Famous Dobermans in Movies and TV: The Complete List - Doberman Planet (2023)

The Doberman Pinscher is used very often in film and television. After all, they are impressive, easily trained, and imposing dogs. Unfortunately, they are often portrayed as vicious animals and often take on the role of a 'guard dog', despite the very friendly nature of the modern Doberman Pinscher.

Contrary to what you see in the movies, today's Doberman is an affectionate, loyal, and gentle family pet who has also retained many of his protective instincts. I wrote all about howThese dogs are really dangerous hereto answer some common questions about the reality of Doberman aggression.

Below is an ever-growing list of films and television productions that have featured Doberman Pinschers, along with a brief synopsis of each feature and whether the role of the dog was a lead, like the main character, or more of a supporting role.

Movies with Dobermans

Alex and the Doberman Gang (1980)

Year:1980

Typ:Made for TV movie

With:Jack Stauffer, Taurean Blacque, and Cindy Acker

Rolle:Haupt

An incompetent private investigator inherits five Doberman Pinschers. Initially, the dogs wreak havoc in his life, but eventually they become trusted companions and help Alex solve a variety of cases.

The Amazing Dobermans (1976)

With:Barbara Eden and James Francis

Rolle:Haupt

An ex-con has five trained Dobermans that he uses to help a Treasury Department agent bring a gangster and his gang to justice. This is the third film in a series of three films. The first two are The Doberman Gang (1972) and The Daring Dobermans (1973), also on this list.

America's Sweetheart (2001)

With:John Cusack, Julia Roberts and Billy Crystal

Rolle:irrelevant

In this romantic comedy, a publicist tries to control an escalating situation as two famous movie stars are going through an awkward public divorce. In a hilarious scene, a Doberman Pinscher attacks the window cleaner and drags him away. Later, the Doberman returns to stare down Lee Phillips (played by Billy Crystal). There is at least one other comedic scene featuring the Doberman in this hilarious comedy.

Beethoven (1992)

With:Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt und Dean Jones

Rolle:irrelevant

The Newton family finds a new love with their St. Bernard puppy, Beethoven. This classic comedy is also packed with drama as the town's veterinarian kidnaps dogs to use in experiments. In one scene, henchmen Vernon and Harvey believe they have escaped a gang of dogs plotting revenge on them when their joy suddenly turns to fear when they are cornered at a local junkyard by four angry Doberman Pinschers .

Beverly-Hills-Chihuahua (2008)

With:Drew Barrymore and George Lopez

Rolle:Haupt

A spoiled Chihuahua (Chloe), used to the good life in Beverly Hills, gets lost on the way home in Mexico and thrown into a dogfighting ring. There she meets and befriends Delgado, a former police K-9. Chloe also encounters Delgado's nemesis Diablo the Doberman (Edward James Olmos) and is put in the dogfighting ring with Diablo before Delgado saves the day. Dogs can talk in this adventure comedy.

The Boss (2016)

With:Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, Steve Mallory and Peter Dinklage

Rolle:irrelevant

A wealthy businesswoman named Michelle Darnell (played by Melissa McCarthy) who rose to the top falls back down when she's arrested for insider trading. This comedy follows their attempts to return to the top. Her rival in the business world is a man named Renault (played by Peter Dinklage), who Michelle also used to date. Renault is obsessed with Japanese culture and samurai. He also has two menacing looking guard dogs, both of which are Doberman Pinschers. These dogs are seen with him as he plots against Michelle, and later in the film the two Dobermans are chasing Michelle and her friends when they break into his home.

The Boys from Brazil (1978)

With:Laurence Olivier, Gregory Peck und James Mason

Rolle:irrelevant

In this classic drama, Barry Kohler is a Nazi hunter tracking down a group of ex-SS officers. Determined to thwart a plan to bring the Nazi Party back to power, Barry is taken to many different locations in Europe and the United States. In one particularly gory scene, our hero seems drained when a pack of Dobermans takes on the villain Dr. Josef Mengele (played by Gregory Peck) disarms him. Eventually, the dogs maul Dr. Mengele to death.

Chinese Zodiac (2012)

With:Jackie Chan

Rolle:irrelevant

A team of mercenaries is assembled to recover lost artifacts from the old Summer Palace, which was looted in the 19th century. The leader of the team is Asian Hawk (played by Jackie Chan). In one scene, Asian is chased through a maze by a pack of vicious Doberman Pinschers.

