Dog in Boots
Encyclopedia
Dog in Boots also known as Pup in Boots is a 1981 Soyuzmultfilm
's animated parody film
directed by Yefim Gamburg
. It is a musical
adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas
story of d'Artagnan
and the three musketeers
.
Dog in Boots parodies costume
and historical drama films, particularly the musical miniseries d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers
(1978), that was incredibly popular in the Soviet Union. The concept of this film is similar to the 1981 series Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds
: the main characters are dogs, while Cardinal Richelieu's evil guards and Milady
are cats.
The novelization
Pyos v sapogakh, ili Novye priklyucheniya treh mushketerov (lit. "Dog in boots, or New Adventures of the Three Musketeers") for children
, authored by Vladimir Valutskiy, was published by Strekoza Press in 2004. In 2006 TVIK-LIREK released an audiobook CD based on Valutskiy's story. In 2009 Dog in Boots was fully restorated by Krupny Plan and released on DVD
as a part of Full Picture and Sound Restoration series. The original film copy was provided by the State Film Fund of Russia.
The main character (D'Artagnan, "the Dog") was voiced and sang by Nikolai Karachentsov
. Animators later complimented Karachentsov that his performance let them literally see his character, so they did not have to invent him. Dog's songs, in his opinion, should not be sung or even screamed, but "yelled". Karachentsov said that while working in studio he "spied on masters of cartoon voice acting, such as Oleg Tabakov
", and tried to learn from them.
Animators
Dog running on the road to Paris and singing that he is "provincial yet principled", "unknown, but direct and honest", and "if service, let it be service to the king". He sees two carriages and a beautiful bichon
nearby. Anne of Austria
, sitting unseen inside one carriage, hands a diamond necklace
to the Duke of Buckingham
. Then both carriages leave the place. The whole sceen is seen by red cat Milady
, who reports on the meeting to a Cardinal Richelieu's gray cat (unnamed).
Following the royal carriage, the Dog meets three dog musketeers in blue Musketeers of the Guard
costumes: the Fatty (Porthos
), the Handsome (Aramis
) and the nameless Athos
. The dogs get into an argument with the newcomer, but their quarrel is quickly interrupted by a throng of Cardinal's cats. The dogs, despite being greatly outnumbered, win the ensuing fight and become the best friends. The musketeer dogs tell D'Artagnan that the beautiful bichon
is the favorite dog of Anne of Austria (a reference to Constance Bonacieux). D'Artagnan sneak into the king's palace and reveals his feeling to the bichonm singing that "I am not thoroughbred, which is a minus, but I am noble hearted, and that is a plus" and that he is "ready to fight a dozen cats" for her. In response, the bichon asks for his help. She explains that Queen is in trouble, because at the next ball she is expected to wear a diamond necklace presented to the Duke of Buckingham. The ball is tomorrow, but the diamonds have already left France. The bichon gives d'Artagnan the Duke'd glove to track his scent.
D'Artagnan rushes to England immediately and three musketeers follow him. Richelieu's gray cat orders to stop them at all costs. Milady arranges several traps: "the Fatty" is lured by a chain of sausages into a cat ambush; "the Handsome", who dreams of becoming a herding dog
, is distracted with a herd
of sheep who turn out to be cats in sheep skins; Athos stays behind to fight a cat gang chasing the dogs and buy his friend precious time. D'Artagnan alone finally arrives to England. Trying to find the Buckingham's palace he meets English Dog Detective, but after smelling the glove the Detective is only able to determine that "it belongs to a human", who "carries a heavy oak stick". Finally, the Duke's Foxhound helps d'Artagnan to find the way. He steals diamond necklace from Buckingham's palace, defeats Milady and returns just in time for the ball. Anne of Austria's reputation is unblemished. He wins Bichon's heart, rejoin with friends and earns a blue musketeer costume.
It was cited as one of the films that have opened "new verges" in Yefim Gamburg's talent, such as "lyrical mood, elegance, fanciful fantasy". Nikolai Karachentsov and Irina Muravyova
performances were praised. Yefim Gamburg recalled that shooting Dog in Boots was "a real feast" and not only for him, but "for the whole stuff", because the studio animators enjoyed actors' performance and cinematography, also "the theme was merry, and the characters were funny". Bosporus magazine's critic mentions that "there is no such person among our reades who haven't seen" Dog in Boots, which he calls "simple and funny parody". M. Ivanov of Film.ru comments that there are a lot of "wonderful songs" and that "children will love it".
