The Two Barks Brothers (1931) Online
Anthropomorphized dogs play all the parts. E. Barks, local district attorney, is running for mayor as the prohibition candidate. His aged mother tells a sad but hopeful story of how when Barks was a pup, gypsies stole away his brother. The brother, it turns out, is a vagabond with no memory of his life before the gypsies. He arrives in the city and is promptly hired, by Barks' nemesis, the local beer baron and Mob boss, to do some skullduggery. They're setting up Barks to crash and burn. Will treachery triumph, and what of a vigilant mother's memory?
Eighth of nine "Dogville Comedies" released by MGM from 1929 to 1931. These shorts generally spoofed popular films of the day and were hugely popular.
This series was controversial even at the time due to the methods used to get the dogs to pose and "talk". In the UK, the "Performing and Captive Animals Defense League" printed a circular in 1931 detailing the alleged abuse these animals endured. They were successful in having the British film censors ban these films due to animal cruelty.
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