I am a tried-and-true dog lover – that is Ozzie the Aussie who introduces this clip – and if truth be told, I have never been a big fan of trained dog acts. I would rather play with a dog than watch it be forced to perform. Still, dog acts were a staple of the early vaudeville stage, and they were originally booked as opening acts, presented as the audience was still finding its seat; or as “chasers,” the last act, used to “chase” the audience from the theater. There were Meehan’s Leaping Dogs, Uno the Mind Reading Dog, Prelle’s Talking Dogs, and Barold’s Drunken Dog. Sadly, there is no film of D’Alma’s Dogs and Monkeys.
“Max and his Gang” was headed by Max Muelle, later Muller, who shared his terriers on stage for more than 20 years. While dog acts were often the butt of jokes in the entertainment trades, Muller’s routine consistently received positive reviews and the act was an audience favorite from 1928 to 1948. Transferring the act from the theater or nightclub to the Panoram screen just didn’t work, however, and this Soundie ends up being a curiosity at best.
Seemingly budgeted at perhaps $1.50, the solitary camera is not placed far enough from the stage, and Muller’s head is cut off throughout much of the short. Rather than use a musical theme related to dogs, producer/director William Forest Crouch opted for an inexpensive pre-recorded track, a song by Val Burton, Will Jason, and Hal Findlay called “Rhythm in My Heart.” After the opening trick, the dogs leave the stage and Max performs a short bit with hula hoops. The dogs then return for two more tricks before the film’s conclusion. Even Muller doesn’t seem to be sold on this cut-down version of his act, and it would be difficult to imagine a less enthusiastic exit from the stage.
Lest this introduction turns you away from a complete viewing, may I suggest that you take the three minutes required to view this Soundie. Keep in mind the importance of variety in a weekly release of eight films. In the context of an eight-film reel that included a propaganda short, a dance act, two jazz-related pieces, and some pop songs, this Soundie provided some needed variety. Final thought: only two barks out of five, but worth at least one viewing.