Chris Kelmi gained his fame as a composer partially thanks to his work on this film. Several songs from Dog in Boots became Soviet hits
, most notably the final duet between the Dog and the Bichon ("We have suffered, which is a minus, but now we are together, and that is a plus"). These songs were equally popular with Mikhail Boyarsky
's of the d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers (1978), the miniseries that Dog in Boots parodies.
Soyuzmultfilm
Soyuzmultfilm is a Russian animation studio based in Moscow. Over the years it has gained international attention and respect, garnering numerous awards both at home and abroad. Noted for a great variety of style, it is regarded as the most influential animation studio of the former Soviet Union...
's animated parody film
Parody film
A parody film is a comedy that satirizes other film genres or films. Although the genre is often overlooked, parody films are commonly profitable at the box office...
directed by Yefim Gamburg
Yefim Gamburg
Yefim Abramovich Gamburg was a Soviet and Russian animator, who is best known for directing Passion of Spies, Blue Puppy and Dog in Boots. He graduated from the Moscow Pedagogical Institute, since 1955 he worked for Soyuzmultfilm studio...
. It is a musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
story of d'Artagnan
D'Artagnan
Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard and died at the Siege of Maastricht in the Franco-Dutch War. A fictionalized account of his life by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras formed the basis for the d'Artagnan Romances of...
and the three musketeers
The Three Musketeers
The Three Musketeers is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, first serialized in March–July 1844. Set in the 17th century, it recounts the adventures of a young man named d'Artagnan after he leaves home to travel to Paris, to join the Musketeers of the Guard...
.
Dog in Boots parodies costume
Costume drama
A costume drama or period drama is a period piece in which elaborate costumes, sets and properties are featured in order to capture the ambiance of a particular era.The term is usually used in the context of film and television...
and historical drama films, particularly the musical miniseries d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers
D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers
d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers is a three-part musical miniseries produced in the Soviet Union and first aired in 1978. It is based on the novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, père....
(1978), that was incredibly popular in the Soviet Union. The concept of this film is similar to the 1981 series Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds
Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds
Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds is an animated cartoon adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas story of d'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers. Most of the characters are anthropomorphizations of dogs, hence the title of the cartoon...
: the main characters are dogs, while Cardinal Richelieu's evil guards and Milady
Milady de Winter
Milady Clarick de Winter, often referred to as simply Milady, is a fictional character in the novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, père. She acts as a spy for Cardinal Richelieu and is one of the chief antagonists of the story....
are cats.
The novelization
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
Pyos v sapogakh, ili Novye priklyucheniya treh mushketerov (lit. "Dog in boots, or New Adventures of the Three Musketeers") for children
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
, authored by Vladimir Valutskiy, was published by Strekoza Press in 2004. In 2006 TVIK-LIREK released an audiobook CD based on Valutskiy's story. In 2009 Dog in Boots was fully restorated by Krupny Plan and released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
as a part of Full Picture and Sound Restoration series. The original film copy was provided by the State Film Fund of Russia.
Production
Dog in Boots was created in traditional hand-drawn animation technique with character design by Sergei Marakasov. Music was performed by Rock Atelier of Chris Kelmi with lyrics written by Michael Libin.The main character (D'Artagnan, "the Dog") was voiced and sang by Nikolai Karachentsov
Nikolai Karachentsov
Nikolai Petrovich Karachentsov is a Soviet/Russian actor, People's Artist of the RSFSR .- Films :* The Witches Cave as Jean, the cosmolinguist* The Adventures of the Electronic as Urrie* The Cat Who Walked by Herself...
. Animators later complimented Karachentsov that his performance let them literally see his character, so they did not have to invent him. Dog's songs, in his opinion, should not be sung or even screamed, but "yelled". Karachentsov said that while working in studio he "spied on masters of cartoon voice acting, such as Oleg Tabakov
Oleg Tabakov
Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov is a Soviet and Russian actor and the artistic director of the Moscow Art Theatre.-Theatre career:...
", and tried to learn from them.
