Early in his career, Tim Burton began to use a familiar theme that would re-occur later throughout his work. The use of a dog, either alive or dead, comes across many a time in a Burton film. This is a look at three movies in which dogs play a major role -Frankenweenie, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride.

In Frankenweenie, a young boy loses his best friend, Sparky, a dog. Sparky, besides being a pet, is also the neighborhood dog everyone knows and loves. So when he is struck by a car and is killed, Victor (played by Barret Oliver) is distraught with grief. While sitting in science class one day, the teacher shows the class that if a dead thing is given enough electricity, it can be brought back to life. Victor immediately begins plotting to bring Sparky back – and succeeds – only to scare the neighbors. But even though Sparky is dead, he’s still very much like a normal dog – running around the neighborhood causing mischief and what not. The only difference, of course, is that he has stitches and bolts coming out of his neck.

What is interesting is the fact that Burton decided to have the dog die and be brought back to life – we see this theme used again in Corpse Bride when Victor Van Dort (voiced by Johnny Depp) receives a wedding gift from Emily (voiced by Helena Bonham-Carter). The wedding gift turns out to be Victor’s old dog Scraps. Even though Scraps is now skeletal remains he is still very much like a normal dog – doing tricks…and sniffing other dog’s behinds. The cause of Scraps' death is uncertain, most likely from old age or as Victor hints – “Mother never approved of Scraps jumping up like this. Then again, she never really approved of anything.”

Death is a very big part of Burton movies – and it is fascinating how he combines death with animals – much like how we associate ghosts with people – Burton associates the afterlife with dogs. This may come across as odd, because cats apparently have nine lives, not dogs. One could even go as far as to say Burton favors dogs over cats. Burton does include cats in his movies, too, but they usually are not as important as dogs or don’t play the same role as dogs do. He could’ve very well made Frankenkitty but choose not to do so.

The very last film I have chosen is The Nightmare Before Christmas. In this film, a dog plays a very important role. In the two films discussed prior, the dog was the best friend (and was also befriended by two people with the same first name). A dead dog once more is shown in this film, except he is a ghost, and not skeletal remains. He is Jack Skellington’s dog, Zero, once again, his best friend. The phrase “A dog is a man’s best friend” is very true in these films, especially in this case. Jack is plotting to take over Christmas, and as Christmas night approaches, he seems to find himself in a bit of a pickle. A thick fog rolls about, making it impossible to see anything. Jack is at a loss, his Christmas hopes and dreams spoiled, until… the bright light of Zero’s nose comes along! He immediately puts Zero at the head of the team, leading the way for everyone. Zero is an important part here – not for him, the story wouldn’t be the same. He basically saved Christmas, and Jack owes a lot to him for making his dream become possible.

These movies, though different in context, are similar because not only of the dog theme, but because of the ‘best friend’ and death aspects. Here dogs who were once alive have died, one way or another, and are brought back to life through various means. We never know how Scraps or Zero died, that is left up to our imagination. The ‘best friend’ aspect comes in and is especially evident in Frankenweenie and Corpse Bride. It is an obvious connection that is made between the dog and its master. Victor is obviously happy to see Scraps; his long lost friend (as we can see in the beginning of the film, there is a picture of Victor and Scraps in his room). Frankenweenie is basically just a story of a boy and his dog – the dog being the ‘best friend’ – but that relationship is obvious too. There is a connection between them, and of course, Victor is upset when Sparky is run over. It would be the same reaction if one’s best friend was struck by a car.

Though this can be looked upon as morbid - with the focus on death - all three of these movies also deal with life. Even though the dogs have died, they still are able to remain the friend or the companion – though we are unsure of how they’re brought back to life (except in Frankenweenie). What is also interesting is the fact that Zero and Scraps are almost alike – both are in stop-go animated film, and both are skeletal remains… in a way. Tim Burton adapted Frankenweenie from the original Frankenstein story, already showing his knack for creative story-telling. Still, he is able to incorporate the same ideas and concepts within all three of these films. The one that most people can easily see the similarities in is between The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride.

In conclusion, dogs play an important role in Burton movies. They provide friendship, leadership and a minor, yet pivotal part. Though they themselves do not carry the storyline, they most certainly add to the overall plot and help the main character through whatever ordeal they face. For Jack, it was making it through the foggy Christmas night. In Corpse Bride, it was providing a sense of friendship. And for a little boy named Victor, it was about having a best friend.

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You can buy the movies mentioned in the article through the following links. Frankenweenie can be found on The Nightmare Before Christmas Special Edition DVD.