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Sam is a character featured in the 1963 Disney live action film Summer Magic.

Background[]

Sam is a sheepdog who once belonged to a rich man. Peter purchased him after his original owner - a rich man left, allowing Peter to keep him as his pet. Despite not being able to speak, Sam is also capable of expressing himself depending on how he feels. Most of the time, Sam would be shown in a happy personality whenever he has Peter by his side, but whenever he feels lonely, he would occasionally feel stressed out, showing that he feels uncomfortable when sleeping without his best friend Peter. Despite this, he always shows a loyal personality to Peter.

Role in the film[]

Sam is first seen rushing into the Carey family house where Nancy is painting. Margaret, worried, tells her son Peter to get him out, which he explains to her her that he wouldn't bite, unaware that the dog is being a nuisance inside the house. Just as Sam continues to run, he eventually becomes tired and stops. Margaret tasks her son to get him out of the house, but Peter speaks to Nancy that he promised to a rich man that he would keep him. However, Peter's mother refuses to let her son keep the dog in the house, tasking him to bring him back, only for him to reply to his mother that the man already left town. Peter later approaches his mother who tasks him to take Sam outside to his doghouse.

Later, Sam and his owner Peter listen to Nancy and Gilly singing the musical number "Pink of Perfection" and as the two sing about Julia, Sam reacts to their singing, which Peter feels excited about seeing Julia come to the house. That night, Peter hears Sam barking outside, telling him to sleep with him in bed, so that he can sleep with him, but only if he gets out early in the morning and doesn't come out in night. Later, when Julia arrives at home, Sam leaps into the window and causes Julia to react in fright, causing her to feel uncomfortable about adapting her life at Beulah in her new home, but not before Sam is brought back to his home outside, where it is found out that he is upset. Peter tries to sleep with Sam at night, but Nancy tells him to sleep in the house, so Peter tells him that he must sleep with her, telling Sam to sleep patiently.

The next day, Sam is seen with his owner Peter where he curiously explores the backyard, finding caterpillars and other bugs in the garden during the musical number "The Ugly Bug Ball" while Osh and Peter observe the bugs in the backyard. He is briefly seen in the background when Peter runs with his pet dog during the part where Nancy and Julia arrive at a church to meet Charles Bryant and is later seen sleeping with Peter during the "On the Front Porch" musical sequence. During the end of the film, Sam is seen present during the Halloween party at the barn where he fearfully reacts to seeing the portrait of Mr. Hamilton's mother, causing the dog to be frightened upon seeing the appearance. He is last seen at the end of the film where he frolics in the background during a Halloween party at the barn.

Trivia[]

  • During the song "The Ugly Bug Ball", Sam occasionally barks throughout certain points throughout the song in the film itself. Cover versions of the song omit all the parts where Sam barks.


v - e - d
Summer magic logo
Media
Summer Magic (soundtrack)
Characters
Nancy CareyOsh PophamMargaret CareyJulia CareyGilly CareyPeter CareyDigby PophamLallie Joy PophamMariah PophamTom HamiltonCharles BryantPerkins MerchantsHenry LordMary and EllenSam
Songs
FlitterinBeautiful BeulahSummer MagicPink of PerfectionThe Ugly Bug BallOn the Front PorchFemininity
Locations
Maine
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