Mooch Goes to Hollywood 1971

Mooch, a young canine starlet, sets off for Hollywood and quickly learns the town’s glimmering underside. After befriending Zsa Zsa Gabor, her new confidant offers the dog a candid “skinny” on how fame works in Tinseltown, guiding her through the glittering streets and iconic haunts. As Mooch wanders the city, she crosses paths with actors and audiences alike, soaking in the larger-than-life atmosphere that defines the star-driven dream factory.

A fateful first encounter lands Mooch in the car of Vincent Price at the Brown Derby, where Price contemplates giving the dog to a devoted young admirer and arranges a visit to a veterinarian for a routine check-up. When Price leaves, Mooch is startled by the veterinarian scene and bolts for the door, unable to catch up as Price drives away into the busy streets of Hollywood.

The adventure continues into a psychedelic sequence of celebrity-tinged moments, where Mooch meets a quirky crowd, including Phyllis Diller. Her wanderings take her from Dino’s Lounge on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood to the Playboy Club in downtown Los Angeles, a world of glamorous parties and glittering chatter where the dog’s charm keeps attracting new admirers.

From there, Mooch discovers Michaelangelo’s Wigs, envisioning a dazzling new look that might turn her into a true star. She presses on past the Classic Cat Club and later crosses paths with James Darren at an outdoor garage, feigning an injury to grab his attention and test the limits of luck and luck’s friends in Hollywood.

A seaside detour opens up fresh possibilities and more friends, as Mooch tags along with two aspiring talents being scouted by a producer, Jerry Hausner. The day ends back at the veterinarian’s kennel, where Mooch’s restlessness spurts into action once more, and she faces the looming shadow of Dr. Hackett.

With a new spark of determination, Mooch makes a break for Paragon Studios, wandering the back lots where famous catchphrases float through the air like echoes of cinema’s past. She disrupts a wild west shoot and slips into the dressing room of Jill St. John, catching a glimpse of the star’s world and the choreography of a glamorous day.

In the hairdresser’s chair, the young actress-to-be accompanies Jim Backus, who plays Mr. Magoo and needs a dog for a forthcoming production. The two form an unlikely bond as he brings Mooch home to meet his wife and the gathering of friends—an onlooker’s parade of faces that includes Mooch’s former owners who arrive for a garden party full of laughter and recollection.

As Mooch makes one last bid for stardom, she explores a grand Hollywood estate and jumps aboard the owner’s car, only to discover that the driver is Dr. Hackett, who ultimately adopts the stray and gives Mooch a place to belong in the bright, bustling world she’s come to know.