Scruffy (1980 film)

Scruffy (1980 film)
Based on Scruffy: The Tuesday Dog by Jack Stoneley
Written by Sheldon Stark
Directed by Charles A. Nichols
Voices of Nancy McKeon
Hans Conried
Michael Bell
June Foray
Alan Young
Narrated by Alan Young
Music by Dean Elliott
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 3
Production
Executive producer(s) Joe Ruby & Ken Spears
Producer(s) Jerry Eisenberg
Running time 60 minutes
Production company(s) Ruby-Spears Productions
Distributor Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original network ABC
Original release October 4, 1980 (1980-10-04) – October 18, 1980 (1980-10-18)

Scruffy is a 1980 American animated television special produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. It is based on the 1978 children's book Scruffy: The Tuesday Dog written by Jack Stoneley about Scruffy, a stray puppy who struggles to survive in an unfamiliar world.

Scruffy was broadcast as a three part miniseries on ABC Weekend Specials on October 4, 11 and 18, 1980 which was also the first animated television special to be shown in three parts on consecutive Saturday mornings.[1]

Plot

Part 1

Scruffy (voiced by Nancy McKeon) is a puppy with beautiful eyes, a loving heart and an eager intelligence, born in a deserted house she shares with her mother, Duchess (voiced by June Foray). When a fire destroys their home and nearly destroys them, the dogs are briefly adopted by their kindly rescuers who cannot bear to send them to the animal shelter and a possible untimely death. Soon, however, Duchess insists that she and Scruffy set off to find her original owners. But tragedy strikes when two trigger-happy farmers mistake the dogs for sheep killers, and Scruffy is left on her own in the countryside...

Part 2

The orphaned pup, frightened and freezing, returns alone to the big city and finds an affectionate new master, a ragged but regal Shakespearean street performer named Tibbles (voiced by Hans Conried). Scruffy successfully howls her way into his act and cleverly learns every trick the old man can teach. Unfortunately, their happiness is only fleeting – Tibbles has a heart attack and collapses, and Scruffy, while chasing an ambulance, tumbles into a swirling river...

Part 3

Butch, a tough Bulldog (voiced by Michael Bell) rescues the drowning Scruffy and takes her to join his motley family of strays; mistreated by humans, these dogs have set up a canine commune in an abandoned station wagon. Next, Butch and Scruffy are betrayed by a thief named Catlin and his dog Caesar (voiced by Frank Welker), are caught by dog catchers and thrown in the pound to face their doom. Luckily, they are saved just in time to live happily ever after with their new adopted family and with puppies of their own.

Voices

Production credits

Home video release

Scruffy was first released on VHS by Worldvision Home Video in the early 1980s and later re-released on VHS in association with Kids Klassics Home Video in 1989. To date, it has not been released on DVD by current rightsholder Warner Home Video.

See also

References

  1. Woolery, George W. Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-five Years, 1962-1987, retrieved September 21, 2015.

External links

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