Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World | |
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Directed by | Joseph McGrath |
Written by |
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Produced by | Walter Shenson |
Starring | |
Narrated by | Ted Key |
Cinematography | Harry Waxman |
Edited by | Jim Connock |
Music by | Edwin Astley |
Production company | Walter Shenson Films |
Distributed by | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 88 min |
Countries | United Kingdom United States |
Language | English |
Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World is a 1973 British children's fantasy-adventure comedy film starring Jim Dale, and directed by Joseph McGrath. [2] A large supporting cast of British movie stalwarts includes Spike Milligan, Angela Douglas, Norman Rossington, Milo O'Shea, Dinsdale Landen and Victor Spinetti. [3] The production included composer Edwin Astley and cinematographer Harry Waxman. [2] The film was based on the 1960 novel The Biggest Dog in the World by Ted Key. [4]
The film starred Fernville Lord Digby in the title role. Digby was then the reigning Dulux Old English Sheepdog; the company using the breed since 1961 in their advertisements that led to the breed's popularity around the world. [5]
Accident-prone Jeff works at a NATO research facility as an animal behaviourist. He steals a tiny amount of Project X, but an Old English Sheepdog accidentally drinks it. X is a liquid growth formula (a form of experimental fertilizer) and Digby expands to gigantic proportions.
The Border Collie is a British breed of herding dog of the collie type of medium size. It originates in the region of the Anglo-Scottish border, and descends from the traditional sheepdogs once found all over the British Isles. It is kept mostly as a working sheep-herding dog or as a companion animal. It competes with success in sheepdog trials. It has been claimed that it is the most intelligent breed of dog.
Jim Dale is an English actor, composer, director, narrator, singer and songwriter. In the United Kingdom he is known as a pop singer of the 1950s who became a leading actor at the National Theatre. In British film, along with Angela Douglas and Jacki Piper he is now one of just a few surviving actors to star in multiple Carry On films.
William Henry Kerr was a British and Australian actor, comedian, and vaudevillian.
Dinsdale James Landen was an English actor. His television appearances included starring in the shows Devenish (1977) and Pig in the Middle (1980). The Independent named him an "outstanding actor with the qualities of a true farceur". He performed in many Shakespeare plays at Stratford-upon-Avon and Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.
Collies form a distinctive type of herding dogs, including many related landraces and standardized breeds. The type originated in Scotland and Northern England. Collies are medium-sized, fairly lightly-built dogs, with pointed snouts. Many types have a distinctive white color over the shoulders. Collies are very active and agile, and most types of collies have a very strong herding instinct. Collie breeds have spread through many parts of the world, and have diversified into many varieties, sometimes mixed with other dog types.
Not Only... But Also is a BBC British sketch comedy show starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore that aired in three series between 1965 and 1970.
The Old English Sheepdog is a large breed of dog that emerged in England from early types of herding dog. Obsolete names for the breed include Shepherd's Dog and bob-tailed sheep-dog. The nickname Bob-tail originates from how dogs of the breed traditionally had their tails docked. Old English Sheepdogs can grow very long coats with fur covering the face and eyes and do not shed unless brushed.
Milo Donal O'Shea was an Irish actor. He was twice nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his performances in Staircase (1968) and Mass Appeal (1982).
Herbie: Fully Loaded is a 2005 American sports comedy film directed by Angela Robinson from a screenplay by Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, and Smallville developers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The film is the sixth and final installment in the Herbie film series, following the television film The Love Bug (1997), and the first theatrical film since Herbie Goes Bananas (1980). It serves as a direct sequel to the previous films. The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Justin Long, Breckin Meyer, Matt Dillon, and Michael Keaton. It features cameo appearances by many NASCAR drivers, including Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Dale Jarrett.
Vittorio Giorgio Andre "Victor" Spinetti was a Welsh actor, author, poet, and raconteur. He appeared in dozens of films and stage plays throughout his 50-year career, including the three 1960s Beatles films A Hard Day's Night, Help!, and Magical Mystery Tour.
Angela Douglas is an English actress.
Joseph McGrath is a Scottish film and television director and screenwriter. He was born in Glasgow and studied at Glasgow School of Art in the late 1940s and early 1950s where his energy and talent was admired by his contemporaries.
Brian Todd, known professionally as Bob Todd, was an English comedy actor, mostly known for appearing as a straight man in the sketch shows of Benny Hill and Spike Milligan. For many years, he lived in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
Dulux is an internationally-available brand of architectural paint that originated from the United Kingdom. The brand name Dulux has been used by both Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) and DuPont since 1931 and was one of the first alkyd-based paints. It is produced by AkzoNobel although the North American market is now served by PPG Industries.
Norman Rossington was an English actor best remembered for his roles in The Army Game, the Carry On films and the Beatles' film A Hard Day's Night.
Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall is a 1973 British comedy film directed by Norman Cohen and starring Jim Dale, Arthur Lowe and Spike Milligan. It was adapted by Milligan, Cohen and Johhny Byrne from the first volume of Milligan's autobiography. Dale was nominated for the 1974 BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles for his performance.
CBS Children's Film Festival is a 1967–1984 television series of live action films from several countries that were made for children. Originally a sporadic series airing on Saturday mornings, Sunday afternoons, or weekday afternoons beginning in February 1967, it became a regularly scheduled program in 1971 on the CBS Saturday-morning lineup, running one hour with some films apparently edited down to fit the time slot. The program was hosted by 1950s television act Kukla, Fran and Ollie, a.k.a. puppeteer Burr Tillstrom and actress Fran Allison.
The Great McGonagall is a 1974 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Julia Foster. It was written by McGrath and Milligan.