The Daring Dobermans (1973)

With:Charles Robinson, Joan Caulfield und Tim Considine

Rolle:Haupt

Three men and a young Indian boy train a pack of Doberman Pinschers to steal money from a famous politician's campaign. This is the second film in a series of three films. The first film in this seriousness is The Doberman Gang (1972) and the third is The Amazing Dobermans (1976), also on this list

The Doberman Gang (1972)

With:Byron Mabe, Hal Reed, and Julie Parrish

Rolle:Haupt

An ex-con and a former waitress train a pack of six Doberman Pinschers to rob a bank for them after a previous bank robbery gone awry. The Dobermans are all named after famous bank robbers: Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, Ma Barker, Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde. This is the first film in a series of three films. The other two are The Daring Dobermans (1973) and The Amazing Dobermans (1976), which are also on this list.

Embryo (1976)

With:Rock Hudson, Barbara Carrera and Diane Ladd

Rolle:irrelevant

A troubled geneticist named Dr. Paul Holliston (played by Rock Hudson) loses his wife in a car accident. One night Dr. Holliston accidentally hit a pregnant Doberman with his car. The bitch eventually dies, but Dr. Holliston is able to save one of her puppies by carrying him into an artificial womb. Due to limitations in his approach, Dr. Holliston was forced to find a way to dramatically reduce fetal gestation. He eventually devises a method to do this, and the dog grows into an adult dog in just a few days. Eventually, the dog will become well trained, but slowly develop a very aggressive streak. Finally, Dr. Holliston applied his technique to a human fetus, which would grow into an adult, 22-year-old woman in a very short period of time. dr Holliston calls her "Victoria", but unfortunately she also gets a bit violent.

Eyes of an Angel (1991)

With:John Travolta, Tito Larriva and Ellie Raab

Rolle:Haupt

Bobby is a single father trying to raise his 10 year old daughter alone. He tangles with some gangsters in this drama while his daughter finds a badly wounded Doberman pinscher who was thrown off a bridge after losing a dog fight and nurses him back to health. This dog will not leave the girls' side, although Bobby tries to leave the dog behind throughout the film. The Doberman always finds his way back to the little girl who saved his life. It is said to be based on a true story.

Father of the Bride (1991)

With:Steve Martin, Diane Keaton und Martin Short

Rolle:irrelevant

George Banks (Steve Martin) struggles to accept that his little girl is now about to marry fiancé Bryan MacKenzie, whom she has only recently met. This classic comedy features "The MacKenzie Dogs" who live in Bryan's parents' house. These dogs include a pair of Doberman Pinschers that are sure to contribute to some comical situations in the home. This is the first film in a two-part series. The second film is Father of the Bride Part II (1995), which is also on this list.

Father of the Bride Part II (1995)

With:Steve Martin, Diane Keaton und Martin Short

Rolle:irrelevant

George Banks (Steve Martin) has trouble accepting that his baby girl is now pregnant and about to have a baby of her own. At the same time, George's wife Nina Banks becomes pregnant. The "MacKenzie Dogs" (two Doberman Pinschers) play a slightly larger role in this film than in the first part. These dogs are portrayed as exceptionally affectionate towards their owner, but a bit hostile towards George. Many classic scenes involve the two Dobermans, including the scene where they doze on a bed with George's wife Nina and won't let him near the bed. After briefly challenging the dogs, George decides it would be better to sleep on the floor. This is the second film in a two-part series. The first film is Father of the Bride (1991), which is also on this list.

Fletch (1985)

Rolle:irrelevant

With:Chevy Chase und Joe Don Baker

Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher (Chevy Chase) has a job as a newspaper reporter in Los Angeles, but finds himself in some sticky situations after being offered $50,000 to kill a millionaire. In one scene, Fletch is attempting to break into a house while he is investigating the case when he is confronted by a particularly intelligent Doberman pinscher guard dog who mouths doorknobs in order to chase Fletch through the house and eventually out of the house.

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)

With:Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell und Danielle Harris

Rolle:irrelevant

After waking from a year-long coma, Michael Myers becomes obsessed with returning to Haddonfield to kill his niece Jamie, who is now in a mental institution. The psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis teams up with Sheriff Meeker to stop Michael from carrying out his murderous plan. Jamie's dog Max (a Doberman pinscher) is cared for by Tina Williams while Jamie is institutionalized. In one scene, when Max was walking home with Tina and her friend Rachel, he noticed the villain (Michael Myers) was lurking and watching the two girls when no one else was. The girls ignored Max's barking. Max had a special bond with his owner Jamie even though they couldn't be together and at one point Jamie felt something was wrong with their Doberman Max and asked for help finding him to make sure he was okay. Unfortunately, Max is killed later in the film by villain Michael Myers.

