A dog searching for his boy
Filmed in Dallas from May 1959, My Dog, Buddy tells the story of a dog separated from a boy after a car accident. Buddy follows emergency sirens through the city as he tries to find his way back to him.
It is a straightforward family story, but it gave London another full feature built around his work. The film opened regionally in Texas in spring 1960 before receiving wider Columbia distribution later that year.
London as Buddy
London played Buddy, with Chuck credited as his owner and trainer. Chuck also made a brief appearance as a patrol officer. Contemporary publicity presented the picture as London’s return after The Littlest Hobo, and it confirmed that the first Hobo dog had become a genuine feature-film performer.
A 1975 sleeve for Chuck’s record Educate Your Dog by the Eisenmann Method remembered “London I” as appearing in two full-length films. The strongest reading is that those were The Littlest Hobo and My Dog, Buddy.
Thorn steps in
The film also hints at the future of Chuck’s work. He later recalled that Thorn doubled London for some of the more demanding action, including a sequence involving a firetruck and the boy’s glove. It is an early glimpse of the specialist jobs that later dogs would take on.
Taking Buddy on the road
London and Chuck did not disappear once the film was released. They made publicity appearances in Texas, including a known San Angelo visit and an appearance at KLIF in Dallas. For cinema audiences, this was a chance to meet the dog behind Buddy in person.
Can you add a piece to the picture?
Programmes, lobby cards, cinema advertisements, photographs, radio clips and memories of London’s Texas appearances would all help tell this story. If you have something to share, please email contact@thehobostory.org.