Animators
- Natalia Bogomolova (Наталья Богомолова)
- Vladimir Vyshegorodtsev (Владимир Вышегородцев)
- Galina Zebrova (Галина Зеброва)
- Alexander Mazaev (Александр Мазаев)
- Elvira Maslova (Эльвира Маслова)
- Marina Rogova (Марина Рогова)
- Renata Mirenkova (Рената Миренкова)
- Alexei Bukin (Алексей Букин)
- Yuri Kuzyurin (Юрий Кузюрин)
Plot
The film begins with young GasconGascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
Dog running on the road to Paris and singing that he is "provincial yet principled", "unknown, but direct and honest", and "if service, let it be service to the king". He sees two carriages and a beautiful bichon
Bichon
Bichon is the name for a type of related non-sporting category dog breeds. They vary in appearance, but all have tails curled over their back, a coat that is hair rather than fur that doesn't readily shed, short snouts, drop ears, and large, dark eyes. They were all bred to be amiable companion...
nearby. Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...
, sitting unseen inside one carriage, hands a diamond necklace
Necklace
A necklace is an article of jewellery which is worn around the neck. Necklaces are frequently formed from a metal jewellery chain. Others are woven or manufactured from cloth using string or twine....
to the Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
. Then both carriages leave the place. The whole sceen is seen by red cat Milady
Milady de Winter
Milady Clarick de Winter, often referred to as simply Milady, is a fictional character in the novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, père. She acts as a spy for Cardinal Richelieu and is one of the chief antagonists of the story....
, who reports on the meeting to a Cardinal Richelieu's gray cat (unnamed).
Following the royal carriage, the Dog meets three dog musketeers in blue Musketeers of the Guard
Musketeers of the Guard
The Musketeers of the Guard were a fighting company of the military branch of the Maison du Roi, the Royal Household of the French monarchy.-History:...
costumes: the Fatty (Porthos
Porthos
Porthos, Baron du Vallon de Bracieux de Pierrefonds is a fictional character in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père. He and the other two musketeers Athos and Aramis are friends of the novel's protagonist, d'Artagnan...
), the Handsome (Aramis
Aramis
C. René d'Aramis de Vannes is a fictional character in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père...
) and the nameless Athos
Athos (fictional character)
Olivier d'Athos de la Fère, Comte de la Fère is a fictional character, a Musketeer of the Guard in the novels The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte de Bragelonne by Alexandre Dumas, père....
. The dogs get into an argument with the newcomer, but their quarrel is quickly interrupted by a throng of Cardinal's cats. The dogs, despite being greatly outnumbered, win the ensuing fight and become the best friends. The musketeer dogs tell D'Artagnan that the beautiful bichon
Bichon
Bichon is the name for a type of related non-sporting category dog breeds. They vary in appearance, but all have tails curled over their back, a coat that is hair rather than fur that doesn't readily shed, short snouts, drop ears, and large, dark eyes. They were all bred to be amiable companion...
is the favorite dog of Anne of Austria (a reference to Constance Bonacieux). D'Artagnan sneak into the king's palace and reveals his feeling to the bichonm singing that "I am not thoroughbred, which is a minus, but I am noble hearted, and that is a plus" and that he is "ready to fight a dozen cats" for her. In response, the bichon asks for his help. She explains that Queen is in trouble, because at the next ball she is expected to wear a diamond necklace presented to the Duke of Buckingham. The ball is tomorrow, but the diamonds have already left France. The bichon gives d'Artagnan the Duke'd glove to track his scent.
D'Artagnan rushes to England immediately and three musketeers follow him. Richelieu's gray cat orders to stop them at all costs. Milady arranges several traps: "the Fatty" is lured by a chain of sausages into a cat ambush; "the Handsome", who dreams of becoming a herding dog
Herding dog
A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a type of pastoral dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds developed for herding...
, is distracted with a herd
Herd
Herd refers to a social grouping of certain animals of the same species, either wild or domestic, and also to the form of collective animal behavior associated with this or as a verb, to herd, to its control by another species such as humans or dogs.The term herd is generally applied to mammals,...
of sheep who turn out to be cats in sheep skins; Athos stays behind to fight a cat gang chasing the dogs and buy his friend precious time. D'Artagnan alone finally arrives to England. Trying to find the Buckingham's palace he meets English Dog Detective, but after smelling the glove the Detective is only able to determine that "it belongs to a human", who "carries a heavy oak stick". Finally, the Duke's Foxhound helps d'Artagnan to find the way. He steals diamond necklace from Buckingham's palace, defeats Milady and returns just in time for the ball. Anne of Austria's reputation is unblemished. He wins Bichon's heart, rejoin with friends and earns a blue musketeer costume.