Hugo (2011)

With:Asa Butterfield, Christopher Lee and Chloe Grace Moretz

Rolle:Haupt

This film is set in Paris in 1931, where a young boy named Hugo Cabret (played by Asa Butterfield) lives within the walls of a train station. He spends his days servicing the station's clocks, using his impressive mechanical skills taught to him by his late father. He is on a quest to unravel the mysteries of a mechanical device that he believes contains a message from his father. The station inspector (played by Sacha Baron Cohen) has a very intelligent Doberman sidekick who has several key roles in this adventure drama.

In the Mouth of Madness (1995)

With:Sam Neill, Jurgen Prochnow, Julie Carmen and Charlton Heston

Rolle:irrelevant

PI. John Trent (played by Sam Neill) is hired by book publisher Jackson Harglow (Charlton Heston) to find the whereabouts of Sutter Cane (Jürgen Prochnow), one of Jackson's horror writers, after he disappeared just before the long-awaited release of his latest horror film was novel. In one scene, in a small New Hampshire town, John Trent and his assistant Linda get into a violent confrontation at a local church while searching for Sutter Cane. They see a group of townspeople with shotguns confronting Mr. Cane at the nearby church, demanding the return of one of the townspeople's missing children. The townspeople are eventually sent running after a pack of about 6 attack dogs (Dobermans) are let loose on them. The dogs send the entire group to their cars, mauling a few people in the process.

The Invisible Man (2020)

With:Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Elisabeth Moss und Harriet Dyer

Rolle:irrelevant

Cecilia Kass (played by Elisabeth Moss) is an aspiring architect whose wealthy, abusive and controlling husband Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) keeps her captive in a high-tech coastal mansion. In one of the early scenes of the film, Cecilia escapes from the mansion where she is being held by her husband. During her escape while her husband is sleeping, she interacts with her dog, a Doberman pinscher named Zeus. On the way out, she takes a shock collar from Zeus and appears to want to take the dog with her. But as she leaves, Zeus accidentally bumps into a car in her garage, which sets off the alarm, and threatens to wake Cecilia's husband. She is forced to leave in a hurry, leaving Zeus behind and apologizing to him on the way out. The movie is just beginning at this point, but the dog doesn't reappear.

It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog (1946)

With:Carole Landis, Margo Woode und Allyn Joslyn

Rolle:Haupt

A journalist investigating various crimes ends up working with Rodney the Doberman to take down the Valentine gang. The Doberman proves to be an essential ingredient in bringing justice to lawbreakers. This film came out towards the end of World War II when GIs were returning home, often with their Doberman war dogs.

K-911 (1999)

With:Jim Belushi, James Handy and Christine Tucci

Rolle:Haupt

Detective Mike Dooley (played by Jim Belushi) and his German Shepherd partner Jerry Lee are usually criminals. But now Detective Dooley is being pursued by a maniac stalker. When it becomes clear that Detective Dooley's K-9 is a little too old for this job, they work with a younger K-9 team that includes Detective Welles and her dog Zeus, a young, strong Doberman Pinscher.

Moonraker (1979)

With:Roger Moore, Michael Lonsdale und Lois Chiles

Rolle:irrelevant

James Bond investigates a space shuttle theft when he uncovers a plot to commit mass murder. This storyline affects Drax Industries and the man behind the company, Huge Drax. In one scene, Hugo Drax's secretary, Corinne Dufour (played by Corinne Cléry), is fired by Hugo after he suspects she was helping Mr. Bond. Unfortunately Hugo is serious about how he fires his employees and two dogs are sent after Corinne and she is presumably killed. Many believe that these two dogs in the movie are Dobermans, and at first glance they look very similar. But upon closer inspection, they seem more like Beaucerons. The structure of their tails and their unique coat lend credence to this theory. However, I included this film in this list because a lot of people confuse the dogs in this film with Dobermans and they look so similar that it's possible that even the film's director got the "Doberman look" with the dogs he chose. has chosen. These dogs make a few other appearances in this film, including the Drax estate.

The Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear (1991)

With:Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, OJ Simpson and George Kennedy

Rolle:irrelevant

Detective Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) tries to rescue a kidnapped scientist in this classic comedy. In one scene, Frank tries to break into a waterfront warehouse where conspirators of this conspiracy meet. Attempting to gain entry, he encounters vicious Doberman guard dogs. Frank decides to use a grappling hook to climb onto the roof, and unbeknownst to him, his hook grabs the collar of a Doberman guard dog on the other side of the building. As Frank climbs the rope, he also pulls the Doberman onto the roof where the two meet and the chase begins!

