The Shaggy Dog

When you’ve got a little more time on your hands this summer, plan to rent these older classics before you watch the newest Tim Allen remake.

THE SHAGGY DOG (1959)

MPAA Rating: G

Suggested Ages: 5+

Released on DVD: Spring 2006

This classic Disney movie features Fred MacMurray as Wilson Daniels, a mail carrier who isn't on the best of terms with dogs. When a magical ring accidentally transforms his teenage son Wilby (Tommy Kirk) into a shaggy sheepdog, it makes for some pretty hairy situations. It's up to Wilby to break the spell and foil a team of international spies at the same time. Jean Hagen, Kevin Corcoran, Annette Funicello, and Tim Considine (the eldest of "My Three Sons") also star. This movie has lots of fun stunts, slapstick chases, and a cuddly dog, to boot. Aimed at grade-schoolers, kids younger than five might get a little antsy or even freaked out by the idea of a boy turning into a dog. This was the first live-action Disney movie, which started a string of classics, including "That Darn Cat," "The Absent-Minded Professor," "The Love Bug," and many more.

THE SHAGGY D.A. (1976)

MPAA Rating: G

Suggested Ages: 5+

Released on DVD: Spring 2006

This sequel to The Shaggy Dog stars Dean Jones as a grown-up Wilby Daniels, now married to Suzanne Pleshette with a young son. When the family comes home to find the house cleaned out by "movers"– hoodlums of corrupt District Attorney John Slade (Keenan Wynn) – Wilby decides to run against Slade in the next election. Meanwhile, Slade's crime syndicate gets hold of a mystical ring that turns poor Daniels into a dog owned by the local ice-cream vendor (Tim Conway). Lots of chase scenes, roller derby action, and cherry pie-throwing complicate both Daniels's bid for office and his quest to remain a human being. While this movie is basically a re-hash of the "The Shaggy Dog," there's still plenty of slapstick comedy guaranteed to keep kids, especially grade-schoolers, laughing.

By Jane Louise Boursaw