This is a period piece, set in what appears to be the late 1800s. Much of the film is narrated by the main character, Wildfire, a bull terrier, who moves upward from the Bowery in this "rags-to-riches" fantasy. At times Wildfire's narration may be `too cute', but remarkably it doesn't stray too far. This device of personifying the dog truly works, particularly due to the script. Wildfire gets high praise for his performance. Dean Jagger is excellent as is Edmund Gwynne.

The film is well-paced and I found it much more entertaining that I anticipated. This is good escapist fare-the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad, but not too terribly so.

A bull terrier recounts his rise from the dirty waterfront bowery of New York City to dog fights to kindly stable hand Jeremiah Edward Emmett Augustus Nolan (Edmund Gwenn)'s dog in a rich man's estate. When the master orders the dog to leave, his daughter makes him a bet that the dog would win the big dog show.

This is as good as many of the 70's doggie movies. Instead of having two contests, it would be nice to make it all about one contest. Then there is the daddy issues. I would rather skip that. It's not laid out well enough for it to be a good story element. There could be more done with the training section and the dog show itself. This is nice even if it drags a little towards the end.

"It's a Dog's Life" is a very hard film to watch...and I am sure it wasn't particularly easy back in 1955 as well. The film is about a Bull Terrier...and much of the film consists of the poor animal being abused and forced to dog fight. While they don't actually show the dogs fighting, seeing the dog covered in blood and looking awful was tough to watch...which makes me wonder WHO would really want to see the movie...whether or not it's any good. Sure, things work out eventually for the animal...but the first portion is just a giant downer. It's also a film I'd never want to show children...especially younger ones.

Despite the dog fighting, is it any good? Well, for me, not particularly. I did not enjoy listening to the voiceovers coming supposedly from the dog--not just because I didn't like the gimmick but because the writing was so bad. It was supposed to be funny and clever...mostly I found it grating. I did enjoy seeing Edmund Gwenn and his interactions with the dog...they were sweet...but not enough to really recommend the movie.