K-9 (film)
Encyclopedia
K-9 is a 1989 American action comedy film starring James Belushi
and Mel Harris
. Directed by Rod Daniel
and written by Steven Siegel and Scott Myers, it was produced by Lawrence Gordon and Charles Gordon, and released by Universal City Studios. It has two sequel
s, K-911
(1999) and K-9: P.I.
(2002), both being direct-to-video
.
). To help, a so-called "friend" (Brannigan, played by Ed O'Neill
) gives Dooley a police dog
, "Jerry Lee", trained to sniff drugs. The two attempt to put Lyman in prison, but Dooley soon learns that Jerry Lee is a mischievous smart alec who works only when he wants to. Many of the movie's gags revolve around Jerry Lee's playfully destructive episodes.
, is billed in the credits "as himself". According to the DVD's production notes, the dog was originally Rando, found in Germany during an international star search to fill the role. Animal trainer and handler Karl Miller and his daughter Teresa trained Rando for the movie, changing his name to "Jerry Lee" and teaching him a second language in the process. In a 2002 interview, Belushi remembers that "Rondo [sic], who was the first Jerry Lee, was a prima donna: He was a good-looking dog with a close-up that the camera just loved, and he knew it. He was more moody, snotty even." A dog erroneously credited in the part is Koton
, a real-life police dog from the Kansas City, Missouri police department.
James Belushi
James Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
and Mel Harris
Mel Harris
Mel Harris is an American actress.-Personal life:Harris was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the daughter to Mary Michael "Mike", a high school science teacher, and Warren Harris, a university football coach...
. Directed by Rod Daniel
Rod Daniel
Rod Daniel is an American film director. He has directed the films Teen Wolf, Home Alone 4: Taking Back The House, Like Father Like Son, K-9, The Super, and Beethoven's 2nd.-Films Directed:...
and written by Steven Siegel and Scott Myers, it was produced by Lawrence Gordon and Charles Gordon, and released by Universal City Studios. It has two sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
s, K-911
K-911
K-911 is a motion picture comedy which was released direct-to-video in 1999. It was directed by Charles T. Kanganis and stars James Belushi as Detective Michael Dooley. The film serves as the sequel to the 1989 film K-9.-Synopsis:...
(1999) and K-9: P.I.
K-9: P.I.
K-9: P.I. is a motion picture comedy which was released direct-to-video in 2002. It was directed by Richard J. Lewis and stars James Belushi as Detective Michael Dooley...
(2002), both being direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
.
Synopsis
Belushi plays bad tempered San Diego police detective Michael Dooley, who has been tagged for execution by a major international drug dealer (Lyman, played by Kevin TigheKevin Tighe
Kevin Tighe is an American character actor primarily known for his roles on television. Tighe is best known for his role as Roy DeSoto, a senior paramedic, on the NBC series Emergency! . He and Randolph Mantooth, his partner in the series, have remained close friends...
). To help, a so-called "friend" (Brannigan, played by Ed O'Neill
Ed O'Neill
Edward Phillip "Ed" O'Neill, Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the main character, Al Bundy, on the Fox Network sitcom Married... with Children, for which he was nominated for two Golden Globes...
) gives Dooley a police dog
Police dog
A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
, "Jerry Lee", trained to sniff drugs. The two attempt to put Lyman in prison, but Dooley soon learns that Jerry Lee is a mischievous smart alec who works only when he wants to. Many of the movie's gags revolve around Jerry Lee's playfully destructive episodes.
Cast
- James BelushiJames BelushiJames Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
as Detective Michael Dooley - Mel HarrisMel HarrisMel Harris is an American actress.-Personal life:Harris was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the daughter to Mary Michael "Mike", a high school science teacher, and Warren Harris, a university football coach...
as Tracy - Kevin TigheKevin TigheKevin Tighe is an American character actor primarily known for his roles on television. Tighe is best known for his role as Roy DeSoto, a senior paramedic, on the NBC series Emergency! . He and Randolph Mantooth, his partner in the series, have remained close friends...
as Lyman - Ed O'NeillEd O'NeillEdward Phillip "Ed" O'Neill, Jr. is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the main character, Al Bundy, on the Fox Network sitcom Married... with Children, for which he was nominated for two Golden Globes...
as Sgt. Brannigan, K9 - Jerry Lee as himself
- James HandyJames HandyJames Handy is an American film actor. He appeared in more than eighty films and television serials between 1977 and 2011. He is best known for his appearance as Arthur Devlin in Alias and Lou Handleman in Profiler.-Selected filmography:...
as Lt. Byers - Daniel DavisDaniel DavisDaniel Davis is an American stage, screen, and television actor best known for portraying Niles the butler on the popular sitcom The Nanny and his guest appearances as Professor Moriarty on Star Trek: The Next Generation, affecting an upper class English accent for both roles.-Biography:Davis was...
as Halstead - Cotter SmithCotter SmithCotter Smith is an American stage, film, and television actor.-Biography:He was born Joseph Cotter Smith in Washington, D.C., the son of Madeline and John Lewis Smith, Jr., who was a federal judge...
as Gilliam - John SnyderJohn SnyderJohn Snyder is an American film, stage and television actor that graduated from Boston University's School of Fine and Applied Arts with a BFA in 1974.Snyder played the gas station man in the 1979 film The Warriors...
as Freddie - Pruitt Taylor VincePruitt Taylor VincePruitt Taylor Vince is an American award-winning character actor who has made many appearances in film and television.-Personal life:Vince was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
as Benny the Mule - Sherman HowardSherman HowardHoward Lee Sherman is an American actor.-Theatre:In 1989 he appeared at the Kentucky Shakespeare Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. He played the title role in Hamlet and Malvolio in Twelfth Night...
as Dillon - Jeff Allin as Chad
- David HaskellDavid HaskellDavid Michael Haskell was an American film, stage and television actor and singer.-Career:Haskell is best remembered for his dual performance in the 1970s in the New York City, New York, Off-Broadway musical-theatre production Godspell and its subsequent film adaptation Godspell: A Musical Based...
as Doctor - Alan BlumenfeldAlan BlumenfeldAlan Blumenfeld is a veteran American character actor best known for his role in NBC's TV series Heroes as Maury Parkman, the telepath father of Matt Parkman played by Greg Grunberg...
as Rental Salesman - William SadlerWilliam Sadler (actor)William Thomas Sadler is an American actor who works in film and television. His television and motion picture roles have included Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller in The Pacific, Luther Sloan in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sheriff Jim Valenti in Roswell, convict Heywood in The Shawshank Redemption,...
as Salesman Don (as Bill Sadler) - Dan Castallaneta as Maitre D' (Cameo)
Casting "Jerry Lee"
"Jerry Lee", the German Shepherd DogGerman Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd Dog , also known as an Alsatian or just the German Shepherd, is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog...
, is billed in the credits "as himself". According to the DVD's production notes, the dog was originally Rando, found in Germany during an international star search to fill the role. Animal trainer and handler Karl Miller and his daughter Teresa trained Rando for the movie, changing his name to "Jerry Lee" and teaching him a second language in the process. In a 2002 interview, Belushi remembers that "Rondo [sic], who was the first Jerry Lee, was a prima donna: He was a good-looking dog with a close-up that the camera just loved, and he knew it. He was more moody, snotty even." A dog erroneously credited in the part is Koton
Koton
Koton was a German Shepherd K9 Police Officer of the Kansas City, Missouri police department. He was teamed with Officer Patterson for two years and was responsible for more than 24 felony arrests at the time of his death.-Biography:...
, a real-life police dog from the Kansas City, Missouri police department.