Characters
- Nikolai KarachentsovNikolai KarachentsovNikolai Petrovich Karachentsov is a Soviet/Russian actor, People's Artist of the RSFSR .- Films :* The Witches Cave as Jean, the cosmolinguist* The Adventures of the Electronic as Urrie* The Cat Who Walked by Herself...
as the Dog - Irina MuravyovaIrina MuravyovaIrina Vadimovna Muravyova is a Russian film, television and stage actress, who is most well known for her performances in Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears , Karnaval , Samaya obayatelnaya i privlekatelnaya and her work in Maly Theatre of Moscow...
as Queen's Bichon - Alexander ShirvindtAlexander ShirvindtAlexander Anatolyevich Shirvindt is a Soviet and Russian screen and stage actor, screenwriter, voice actor, People's Artist and Meritorious Artist of the RSFSR. Awarded with Order of Merit for the Fatherland, Order of Friendship of Peoples...
as the Handsome - Yuri Volyntzev as the Fatty
- Valentin GaftValentin GaftValentin Yosifovich Gaft is a Russian and Soviet actor, People's Artist of Russia .-Biography:Valentin Gaft was born in Moscow to a family of a lawyer Iosif Romanovich Gaft and Gita Davydovna Gaft . The family moved to Moscow from Poltava, Ukraine...
as the third musketeer (nameless Athos) - Vsevolod LarionovVsevolod LarionovVsevolod Dmitrievich Larionov was a Russian film and television actor and a People's Artist of the USSR, an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union.- Filmography :* The Twelve Chairs...
as Richelieu's cat - Lev DurovLev DurovLev Konstantinovich Durov is a Soviet/Russian theatre and films actor since 1955, People's Artist of USSR.-Filmography:actor* I Step Through Moscow * All The King's Men - Sugar Boy* Stariki-razboyniki - driver...
as a Foxhound - Vasily LivanovVasily LivanovVasily Borisovich Livanov MBE is a Soviet and Russian film actor, and screenwriter.-Biography:His father Boris Livanov was a prominent actor of the Moscow Art Theatre...
as English Detective - Yevgeny VesnikYevgeny VesnikYevgeny Yakovlevich Vesnik was a Russian and Soviet stage and a film actor. The son of Yakov Vesnik, the first director of the Kryvorizhstal plant, he fought the Germans in the Second World War...
- Grigory Shpigel
Reception
Dog in Boots instantly became very popular.It was cited as one of the films that have opened "new verges" in Yefim Gamburg's talent, such as "lyrical mood, elegance, fanciful fantasy". Nikolai Karachentsov and Irina Muravyova
Irina Muravyova
Irina Vadimovna Muravyova is a Russian film, television and stage actress, who is most well known for her performances in Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears , Karnaval , Samaya obayatelnaya i privlekatelnaya and her work in Maly Theatre of Moscow...
performances were praised. Yefim Gamburg recalled that shooting Dog in Boots was "a real feast" and not only for him, but "for the whole stuff", because the studio animators enjoyed actors' performance and cinematography, also "the theme was merry, and the characters were funny". Bosporus magazine's critic mentions that "there is no such person among our reades who haven't seen" Dog in Boots, which he calls "simple and funny parody". M. Ivanov of Film.ru comments that there are a lot of "wonderful songs" and that "children will love it".
Chris Kelmi gained his fame as a composer partially thanks to his work on this film. Several songs from Dog in Boots became Soviet hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, most notably the final duet between the Dog and the Bichon ("We have suffered, which is a minus, but now we are together, and that is a plus"). These songs were equally popular with Mikhail Boyarsky
Mikhail Boyarsky
Mikhail Sergeevich Boyarsky is a Soviet/Russian actor and singer, currently living in the city of Saint Petersburg. He is best known and loved for the role of d'Artagnan in the film d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers and its sequels . He was also a popular singer of the 1980s and completed several...
's of the d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers (1978), the miniseries that Dog in Boots parodies.
External links
- Dog in Boots at the Kinopoisk.ru