From 1929 to 1931,

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

produced a series of nine short comedy films called ''All Barkie Dogville Comedies'', sometimes known as the "barkies" (in a parody of "

talkies A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

")."Movieland Goes Roman", Performing and Captive Animals' Defence League circular, 1931 The actors in these films were trained dogs dressed to parody the performers in contemporary films. The dogs' dialogue was dubbed by actors and voice artists, including Pete Smith. The films were directed by Zion Myers and conceived and codirected by

Jules White Jules White (born Julius Weiss; 17 September 1900 – 30 April 1985) was an American film director and producer best known for his short-subject comedies starring The Three Stooges. Early years White began working in motion pictures in the ...

. Myers and White later worked on the

Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...

comedies.

Series titles

1929 *''College Hounds'': a parody of college football films, such as MGM's ''Brown of Harvard'' (1926), featuring "Red Mange" (

Red Grange Harold Edward "Red" Grange (June 13, 1903 – January 28, 1991), nicknamed "the Galloping Ghost" and "the Wheaton Iceman", was an American professional American football, football Halfback (American football), halfback who played for the Chicag ...

) *''Hot Dog'': a parody of courtroom dramas, such as MGM's ''Madame X'' (1929), featuring "Clara Bone" (

Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...

) 1930 *''Who Killed Rover?'' AKA ''The Dogville Murder Case'': a parody of

Philo Vance Philo Vance is a fictional amateur detective originally featured in 12 crime novels by S. S. Van Dine in the 1920s and '30s. During that time, Vance was immensely popular in books, films, and radio. He was portrayed as a stylish—even foppish� ...

whodunits (here "Phido Vance"), such as Paramount's ''The Canary Murder Case'' (1929) *''

The Dogway Melody ''The Dogway Melody'' is a 1930 comedy short film that recreates scenes from early musical films, particularly '' The Broadway Melody''. The entire cast is trained dogs with human voiceovers. It was directed by Zion Myers and Jules White and i ...

'': a parody of talking, singing and dancing early musicals, specifically MGM's ''

The Broadway Melody ''The Broadway Melody'', also known as ''The Broadway Melody of 1929'', is a 1929 American pre-Code musical film and the first sound film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. It was one of the early musicals to feature a Technicolor sequen ...

'' (1929) *''

So Quiet on the Canine Front ''So Quiet on the Canine Front'' is a 1931 American comedy short film, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, structured as a parody of Universal Pictures' '' All Quiet on the Western Front'', a highly praised anti-war tragedy of a young student in the ...

'': a parody of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

films, specifically Universal's ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1930) *''The Big Dog House'': a parody of prison films, specifically MGM's ''The Big House'' (1930) 1931 *''Love-Tails of Morocco'': a parody of

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...

films, such as Paramount's ''Morocco'' (1930) *''The Two Barks Brothers'': a parody of films with brothers on opposite sides of the law, specifically MGM's ''

Gentleman's Fate ''Gentleman's Fate'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and written by Leonard Praskins. The film stars John Gilbert, Louis Wolheim, Leila Hyams, Anita Page, and Marie Prevost. The film was released on March 7, ...

'' (1931) *''Trader Hound'': a parody of jungle adventure films, specifically MGM's ''Trader Horn'' (1931)

Home video

The complete series of Dogville Comedies has been released on DVD by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

as part of its

Warner Archive Collection The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inte ...

References

{{Reflist American film series Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short films American comedy short films American parody films