dogs in the movies

[carolyn dewrance]

DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DOG STAR

Have any of you other household dogs wondered what it's like to be a Dog Star. Well let me tell you about my little bit before a movie Camera.
My Mistress rudely awakened me at the unearthly hour of five o'clock in the morning to a dish of ice-cold milk. I peeped through my side of the fence and looked at Monique, lying in her bed looking grotesquely fat, she is pregnant and only has a week to go, I snarled a good morning to her and she retaliated by telling me to be quite and let her rest. I was then taken out of my kennel and given a quick brush over my coat, something I can't stand first thing in the morning. "Oh no" I thought, not another one of those dog shows again really it is cruel to wake me up so early just to parade me around a ring with other dogs that look better than I do" I growled at my Mistress. Well there was no use arguing, my leash was slipped over my head much to my annoyance, and my Mistress opened the front door, Well it would be an outing, so I joyfully charged down the corridor to the lift and stood anxiously waiting while my Mistress and young master locked the front door. Then we were off, down in the lift to the ground floor.
There waiting for us with his car was Master Rick, but when I looked for my boyfriend "Leo" there was no sign of him. That’s strange I thought can't be going to a show then. I jumped into the car and sat in my rightful place on the passenger side next to the driver.
Where are we going to I wondered, well we traveled for about 15 minutes and came to a very large house with lots of open ground. I sniffed the air to see if I recognized any smell, but no, it was very strange to me. From my Mistress's conversation I heard that I was going to be a film star, so I carried my head held high and put my nose into the air. I had a lovely bath the day before and was looking good, even if I must say so myself.
I was soon taken out the car, given a bowl of water and then allowed to go for a walk to relieve myself. I was then chained with my benching chain to a lot of old pipes in the middle of a sand patch. How degrading it was to me, as my nice clean fur would now get horribly dirty. Oh well it all in a dog's day I suppose, I sighed. My mistress was never far from me, so I knew I was safe. Well after what seemed like lying around for hours, I was once again bundled? Into a car, a strange one this time. I did not like the driver very much, so I growled at him a few times to warn him not to touch my mistress who was sitting next to him. This time the journey took a little longer but we soon arrived at a lovely park.
The grass was so green and lovely and I just wanted to run and roll, but with my leash securely held in my Mistress's hand I could do neither. It was a hot day, so my Mistress bought herself a coldrink and me an ice cream, which I did not want, and watched her as she ate it knowing how much she hates ice cream! I smiled to my self...Revenge an hour later I suddenly found myself the center of attraction. I was in front of a movie camera! Now my fellow Chow Chow's, have you ever heard of a Chow Chow walking backwards, I ask you, it's just impossible. So eventually the man they called the director told my Mistress to walk backwards, leading me towards her at just the right pace. Well I sat, and then stood and she walked back wards leading me, and the faster I moved the faster she had to move. It all looked very funny and if I ran she had to run backwards, have you ever been for a walk with a Mistress that walks backwards, try it sometime. Well we did this until the Director said "it's a take" then we had to start all over again up and down the path with other people also walking backwards even a tiny baby in its pram was going backward. The whole world seemed to be going backward by this time.
We walked up hill and down hills and all over with her walking backwards the entire item. Well this is what it must mean to be a Dog Star. We eventually finished all those backward scenes by four o' clock, and I was tired, hungry and also very thirsty. The Director spoke to my Mistress " This is a lovely dog to work with, and I would like to use Her again when we go to the Ice Rink". Oh dear it seems that they are trying to make me into a human. I wonder if they will get a pair of ice skates to fit me. I really should take some lessons or else I will just slip and slide all over the ice and that will make me a real laughing stock amongst us Chows! Well when we eventually arrived home I was tired and hungry, and in a bad mood, so when Monique asked me what I did I promptly told her to be quite and leave me alone. She snarled at me and told me I was unsociable and that she would not talk to me for a week. Well that's a good thing because by then she will be to busy with her Babies, and I will be busy working out how I am going to learn to ice skate on four legs! So Chow for now and take note, film work is not Fun and you don't even get a bone for it.

