scripts don't get any more rudimentary than this, but "Doberman Patrol" nevertheless guarantees a mere 90 minutes of suspense and thrills, largely thanks to James Brolin's strong performance as the man in peril as well as to the impressively trained dogs. The beautiful and athletic animals are very menacing and definitely fulfill their "guarding" duties. The search for Chuck on the outside is interesting to follow as well, with his ex-wife and her new husband being surprisingly likable and identifiable characters. The subject matter and the limited cast of characters don't exactly lend themselves to gory situations, but in this case the tense and claustrophobic atmosphere and stellar performances suffice. Recommended!

Trapped is better than you might expect. After all, it's an early 1970s TV movie starring James Brolin, so it doesn't exactly sound like an undiscovered masterpiece.

The story tells of a man who recovers consciousness following a mugging in the toilets of a large department store. When he comes round, the store is closed and he finds himself trapped overnight, having to evade the vicious doberman dogs that patrol the store.

It's a reasonably tense offering. Inevitably, the thinness of the story results in occasional tedious patches, but in fairness the film contains more than its fair share of taut moments. It's the kind of thing that could happen to anybody, so in many ways the audience is able to identify with the hero and place themselves in his position. I spent much of the film wondering how I would cope under the same circumstances. The scenes involving dog attacks are quite well filmed, without being too graphic or grisly.. I like this film.... it's definitely worth trying to catch.