Dog Heaven

Many great silent comics have found committing suicide to be a source of humor, from Max Linder to Harold Lloyd. Add to the roll the name of Pete the Pup. As this film opens, Pete is trying to hang himself, much to the enjoyment of the chickens and cat he has tormented. Another dog rescues him and asks him to tell his story.

Pete is the dog of Joe Cobb, and their life together has been idyllic. Into this Eden entered a woman, played by Annette de Kirby in her only appearance in Our Gang. She steals Joe's heart and, since she doesn't like dogs, make him cast Our Hero aside.

When originally conceived, Our Gang was intended as a series about the kids and their animals. The animals were split off into the Dippy Doo-Dads under the direction of cameraman Len Powers. Only Pete and Alfalfa's mule survived in the Rascals' series and Pete was a great performer, starring in the Buster Brown series at the Stern Brothers. He joined the Rascal in 1927 in THE GLORIOUS FOURTH and added his star power to Our Gang through 1931 and lived a long and (I hope) happy life until 1946.

Poor Pete the Pup. He wants to hang himself because his master, Joe, has given up playing with him and going fishing for the love of a girl. A dog friend of Pete's stops him in the nick of time, and in flashback Pete tells him of his sorrows; Pete becomes a drunkard and is chased away by Joe. The last straw comes when another dog knocks Joe's sweetheart into a lake and Pete is blamed for it. Will Pete carry through with his suicide or will Joe apologize?

Full of clever humor and situations, "Dog Heaven" is one of the best of the late-silent "Our Gang" comedies (a period lasting roughly from 1927 to 1929). Pete the Pup proves a fine animal actor; his facial expressions convey emotions seldom found in other animal actors, especially when playing drunk!

That said, at times it appears as if Pete is really hanging from his neck! There may have been an invisible wire aiding his support, but the manipulation here is a little unsettling. All in all, however, watch "Dog heaven" for good laughs and a good canine performance. 9 out of 10.