Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Memorable, crazy movie

Highly Overrated But Still Good

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I love Madeline Khan and Teri Garr. So, when I saw this movie for sale, I thought: "How could I have missed this gem?" After watching it, I now know why. It isn't a gem, it is a lump of coal. The movie tries to be tongue-in-cheek and high-camp but doesn't even succeed there. Yes, I know the movie isn't meant to be taken seriously (eg Young Frankenstein) but it fails there. The cast is full of stars, most of whom make cameos. Remember, the movie came out in 1976 so a lot of the old time actors and stars were still alive. But they were very hard to recognize and most only had just a few seconds of screen time. Seriously, this might be the worst movie I've ever seen.

What a mess. Michael Winner directed this supposedly affectionate ode to old time Hollywood that unfortunately is a just a woefully unfunny series of run ins with faded movie stars (and not the legendary types like Hepburn, Bacall and Mitchum...instead we get DeCarlo, Blondell and Calhoun!) The plot involves struggling starlet Madeline Kahn befriending an unusually smart German shepherd with both becoming the toast of the town thanks to no talent screenwriter Bruce Dern. Kahn and Dern are fine, but the movie has nary a funny line, cheap production values, and way too many unwelcome cameos. Some old-timers such as William Demerest and Aldo Ray speak more than one line, but most pop up and vanish quickly so if you don't know what the aged Ritz Bros. or Rhonda Fleming look like their appearances will be lost on you. Joan Blondell's cameo is actually pretty clever. Art Carney plays the crusty studio head and Teri Garr is pretty fetching as Kahn's room-mate. The always welcome Billy Barty and Ron Leibman also appear.

It has been thirty years since I saw this movie when released for TV. The first thing that caught my attention was the movie was promoted for having a CAVALCADE OF STARS. There is a myriad of cameo appearances by stars from the past.The story line starts out rather slowly, and I was fortunate to be patient enough until an actual plot began to develop. Similar to a good book, you almost don't make it to the point when it becomes interesting and then the fun begins and you have a hard time putting it down. It's a parody on former Hollywood Stars, their ego's and excesses. Very amusing yet silly, but there is realistic parallel to the current tribulations of today,s pop stars L.Lohnan and B. Spears.I can't understand why it has not been shown on a Movie Channel This movie has somewhat of a cultishness to it. As a young boy Rin Tin Tin was and always will be my favorite but when looking for an unusual ethereal type movie WON TON TON is the STAR.

Won Ton Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood is by far a comedy masterpiece, but it stars the lovely Madeline Kahn in a truly hysterical performance. She rises so above the material. She possesses the same kind of movie magic of the screwball comediennes of the 30's and 40's and even comes off much better. I think if Madeline Kahn were a star in those days we would have had at least 100 films starring her. But when she made her film debut in 1972 she was a true Hollywood find. After all her first four movies are all now classics and two considered masterpieces. Not to mention two Oscar nominations. But with all that greatness the movie studios offered her parts in so-so comedies. I mean she made some more very good films, but not up to her first four. She was as beautiful and extremely talented as all her peers of the day. I always felt she was one day going to get her Academy Award in her older years, but unfortunately she died much too soon. Bruce Dern, Art Carney, Teri Garr, Phil Silvers, Ron Liebman, Nancy Walker and so many stars from the past appear in this take off on Rin Tin Tin. Paramount has yet to release it on DVD. 2006 is here today and its the films 30th anniversary. I wish they would release it for us all to enjoy and cherish a underrated performance from Madeline Kahn.