July 19, 1948 – The Pluto Short Film The Purloined Pup is Released to Theaters
“Dog Stealer Takes Baby Pup! 10,000 Bones Ransom Asked”
On July 19, 1948, the Pluto short film The Purloined Pup was released to theaters. In this short, Pluto’s main antagonist (and sometimes rival for a female’s affections), Butch, plays the part of a dognapper. The short was directed by Charles Nichols, with the story by Harry Reeves and Jesse Marsh.
A newspaper flashes across the screen, with the news that a puppy named Ronnie has been dognapped. The police suspect Butch, a paroled dognapper seen in the vicinity, and put rookie police dog Pluto on the case. Pluto sniffs out the trail, and comes across Ronnie’s collar. Thinking he’s close, he sneaks past some heavy pipes and spies Butch in front of an abandoned mansion, viciously chewing on a bone.
Several times, Pluto is able to avoid detection by Butch while trying to rescue Ronnie
Pluto comes up with a plan of action, buries his capture kit, and slips into the nearby moat to swim past Butch. He makes his way into the house just as Butch returns, and pretends to be a lion-skin rug to avoid detection. Butch enters a room and closes the door, and Pluto peeks through the keyhole to see Ronnie weeping and tied to a column. Butch threatens to hurt the puppy for the noise he’s making and walks out of the room, leaving the door open. Pluto sneaks in, but the sound of the door closing alerts Butch, who tries to pick up the stranger’s scent. Pluto, fortunately, is once again able to avoid detection.
As Butch leaves again, Pluto frees the puppy, who barks happily, giving away the rescue. Butch pursues the two into the pipes near the mansion, and ends up thinking that Pluto is in one of the pipes, when he is actually tormenting himself thanks to a U-shaped pipe. Butch then spies the puppy coming out of its hiding place, but Pluto is able to pull the pup away before Butch can hurt him. During a chase across the pipe-filled yard, Pluto grabs his capture kit and sets it up, trapping Butch in a straight-jacket, muzzle, and handcuffs. Ronnie, now safe, leads Butch by the rope to his muzzle to the police station where he happily turns the criminal in.
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