White Dog poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Kristy McNichol, Paul Winfield, Burl Ives, Jameson Parker, Lynne Moody ... see more see more... , Marshall Thompson , Bob Minor , Vernon Weddle , Christa Lang , Paul Bartel , Martine Dawson , Parley Baer , Barry Alexander Brown , Tony Brubaker , Karrie Emerson , Samantha Fuller , Sam Laws , Dick Miller , Richard Monahan , Neyle Morrow , Clifford A. Pellow , Nick Vanoff , Helen Siff , Hubert Wells , George Fisher , Glen Garner , Karl Lewis Miller , Samuel Fuller , Terrence Beasor

A powerful saga about racism. Julie Sawyer (Kristy McNichol) hits a handsome white dog with her car one night and then nurses it back to health. One day, the theretofore mild-mannered dog saves her li... read more read more...fe by viciously attacking and killing a rapist who breaks into her home. Lucy discovers that the dog has been trained to attack black skin. She consults an animal trainer, Carruthers (Burl Ives), who urges her to have the dog exterminated. But a maverick black trainer, Keys (Paul Winfield), who has tried before to break the training of such dogs but never succeeded, steps in. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi

Flixster Users

71% liked it

1,875 ratings

Critics

90% liked it

10 critics

PG, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Samuel Fuller

Release Date: January 1, 1982

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: December 2, 2008

Stats: 227 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Poster White Dog Pollo White Dog
Upload a Photo | View All White Dog Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (227)

  • FrizzDrop
    May 15, 2012
    FrizzDrop
    White Dog was a film that was both lovingly devote to the relationship between a girl and her dog, and a bitter resignation towards racism in the world. The film is one giant metaphor for racism, portrayed in guise as an unnamed white dog. The dog is discovered by a young actress... read more in the Hollywood Hills (McNichol) who takes him in as her own. Sadly she discovers that he has been trained as an attack dog, and he begins viciously ripping apart people left and right. It isn't until the dog is taken to a trainer that he is revealed to be a "white dog" or a dog trained to attack black people on sight. The dog is retrained by black man Keys, as he tries to drive the hatred out of the animal and reprogram him for the outside world. At first I believed it was a cautionary if not horrific tale of an animal, subjugated to abuse and retrained to be a happy, helpful animal. That in itself made the film heartbreaking, wrenching and bereft of hope, because it was a story about an animal and its fate. The film is also a mixed metaphor about the role of racism, and how to end it within our lives and in individuals wishing to change. The role of the dog is either to suggest that racism itself can never be cured, or the hatred that racism invokes will never die, and that hatred will be turned upon someone else time and again. I don't readily agree to that assumption, but I understood the artful way the director took it upon himself to make this film a statement, one that was criticized at the time for being errantly racist, and finding the black characters to be stereotypical. The film wasn't released in the United States thanks to boycotting and a lack of support from moderate black advocates. Still, it was given a great critical base, and thankfully the Criterion Collection released it on DVD in 2008. The film isn't racist, the characters are not stereotypical or biased individuals, the acting isn't too corny, and I found the ending and the ensuing story to be more about the dog than anything. When that dog reveals itself to be a monstrous creation, I feel just as badly for those who have been attacked and warranted abuse because of its existence than I do for the dog itself, who doesn't know better. When the dog is with McNichol's character that white German Shepherd is sweet and lovable, and it is the abuse that sparks anger, as well as the bile forming fact that it's all to ensure racism lives. A thought provoking and stylized film that lasts in your mind long after you have seen it.
  • flixsterman
    January 13, 2012
    flixsterman
    What Sam Fuller lacks in finance and technology he almost makes up for in style and intent. White Dog is 5 star social commentary on a 2 star budget.
  • fb1664868775
    October 31, 2011
    fb1664868775
    Sam Fuller's late masterpiece and in my opinion his best film. Looking at it on Blu-Ray, this film feels incredibly fresh.
  • itsjustme2004
    December 22, 2010
    itsjustme2004
    A lost gem?? uh, I think not. As good as the storyline might be, I couldn't get past the poor acting (made for TV quality, circa 1980), and the ridiculous dialogue. I was very dissapointed.
  • rubystevens
    June 8, 2010
    rubystevens
    fuller's famous 'lost' film was pulled from circulation in the u.s. by cowardly studio heads who feared a boycott. the film makes a powerful statement about racism altho some of the acting is cheesy. a 'white' dog is a dog that's been trained to attack and kill black people, a ... read moretradition going back to slavery days. the film first makes us sympathize with the stray dog, who soon turns vicious, showing just how close and familiar racism can be. a patient wild animal trainer, played by paul winfield, takes on the job of de-progamming the dog, with mixed results. i admit it; i cried
  • ceWEBrity
    September 23, 2009
    ceWEBrity
    The least you can say for it is that it presents its ideas in a more interesting fashion than Crash. Who could resist the allure of this film's premise? A dog that attacks black people? It's just bizarre enough to get the mind racing. Why confine an idea like racism to humans, wh... read moreen you could demonstrate the effects that racism has on the rest of the world? Sam Fuller's final product is odd, offering a coherent message with a surprising grasp of racism and fusing it with something of a campy, entertaining thriller. It's a fantastic, if somewhat offbeat, example of a popcorn movie with a message.

