Being the first user on Letterboxd to watch and review this film, I can confidently say I have discovered a rare gem locked behind the vaults at the UCLA Film and TV archive. I knew nothing about this film besides the fact DeMille Pictures Corporation produced it. Watching it on a crappy VHS copy at the archive’s viewing room on UCLA campus, I had a great time.

I knew I was in for a good one when an opening title card listed a cast of dogs and a cast of humans. The movie is narrated by a dog recounting how he saved his owner and their family. It makes for some great, humorous title cards including a dog insulting their owner as a “son of a woman”. Good stuff.

The humans do their part to carry the picture when the dogs become less of a focus in the middle of the film. The dogs definitely are the highlight but a good pairing in the romantic human couple helps us root for their success and cheer on Hank the dog’s efforts to bring them together.

Any programmers for classic film festivals or distributors of silent era physical releases should add Almost Human onto their short list as a fun, silent era programmer that’d be great for an audience with its reliance of snappy title cards and cute dogs. Hopefully the film finds a way out of the archive and out into world.