Character Relationship Map: The Pooch

Characters

• Spud (played by Sherwood Bailey) — protagonist
• Stymie (played by Matthew Beard) — protagonist

  A cheerful vagrant who leads the food search with Spanky. He tricks a woman for food for Pete, frees the gang's dogs to redeem himself, finds a five-dollar bill to ransom Pete, and ultimately saves hi...

• Dorothy (played by Dorothy DeBorba) — supporting
• Wheezer (played by Bobby 'Wheezer' Hutchins) — supporting
• Dog Pound Worker (played by Dick Gilbert) — supporting
• Breezy (played by Kendall McComas) — supporting
• Second Housewife (played by May Wallace) — minor
• First Housewife (played by Estelle Etterre) — minor
• Kid Who Throws Donut (played by Dickie Jackson) — minor
• Bouncy (played by Harold Wertz) — supporting
• Spanky (played by George McFarland) — minor

  A younger companion to Stymie who joins the food search and participates in fighting back against the dogcatcher with rocks and eggs. He accompanies Stymie to the pound and shares in the mourning and...

• Officer (played by Harry Bernard) — minor

  A police officer who suspects Stymie of stealing the five-dollar bill he finds on the ground. Stymie successfully outsmarts him before rushing to the pound.

• Diner Attendant (played by Baldwin Cooke) — minor

  A restaurant worker who refuses to serve Stymie and Spanky due to their lack of money, prompting their continued search for food.

• Bud the Dogcatcher (played by Budd Fine) — minor

  The antagonistic dogcatcher who confiscates the gang's dogs and attempts to capture Pete. He demands five dollars for Pete's release, lies about gassing the dog, and is ultimately chased away by Pete...

Story Analysis

A vagrant's quest to redeem himself by rescuing a captured dog from a vengeful dogcatcher.

Plot Progression

1. Hunger and Redemption — Stymie struggles to find food and faces rejection. Motivated by past mistakes, he devises a scheme to obtain food and plans to free captured dogs to regain his gang's trust.
2. The Dogcatcher's Threat — The dogcatcher captures the dogs and targets the pet. Stymie and the gang launch a counterattack but fail, leading to the dog's capture and a ransom demand.
3. The Five Dollar Quest — Stymie prays for the ransom money and miraculously finds a bill. He outsmarts a suspicious officer and races against time to reach the pound.
4. Pound Showdown — Stymie arrives as the dog is sealed in the gas chamber. After a false death declaration and mourning, the truth is revealed, leading to a triumphant resolution.