Nobody's Fool (1994)

With:Paul Newman, Bruce Willis and Jessica Tandy

Rolle:irrelevant

This heartwarming comedy follows a man of retirement age who is forced to reflect on his own life and the choices he has made. In a scene early in the film, the main character Sully (played by Paul Newman) goes to the Tip Top Construction Company to collect money that is owed to him and to ask for work. Upon entering the yard he is confronted by a large Doberman pinscher guard dog. In a later scene, Sully returns to the yard and feeds the guard dog hamburger meat loaded with painkillers. The dog is drugged and no longer poses a threat. A few additional scenes later in the film show the Doberman now afraid of Sully and wanting nothing to do with him.

The Pickup Artist (1987)

With:Molly Ringwald, Robert Downey Jr. und Dennis Hopper

Rolle:irrelevant

In this comedy, Jack Jericho (Robert Downey Jr.) is a bit of a womanizer who spends his time practicing his pick-up lines in front of the mirror and chasing down women he sees in public, all in search of a new phone number for adding his list. In one scene, Jack tries to pick up a woman he sees walking down the street with her Doberman Pinscher named Caligula. When Jack asks the woman if the dog is friendly, she replies "It depends" and moves on. Caligula is certainly not happy with Jack's presence and helps keep Jack's pickup attempt short.

Raise Arizona (1987)

With:Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter und Trey Wilson

Rolle:irrelevant

This classic comedy stars an ex-con named H.I. McDunnough (played by Nicolas Cage) and an ex-cop Edwina (played by Holly Hunter) get married and soon find they can't have a child of their own. So they hatch a plan to kidnap one of Nathan Arizona's quintuplets. In one scene, H.I. McDunnough goes on a "diaper run" and is quickly pursued by authorities. Fleeing from the police, he jumps a fence and comes face to face with a vicious Doberman Pinscher. From there the chase continues and more laughs ensue as the dog doesn't give up easily.

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)

With:Fred Ward und Joel Gray

Rolle:irrelevant

An NYPD cop, Remo Williams (Fred Ward), is faked dead and recruited into a secret society dedicated to preserving the United States Constitution. One of Remo's investigations leads him to a warehouse where he is confronted by three exceptionally intelligent Dobermans. After believing he's gotten away from the three Dobermans, he finds that they won't stop chasing him that easily, and they work together in a cunning way to track Remo.

Resident Evil (2002)

With:Milla Jovovich and Michelle Rodriguez

Rolle:irrelevant

Alice (played by Milla Jovovich) is stuck in an underground research facility owned and operated by the Umbrella Corporation called The Hive. Alice and a small group of survivors are being pursued by zombies infected with the T-Virus. In one famous scene, Alice is cornered by several vicious "Cerberus" Dobermans (dogs infected with the T-Virus during experiments). Alice makes quick work of these imposing dogs.

Resident Evil: Life After Death (2010)

With:Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, and Wentworth Miller

Rolle:irrelevant

Alice tries again to take down the evil Umbrella Corporation. Zombie Dobermans are back in this Cerberus sequel. But this time, the T-virus caused severe mutations in the dogs. Just as vicious as ever, they try to thwart the heroine Alice (played by Milla Jovovich) during a confrontation with one of the Umbrella Corporation's most senior members, who is also infected with the T-Virus.

Reckless People (1986)

With:Bette Midler and Danny DeVito

Rolle:irrelevant

Sam Stone (played by Danny DeVito) marries Barbara (played by Bette Midler), who comes from a wealthy family. Sam hopes they will inherit a significant sum of money after Barbara's father dies. However, Barabar's father refuses to die and eventually Sam decides to kill his wife to collect her life insurance money. Kidnappers kidnap Barabara before he can carry out his plan. This comedy has a number of twists and turns, but during a famous scene, Sam brings home a new friend for his wife's toy poodle (whom he doesn't like very much). The new friend is "Adolph", the Doberman, who he hopes will take care of the poodle.

Street Hunter (1990)

With:Steve James, Reb Brown and John Leguizamo

Rolle:Haupt

Logan Blade (played by Steve James), a former police officer and Vietnam War veteran, now works as a bounty hunter in New York City, bringing criminals to justice to collect bounty money. Logan lives in a van and is known for his elegant trench coat, his cowboy hat and his sidekick Doberman "Munch". Col. Walsh, a member of the Los Diablos Gang, kills a police officer who is also a close friend of Logan's. This spurs Logan and Munch the Doberman on a quest to bring Col. Walsh to justice for his many crimes.