    White Dog is nowhere near perfect, though. A lot of the directorial choices are hasty: plot moments such as Julie bringing her dog to a film set, or the police showing up in a matter of seconds after a call, simply don't add up. The movie is overscored - I know everyone loves Enrio Morricone but I'm not feeling it here - and rife with all sorts of jarring shots. Arbitrary zoom-ins on Kristy McNichol's substitute teacher mullet and the like. He fares better with his performers. McNichol herself had potential, but doesn't seem to do much with this role, choosing to remain on the same level of moderate investment through the entire movie. She is good in her one climactic scene in the final five minutes, but she seems unwilling to offer anything else. Paul Winfield is stirring, and even with a very limited character he still manages to draw us into his reasoning for trying to reform the dog. It was also great hearing Burl Ives, whose voice I will forever remember as the narrator snowman from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, talking about his friend's jugular getting ripped out.

    In the end, despite its unevenness, it is a fascinating product. It's a shame that it was pigeonholed as a "racist movie" before it even got a chance to be released, because it is anything but racist. The admittedly real possibility of exploitation is tempered by a sensible, mature outlook on the issues it faces. Recommended.
  • pier007
    March 16, 2009
    pier007
    Proficient filmmaker Sam Fuller achieves an startling Hitchcockian thriller about the poisonous sentiment of racism.
    A canine is the seemingly peaceful being that encapsulates all the hate, prejudice and animosity among humans.
    A heartbreaking parable told with impeccable and har... read mored-hitting style.
  • tsigur
    January 2, 2009
    tsigur
    Give me a break. I know this is supposed to be a social commentary film by Fuller, but most of it is laughable. And I am not talking about the racial stuff being funny, but I mean stuff like a fucking dog jumping through a window to catch a rapist and lines from Paul Winfield tha... read moret made it actually an enjoyable viewing. I know it's supposed to be a comment and that the French just love everything that comes out of Samuel Fuller, but at times it seemed more Ed Wood than anything. Kristy McNichol is hot, but even the dog is overacting in this film. Like I said, watch it like you watch Carpenter films and you will enjoy it.
  • adammahler1
    July 25, 2007
    adammahler1
    3 people become intent on 'breaking' a dog trained to attack black people, as though they would be defeating human hate. It's overpowering; great music by Ennio Morricone and extreme close-ups like Leone, slow-motion sequences like DePalma's.
  • gator681
    February 21, 2007
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]Directed by Samuel Fuller, "White Dog" starts with Julie(Kristy McNichol), a struggling actress, hitting a stray white German Shepherd with her car. She takes him to a veterinarian and cares for him. In return, the dog successfully defends her against a would... read more-be rapist. But despite his loyalty, he is an attack dog, one who was specifically trained to attack people who are black.[/font]

    [font=Century Gothic]Once mistakenly considered racist, "White Dog" is anything but. It is actually a chilling and powerful indictment of racism and its malignant effects. By using the white dog as a symbol, the movie is able to ask such potent questions as: what does make a person racist and can a bigot's thinking be changed? In short, is there any hope?[/font]

View All White Dog Reviews

Critic Reviews

Brian Juergens
March 26, 2010
Brian Juergens, CampBlood.org

A misunderstood masterpiece - not just a poignant movie about racism, but also a stellar example of how genre film can be effectively used to address a society's ills. Full Review

Paul Brenner
December 31, 2008
Paul Brenner, Filmcritic.com

one film that will never make it into the Animal Planet lineup. Full Review

Fernando F. Croce
December 12, 2008
Fernando F. Croce, Slant Magazine

Hate is a dog from hell in White Dog, Samuel Fuller's abused and abandoned late-career masterpiece about homegrown racism. Full Review

Rob Gonsalves
April 9, 2007
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

A simply told story that says more about racism than many NAACP-approved films. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
October 12, 2006
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Compelling oddball thriller about a racist dog who only attacks blacks is directed by the always interesting Sam Fuller. Full Review

Phil Hall
June 16, 2006
Phil Hall, Film Threat

As they say in Arkansas: this dog don't hunt. Full Review

Doug Cummings
May 14, 2005
Doug Cummings, Filmjourney

A powerful, inspired critique of racism, tapping into the relationship between humans and animals in a way that places it within the ranks of cinematic masterpieces... Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
May 22, 2004
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

There is no excitement to these scenes -- which is as it should be. The filming is sparse, with no clutter. Full Review

Shane Burridge
May 17, 2004
Shane Burridge, rec.arts.movies.reviews

Sat on the shelf at Paramount for ten years... and was not shown in U.S. cinemas until it received retrospective festival screenings.

Janet Maslin
August 30, 2004
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

White Dog : Watch Free on TV

White Dog Trivia

  • In the Movie the littlest Hobo, the lead role was played by a...?  Answer »
  • who is the dog that is black and white  Answer »
  • In "Best in Show," what breed of dog is "Rhapsody in White?"  Answer »
  • In "Young Frankenstien" what did Eyegore bite that was around Dr. Frankenstien's fiancee's neck?  Answer »
More White Dog Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for White Dog. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add White Dog to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?