Dog East Dog (1964)

Jayne Mansfield

Dark Sky Films

R1 DVD

The movie opens up with the truly memorable image of Jayne Mansfield rolling around in a bed covered in money. Throughout the film she plays the sex siren with such memorable lines as “ I do wear panties!”, she really overdoes the blonde bombshell role here and it makes the film a real cult classic. This film was a later film for Mansfield who died not long after in 1967.

After pulling off a million-dollar theft, taking used banknotes which were on the way to the US Treasury for Destruction. Dolph Kostis decides he wants it all for himself and leaves his partner Lylle Corbett for dead (making him jump off a cliff) and prepares to escape with the money and blonde bombshell Darlene (Jayne Mansfield). They take a small boat to what they think is a deserted island, where Kostis has a getaway boat and fuel for a journey to the Mediterranean where they can start a new life.

Nothing goes according to plan. As they prepare to make their escape, the hotel manager, Livio Morelli notices a $1000 bill on the floor of their motel unit and overhears them discussing their escape. He decides he wants the cash for himself and sends his sister, Sandra to blow up the boat so he can steal the cash. But again things are not that simple, Corbett, who has survived his partner’s murder attempt, is on the boat, captures her and ties her up.

So they are all on their way, all five of them, to the deserted island. When they arrive they find crazy old Madam Benoit (Isa Miranda) who used to run the Island’s brothel has returned to die, accompanied by her butler/enforcer Janis (Pinkas Braun).

As one would expect the money goes missing and paranoia abounds. And as the cash continues to change hiding spots, possessed by greed they kill each other off one by one and of course those who remain get greedier and more desperate by the minute.

Essentially this is a strange morality tale with everyone after the cash. Each character is flawed and tries to outwit the others to get the dosh. Dog Eat Dog is hence a great heist film packed with double crosses and triple dealings. It is action packed and there is hardy a minute that goes by without bizarre turn.

Each personality is well developed and the film works because the characters are just as interesting, if not eccentric, as the plot. The dialogue is witty, the action fast and the soundtrack is groovy!

Filmed on location in the former Yugoslavia in August 1963, Jayne Mansfield was then four months pregnant with her daughter Mariska Hargitay with the costumes carefully designed to conceal Jayne's growing tummy !

Dark Sky Films presents Dog Eat Dog in a letterboxed widescreen that preserves the films original aspect ratio. The black and white image looks very impressive despite a small amount of print damage. The sound track is a clear Dolby Digital mono, which balances the music and voices well.

Extras for this release include an English language trailer for the film and a still and poster gallery and two newsreels featuring Jayne Mansfield. The first newsreel is from 1963 and the second one is from 1967 released around the time of her death.