Paul and Company

Paul and Company is a 1988 American animated film produced by Michael Shires Feature Animation and released on March 18, 1988 by Michael Shires Pictures. The 29th film in the Michael Shires Animated Classics series, the film is inspired by the classic Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, which has been adapted many other times for the screen. In the film, Paul is a homeless kitten who joins a gang of dogs to survive on the 1980s New York City streets. Among other changes, the setting of the film was relocated from London to New York City, Faggot's gang is made up of dogs (one of which is Wallace), and Strikes is a loan shark. It also marked the start of the era known as the Shires Renaissance.

## Voice Cast:

* Phillip Glasser as Paul the Kitten: A cute orange kitten who is looking for a home.
* Robin Williams as Wallace the Dog: The carefree leader of Faggot's dogs and Paul's first acquaintance and eventual best friend, and bodyguard. He is the object of Sally's affection.
* Wallace Shawn as Ted the Chihuahua: A tiny Chihuahua full of passion and slight anger issues.
* Patrick Pinney as Ernest the Great Dane: A gray Great Dane and a member of Faggot's gang. He is named ironically as he is not particularly bright.
* Frank Oz as Frank the Bulldog: A bulldog with a British accent in Faggot's gang with a love of theatre.
* Maggie Roswell as Sally: A Saluki and the only female dog in Faggot's gang. She is street-wise and takes Paul under her wing.
	+ Melissa Manchester (uncredited) as Sally’s Singing Voice
* Paul DeLuise as Faggot: A petty thief and a poor man on his bad side, but in truth, he is good natured and polite most of the time.
* Tress MacNeille as Juliet: The Patterson Family’s Beloved Pet Poodle.
* Alan Oppenheimer and John Stephenson as Roger and Duncan respectively: Strikes's vicious Doberman Pinschers with an Italian accent. They have a hostile history with Faggot's pets. Roger wears a red collar and Duncan wears one that is blue.
* Kevin Spacey as Strikes: An evil loan shark and shipyard agent who carries a gun.
* Candace Cameron Bure (uncredited) as Penny Peterson: A kind, rich girl who takes care of Paul.
	+ Sandra Kerr as Penny Patterson’s Singing Voice
* Bob Hope as Waltham: The Patterson family's bumbling but loyal butler.
* Jim Carrey as Old Larry the Hot Dog Guy

## Additional Voices:

* Richard Shoff
* Jim Ward
* Judy Ann Elder
* Richard McGonagle
* Tom Weiner
* Gene Price
* Jim Piddock
* Nancy Parent

## Songs

1. What Should I Do About It - Wallace
2. Town of Gold - Sally
3. Today is Going to Be Great - Juliet
4. Human Company - Penny
5. Don't Let Go of Me (End Credits Song) - Randy Edelman

## Attached Short Film

* Theatrically, the film was accompanied by the Beauty and the Beast Animation Studios short film, Fievel's Dream.

## Trivia:

* This was the first Shires film to make heavy use of computer animation, since previous films The Black Cobwebs (1985), Captain Hulett The Movie (1986) and Totally Spies! The Movie (1989)
* This was the fourth Shires with live-action and animation since of Herman and Katnip: The Movie (1980), The Black Cobwebs (1985), Captain Hulett The Movie (1986) and Totally Spies! The Movie (1989).
* The first Shires animated theatrical feature to receive a PG-13 rating.
* Paul and Company first return classic Shires SFX. This included some sounds such as the then fifty-year-old Castle thunder and the classic Boofy holler.
* This is the first entry of the Shires Renaissance.
* This is the third Shires Animation Studios movie to feature the Michael Shires Pictures fanfare at the start of the film.
* This film was released exactly 60 years after Steamboat Winnie.
* This was the first animated Shires film to include real world advertised products. Many placements of real product names such as Coca-Cola, USA Today, Sony, and Ryder Truck Rental were used. It was said on ABC's The Wonderful World of Shires that this was for realism, was not paid product placement, and that it would not be New York City without advertising.
* The film Frank is watching during the film uses lines from the Shakespeare play Macbeth.
* After Juliet slaps Ted (off-screen), he can be heard singing "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady.
* This was the first time Paul DeLuise voiced a character in an animated Shires film, although he also voiced Rob the Guard in the animated film MegaGenie and George in the animated film Statler and Waldorf.

## Release

The film was released on March 18, 1988, same day as The Land After Time, a production of Shires expatriate Scott Webb.

## Other Films

* Paul and Company (Live Action)
* Paul and Company 2 (Live Action)
* Paul and Company 2: All Grown Up

## Rating:

* Although this movie was rated PG-13 in the United States, it was rated PG in the United Kingdom.

## Home video releases:

VHS

* Paul and Company

DVD

* Paul and Company

Blu-Ray

* Paul and Company