WILLIAM WEGMAN / The Hardly Boys

William Wegman 
The Hardly Boys in Hardly Gold  1995
DVD, 30 minutes
19 x 14cm
William Wegman

Condition: New

The brilliant photographer directs a cast of detective dogs who appear surreally human. his take on the detective book series The Hardy Boys, which he loved as a kid in the 1950s. Who better to play detectives on film than hunting dogs? Along with striking frames and great production design, William Wegman impressively achieves a 30-minute film with an entirely dog cast who, as in his pictures, appear surreally human.

The Hardly family arrives at an inn in Maine to participate in leisure activities: golfing, fishing, and canoeing. The trip takes a puzzling turn when the daughters set off to solve the mysterious disappearance of their aunt Gladiola. Wegman further explains the concept: “The premise of The Hardly Boys is that the dogs Crooky and Batty, not unlike Frank and Joe Hardy (the characters they parody), are amateur detectives sniffing out clues using their super dog powers to track down criminals. When these powers are called upon they lose their human elements, hands, uprightness, clothing and turn into dogs.