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Drama western

A Dog’s Best Friend (1959): Cast & Plot

A Dog’s Best Friend (1959) movie poster

A Dog’s Best Friend is a 1959 drama western directed by Edward L. Cahn, starring Roger Mobley as Pip Wheeler, Bill Williams and Jimmy Baird. It runs 1 hour 10 minutes.

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A Dog’s Best Friend (1959) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 10m (70 min)
Director
Edward L. Cahn
Genres
Drama , Western
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is A Dog’s Best Friend About?

The premise of A Dog’s Best Friend without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A solitary orphan, tired of his foster family, finds comfort in a loyal German shepherd whose owner was recently murdered. As he uncovers key evidence about the crime, the courageous dog intervenes just in time, pulling the boy away from the dangerous killer, strengthening their bond in the process.

A Dog’s Best Friend Themes & Keywords

· 10 tags
  • killer
  • young
  • boy
  • orphan
  • foster parent
  • murder
  • san fernando valley california
  • missing pet
  • modern west
  • unsolved murder
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Cast & crew

A Dog’s Best Friend Cast & Characters

Roger Mobley leads the cast as Pip Wheeler, with Bill Williams as Wesley 'Wes' Thurman and Jimmy Baird as Jimmy Thurman. Directed by Edward L. Cahn; 11 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in A Dog’s Best Friend

· 7 more
From the director

More from Edward L. Cahn

More films directed by Edward L. Cahn: Incident in an Alley, Beauty and the Beast, Secret of Deep Harbor and You Have to Run Fast.

Full filmography
Plot

A Dog’s Best Friend Plot Summary

What happens in A Dog’s Best Friend from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Pip Wheeler, Roger Mobley, is an orphan who, after his widowed father is executed for murder, is sent to live with rancher Wes Thurman, Bill Williams and his wife Millie Thurman, Marcia Henderson. The young boy’s traumatic past makes him withdrawn and difficult, and the couple secretly wonders if a return to the orphanage might be kinder. 38 revolver. With quiet patience and improvisation, Pip nurses the dog back to health and starts slipping food from the Thurmans’ table to sustain him. He hides the animal in the surrounding hills, and a fragile trust blossoms between boy and beast. In this quiet, intimate dynamic, Pip’s guarded demeanor starts to crack, hinting at a voice of loyalty and courage buried beneath years of fear.

Full summary

The whole story of A Dog’s Best Friend, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Quiz

How Well Do You Know A Dog’s Best Friend?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the name of the orphan boy who lives with the Thurmans?

Seen A Dog’s Best Friend?

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Movies Like A Dog’s Best Friend

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including A Boy and His Dog, Dog Days of Summer and Dog Gone.

FAQ

A Dog’s Best Friend FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of A Dog’s Best Friend, each answered in a sentence.

How long is A Dog’s Best Friend?

A Dog’s Best Friend runs 1 hour 10 minutes (70 minutes).

When was A Dog’s Best Friend released?

A Dog’s Best Friend was released on December 20, 1959.

Who directed A Dog’s Best Friend?

A Dog’s Best Friend was directed by Edward L. Cahn.

More films by Edward L. Cahn

Who is in the cast of A Dog’s Best Friend?

A Dog’s Best Friend stars Roger Mobley as Pip Wheeler, Bill Williams as Wesley 'Wes' Thurman and Jimmy Baird as Jimmy Thurman, among 11 credited actors.

Does A Dog’s Best Friend have a post-credit scene?

No. A Dog’s Best Friend has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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