[Judy Fox]

Oh! Oh!
WE do think it sounds awful and we do not want to be film star chows. We just want to be Milly and Mabel.

Do you think ice-skating might be nice and cool? We do not think we like the idea of ice skates.

Perhaps you should just lie down and have a snooze. A little snooze on the ice might be nice and cool in the summer when it gets too hot.

Love from Milly and Mabel.

p.s. we are going to look for a little chowling under the strawberries this summer.

[carolyn dewrance]

To Judy, Millie and Mabel do hop you enjoy this little story of Ladys, sadly she is no longer with me, she passed away 8 years ago from Bloat.
DOGS ON ICE


Today I was taken to a place that the humans call the Ice Rink. This is A field of frozen water, all white and shiny Once again I'm supposed To be a film star, I will now tell you what it is like to be ice-skating Star, not that I was very successful. There were two cameras standing outside the ice barrier, and quite a number of other types of dogs, if you can call them dogs, some were short and fat, and some were long and tall and they were all of different colors. Really you can't class us in the world of dogs, as we chows are just perfect So I just snarled at the others, to let them know I was not like them and I was better in many ways. My Mistress put on what she called Ice Skates, they seemed to make her so Much taller, Now my mistress had not been ice-skating since I was born As she had been to busy with me. She tied me to a post outside the ring and carefully stepped onto the Ice, hanging on for dear life she walked around slowly trying to get her Footing. Well after a little while, not without a few falls, she seemed to be doing all right, so she came over to fetch me. I thought they were going to give me ice skates, but apparently not, As I was lifted onto the ice by a strange man I did not like and I tried to bite him. How dare he treat a Chow in such a manner, I stood Carefully on the ice, which was very cold on my bare feet, my mistress Called me to come to her, well I tried my best, but with four legs slipping and sliding all over the place, as I took my first step, I Got such a big fright that I sat down and much to my disgrace I wet Myself. For this I was severely scolded by the director, he didn't have any pity for me. I was now cold and wet and very afraid, so I started Bark for my mistress to come and help me. I really didn't know where To put my feet, I tried to step high on my toes, which would have made any Judge proud of me, but I slipped even worse, then I sat down to get my Bearings only to jump up as quick as lightning as my bottom almost got stuck to the ice. Eventually I just stood very carefully and waited Slowly lifting one foot and placing it in front of the other. The problem then was that my back legs would slide away from me and I would land up on my belly. My dear friends don't ever let any one talk you into going ice-skating. You will just make an idiot of yourself. Well after being on that ice for what seemed like hours, the Director asked my mistress to take me off. I went, dripping puddles of water all over everything and once I was on dry ground I had a darn good shake to get all the water out of my fur; I am glad I am pedigreed, because if I was a mongrel like some of the others I would have not fared so lightly, They were dragged around the ice by their owners and they slipped and slid all over the ice. That they did not break any bones is a wonder. I think they must think I am an awful snob, but I really don't care if that is the only way I will be able to keep away from the ice rink. I must admit it was quite an experience but I don't ever want to repeat it again. I would advise you all to keep well away from ice of any kind, It's not much fun for Chows and it is very cold and wet.
Once we were allowed to leave the ice rink I went straight home and the first stop was the kitchen, I really think I deserved a nice warm cup of milk and a chocolate biscuit for my labor. When I told my friend Monique what I had been doing she laughed at me and said that is what I get for creeping up to my mistress all the time. Monique would never allow anyone make her do what she did not want to do.
And if they did try she would just walk like a crab and spoil everything for everyone concerned. But then that's Monique. She really can be a snob. I'm glad she is out of condition, and won't be showing for a few months.

I may then be able to gain some points on her. Oh wishful thinking.