Suburb (1983)

With:Bill Coyne, Chris Pedersen and Jennifer Clay

Rolle:irrelevant

This thriller is about a group of runaways who band together and rely on each other like a family even in the face of tragedy. The opening scene is about a hitchhiker, a mother and a small child stranded on the road after a puncture. While talking on the phone in a phone booth, the toddler is attacked by a stray Doberman Pinscher. Later in the film, Doberman pinschers are seen again as part of the vicious pack of stray dogs that inhabit the area. Jim Tripplett (played by Lee Frederick) and Bob Skokes (played by Jeff Prettyman) drive around shooting at those stray dogs in retaliation for killing the toddler in the opening scene.

Tenbrae(1982)

With:Anthony Franciosa, Giuliano Gemma

Rolle:irrelevant

This film is also titled Unsane depending on the release. A writer arrives in Rome and soon discovers that his novels serve as inspiration for horrifying murders in this thriller. The murder aims to kill everyone associated with the author's latest book. In one scene, an incredibly talented Doberman is used to pursue Maria Alboretto (played by Lara Wendel). The dog performs some pretty impressive physical stunts during the filming of this scene.

They Only Kill Their Masters (1972)

With:James Garner and Katharine Ross

Rolle:Haupt

In this classic mystery film, a woman has been murdered and the crime is being investigated by the local sheriff. The woman's own dog (a Doberman Pinscher) is suspected of having committed the crime, but evidence leads authorities to many possible suspects. Did the faithful dog actually turn on its owner, or is someone else to blame?

Trapped (1973)

Year:1973

Typ:Made for TV movie

With:James Brolin, Susan Clark und Earl Holliman

Rolle:Haupt

Chuck Brenner (played by James Brolin) is mugged in a downtown department store just before closing time. Unfortunately, the encounter left Chuck unconscious for a short time. When he wakes up, the store is closed and locked for the night. Six vicious Doberman guard dogs are unleashed on the store and confront it. He's fighting for his life while trapped in this store.

True Lies (1994)

With:Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Arnold

Rolle:irrelevant

A secret agent named Harry Tasker (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels the world fighting terrorists while leading a double life as a father. In one of the opening scenes, two Doberman guard dogs are released to subdue the film's hero. Arnold, of course, makes quick work of the two dogs, banging their heads together while they jump on him at the same time.

TV shows with Dobermans

Columbo – „How to Dial a Murder“ (Staffel 7, Folge 4)

Year:1971 – 2003

Typ:TV series

With:Peter Falk, John Finnegan, Bruce Kirby und Mike Lally

Rolle:irrelevant

A behavioral psychologist named Dr. Eric Mason (played by Nicol Williamson) is investigated by Columbo (Peter Frank) after his wife dies under what appear to be suspicious circumstances. This episode features vicious dobermans being attacked by Dr. Mason were trained to kill on command over the phone.

Magnum P.I. – (Multiple episodes)

Year:1980 – 1988

Typ:TV series

With:Tom Selleck, John Hillerman and Roger E. Mosley

Rolle:irrelevant

Dobermans Zeus and Apollo (aka "The Lads") are guard dogs of the estate owned by Robin Masters, and the character Jonathan Quayle Higgins III aka "Higgins" (played by John Hillerman) was the estate's manager. These vicious Doberman guard dogs make appearances in several episodes of this series.

Peaky Blinders – (Season 3, Episode 2)

Year:2016

Typ:TV series

With:Cillian Murphy, Ralph Ineson und Paddy Considine

Rolle:irrelevant

In this episode, Father Hughes, an agent for a group desperate to stop a communist revolution in their country, uses a Doberman to intimidate Tommy Shelby (played by Cillian Murphy).

Sons of Anarchy – „Patch Over“ (Staffel 1, Folge 4)

Year:2008

Typ:TV series

With:Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal and Mark Boone Jr

Rolle:irrelevant

During this episode of Sons of Anarchy, Tig and Juice attempt to steal a truck to use for transporting weapons. The truck they want to steal is parked in a fenced yard with a Doberman pinscher guard dog. Juice tries to drug the guard dog by feeding him meat laced with two grams of methamphetamine. After things go sideways and the dog gives the two characters competition, Tig realizes that Juice gave the dog methamphetamine and not a tranquilizer. Tig says a classic line to Juice in this episode: "You fed Crystal to a killer Doberman, man?! Did you stay behind?!"

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