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Hero image for The Frog, the Dog, and the Devil

The Frog, the Dog, and the Devil

Short Film (Full Length) – 1986

PG
Parental Guidance

Bob Stenhouse worked largely alone to visualise this luminously-animated ode to the "nation of drunkards" (as New Zealand was tagged in the House of Lords in 1838). A shepherd tricks a Mackenzie barman out of a bottle of ‘Hokonui Lightning', but too much pioneer spirit sees him haunted by the devil's daughter. In 1986 Frog was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short; later an animation festival in Annecy, France judged it one of the best animated films made that century. A short 'making of' clip at the end offers hints of the hard work behind the film's distinctive look. 

By far the most outrageous injustice of the whole business, though, was the selection of A Greek Tragedy as the best animated short film. It is a witty and original work, but — all chauvinism aside — its visual impact is not a patch on our National Film Unit's The Frog, the Dog and the Devil. There ain't no justice. We was robbed.
– Peter Calder on the 1987 Academy Awards, The NZ Herald, 3 April 1987, section 3, page 9

Key Cast & Crew

Profile image for Bob Stenhouse

Bob Stenhouse

Director, Animator, Camera

Profile image for Hugh Macdonald

Hugh Macdonald

Producer

Generic Profile image for Martin Townsend

Martin Townsend

Producer

Generic Profile image for Kit Rollings

Kit Rollings

Sound

Generic Profile image for John Lipke

John Lipke

Sound

Profile image for Grant Tilly

Grant Tilly

Voice

See all 9 credits

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