[Judy Fox]

Oh! Oh!
That is a funny story. We are not going to go to an ice-rink. We don't think we want to go with dogs anyway 'cos, as you say we are not really dogs. Chows are Chows.
A few weeks ago it was very cold on The Island and we went for a walk to the park with our Mummy and Daddy and the ducks, geese and seagulls were walking on the lake - they were not swimming in it - they were walking on it. So, we think that must have been ice. The swans were more sensible, they were swimming in the part of the lake that the ducks could not walk on.

[Zhuyos mom]

Oh! Oh!
WE do think it sounds awful and we do not want to be film star chows. We just want to be Milly and Mabel.

It's me, Zhuyo! My beauties, do not worry. I think the chow star worked on a non-union project. Because if it were a union project, they would have special rooms and blankets and clean bowls of water and biscuits ready for her when she wants. There will be make-up artists and hairdressers there to fluff up your fur and clean your eyes and wipe your lips. And then in two weeks you will get a check in the mail so your Mummy can buy you lots of gravy bones! Enough to send to all your friends here at the Island! Oh, no! Definitely non-union! Might be low-budget too because she had to walk backwards. When my cousin, Suntzu, did a commercial, they gave him a lounge chair to sit on. When I went on an audition for a Milk Bone commerical, oh it was so fun! Lots of different treats for me to taste! So do not worry, I think times have changed and directors will be nicer to chow stars in the future. Look at PawPaw Stewart! But mumms the word on these posts as Pooh Bear might back out on her modeling gig for the book next week!

Sniffs & Snuggles,
Zhuyo (Bloat survivor and son of a stage mom)

[carolyn dewrance]

This is the final story that Lady wrote on her part in the movies do hope you have enjoyed them but we still have lots of stories to tell. From my book Dogs in My Bed.

WE'RE IN THE MOVIES.


The great day has come, we have been invited to see a preview of ourselves in a great movie called "You're in the Movies" You all know about my days filming so let me tell you now about our evening at the movies. We went with our human companions, Carol, Rick and Robin, who took us into the Cinema, we went up a lot of stairs before coming to what they decided were suitable seats, Carol, Rick and Robin sat down, then Leo and I made ourselves comfortable on two extra seats, I sat close to Leo as I felt a little nervous, this was the first time I had ever been in a cinema, and all these people around me were rather frightening. I looked at Leo and then placed my paw on top of his, feeling a little comforted. The lights dimmed and everything went black, the curtains opened and I saw what looked like a giant TV screen, now I often watch TV but never expected to see anything like this. As the film started, first up was Robin, spinning around in a post box, well I knew it was Robin, as he told me so himself, I turned and gave him a big lick. As the film progressed I was faced with the biggest gorilla I had ever seen it seemed to jump right out at us and I barked at it and almost landed on Leo's front paws. We both got such a fright. There were lots of scenes in which I saw Rick, and Leo stretched over me to give him a big lick As well, I guess no one could miss him and his bald spot on his head.
Suddenly I saw Leo, on the screen, and I was so excited, I barked so loudly and at the same time upset my popcorn all over the floor. Oh he looked so handsome and all shining black, how lucky I was to have a boyfriend likes him.
Then suddenly before my very eyes "That's me" I barked, I was so excited "Did you see me" I licked my mistress’s face all over, She looked good as well, and I was walking backwards, really walking backwards.
I looked lovely and my fur was shining clean I was really proud of myself "Woof Woof" I'm so happy.
Well I am not going to say to much about the movie, as I hope you are all going to see it, as it will be the last time you see Leo He was sold to new owners a few weeks ago and I have been very heart broken, but he made me pregnant before he went, so I hope to have some little ones just like him soon. After the movie, we went to the Cheese and wine party, I love Cheese and wine, but Leo does not. We were congratulated by the Directors and the producer and patted on the head by just about everyone. It was a really grand time for us all.
By six o Clock we went home all a little tipsy, but I was a very happy little Chow Chow.

Love from Carolyn and her late beloved Lady.