35 years later, the tragedy behind “All Dogs Go to Heaven” is still haunting

when All dogs go to heaven The film was released on November 17, 1989 and was expected to create a sensation. After all, Don Bluth directed the film and is still riding the wave of profitable animated films (NIMH Secrets! american tail! land before time! The new movie features an all-star cast, Broadway musical creators and, of course, lots of adorable animated dogs.

Surprisingly, the film was not an immediate huge success. The problem is that it comes out on the same day as Disney little mermaid. Compared to the behemoth that spearheaded the Disney renaissance, the blues movies simply couldn’t compete with this behemoth with mouse ears. However, it found a second life on home video, making it a favorite among many fans to this day.

Still, if there’s one thing a blues animated movie can count on, it’s that it’s both endearing and harrowing. All dogs go to heaven It achieves this goal with gusto – but it’s not just the film itself that will break your heart. After knowing the tragic story of what happened before the movie was released, you’ll see it in a completely different way.

A quick review

The film opens with German shepherd Charlie (voiced by Burt Reynolds) and his dachshund friend Izzy (Dom DeLuise) escaping from a dog shelter in 1930s New Orleans before being euthanized and escaping to their casino at home. Previously, Charlie was co-owned by a pit bull named Carface (Vic Taback), who framed Charlie for his arrest and wanted to ensure he was the only casino boss in town.

After a drunken night at the carnival, Carface has Charlie crushed to death by an out-of-control car, sending the mongrel to heaven. As good as it looks, Charlie has unfinished business. He returns to Earth using a stolen pocket watch that represents his soul, an act that later discovers means he can never return to the Good Place.

With Izzy’s help, they rescue/kidnap the source of Kafas’ financial success: an orphan girl named Annabelle (Judith Barsi), who can talk to animals and determine the winner of gambling contests. Charlie uses her unexplained powers to cash in and open her own casino, promising to help the little girl find a family in exchange for the information.

Life is going well for the trio until Annabelle hears of Charlie’s evil deeds and runs away. Meanwhile, Carfas makes a dangerous move to get the girl back and destroy Charlie once and for all. In the end, Charlie sacrifices his life to save Annabelle, and his last-minute act of kindness ensures his return to heaven… at least, until the sequel.

Say “Halo” to my little friends

Fresh off back-to-back successes american tail and the land before time, blues He never shies away from exploring mature themes in comics in his signature whimsical way. Bruce’s philosophy is cited as the belief that children can handle anything, as long as there is a happy ending.

The validity of this hypothesis lacks any conclusive scientific evidence, but when all dogs During test screenings, audiences were concerned about the intensity of several scenes. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) had a similar mentality, initially rating the film a PG instead of a G like most children’s movies. So Bluth made some edits to achieve that important all-ages label.

Even with the cuts, regulators were quick to complain about alcoholism, violence, gambling and themes of death and the afterlife. While this may be a heavy story compared to your average children’s movie, worse happened before the movie was released.

Soon you will go home

At 10 years old, Judith Barsi was already a star on the rise. She has a resume that would make any adult actress jealous, at cheers, cagney and laceyand growing painsand other top sitcoms and movies. During her time on the main set, Bassey’s adorable face, bubbly personality and great one-liners graced dozens of commercials. The future was bright for the budding performer, but her home life wasn’t so great.

Barsi’s mother, Maria Barsi, and Jozsef Barsi were Hungarian immigrants who separately fled their home countries during the political unrest of the 1950s and found each other years later in California. Thanks to their talented daughter, this family would have been able to achieve the American Dream. Instead, it’s a nightmare because Joseph is an alcoholic who likes to take out his frustrations on his wife and children.

before leaving work Jaws: RevengeJoseph reportedly threatened to kill his daughter if she did not come home. When the situation was reported to local children’s services, the case was investigated but dropped due to a lack of evidence and the council later admitted they had mismanaged it. Neighbors were known to have a bad temper, with one claiming Barsi told him “he was going to kill his wife 500 times” but never took any action against him.

Her mother planned to divorce their tormentor and told neighbors she was renting an apartment in Panorama City. Every time Maria thought about her freedom, she hesitated and stayed where she was. Sadly, their escape never materialized.

When authorities arrived at Barsi’s home on July 25, 1988, they found the bodies of all three family members inside the West Hills home that Jozsef had set on fire. Forensic evidence shows that Judith and Mary died at the hands of Joseph before the fire.

All dogs go to heaven The film was released more than a year after Judith’s death, but it’s still rumored that Burt Reynolds recorded the film’s final scene over 60 times to find the perfect farewell shot.

While there’s no evidence to corroborate this story, the fact that Judith left this planet prematurely makes Charlie’s farewell to Annabelle all the more emotional, adding even more weight to that poignant scene.

You can’t let a good dog down

Although its time in theaters was anything but wonderful, all dogs Increasingly popular due to its home release products. It became one of the most purchased VHS tapes of its time, selling over 3 million copies in its first month on shelves. Sequels and a syndicated series followed, although Bruce and his team were not involved in anything beyond the original film.

Nostalgia makes this film highly regarded by many who grew up with it, but even with the realization that this isn’t quite as great a masterpiece as some of us remember, it’s still a solid entry in blues film history.

This is a movie best turned off your critical thinking. Just enjoy some unintentional family fun about dogs and orphans that reminds us not to take life for granted…because you never know when that gift may be taken away.

All dogs go to heaven Now streaming on Tubi, Pluto, Roku and Amazon Prime, where you can also find DVD and Blu-ray.