The Ugly Dachshund (NR, 1966)

While scenes of puppies getting into mischief may entertain dog lovers of every age, neither plot nor the characters will win over other viewers. Fran is an unlikable nag who seems strangely vindictive to the hapless Great Dane pup, while Jim's passiveness masks a willingness to manipulate or hide facts to get his way. Plot threads are introduced and then left unresolved, like the presence of a cat burglar in the neighborhood. By the third scene of the puppies getting Brutus into trouble, we all know how it will end.

Scenes of beehive hairstyles, a milkman making a home delivery, a themed backyard barbecue, and fins on the automobiles lend a nostalgic '60s feel to the movie. Characters making fun of a Japanese character who embodies all the negative racial stereotypes of the era do not. The movie is appropriate family fare, but one viewing is probably all anyone will request.