74. The Journeyman: Curtis Hanson #6: White Dog (1982)

Spoiler alert: Bryan and A.J. are very excited to talk about White Dog (1982), directed by the great Samuel Fuller and co-written by Fuller and Curtis Hanson (we also give away plot details and twists). Paramount executives were expecting this story, about an actress who realizes the dog she has taken in has been trained to attack Black people on sight and the animal trainer who tries to retrain the dog, to be a sensational horror movie, but Fuller (director of Shock Corridor and The Naked Kiss) created a thoughtful art film that deals directly with racism. In going through the history and release of White Dog a familiar pattern emerges: Hanson writes a screenplay hoping to direct, does not direct, the film is made and then shelved or not released, at least not in America. We marvel at the talent involved on and off screen, including great performances from Kristy McNichol and Paul Winfield and a score by the legendary Ennio Morricone. We also talk about the film’s non-release, speculate on what White Dog would have been like if Hanson directed, and are impressed by Hanson’s resilience after another career setback that should have been a breakthrough. This episode’s themed drink was: Jim Beam.