All Dogs Go To Heaven - Plot

Plot

In 1939, New Orleans, Louisiana, Charlie B. Barkin, a roguish Collie/German Shepherd mix with a con man's charm, is working with his gangster business partner, Carface Carruthers, at a casino fashioned out of a derelict oil tanker. Not sharing the earnings, Carface frames Charlie and has him sent to a pound, but Charlie escapes with the help of his best friend Itchy Itchiford. Later, Carface and his sidekick, Killer, kill Charlie by hitting him with an empty automobile. Charlie, however, goes to heaven by default, despite never actually performing any good deeds, because of the movie's namesake rule of the afterlife: All dogs go to Heaven. Charlie cheats death by stealing his "life watch", a glowing pocket watch, and winding it back up, allowing him to return to Earth. As Charlie leaves Heaven, a Whippet Angel warns him that he can never return to heaven. Therefore, it is assumed that if he dies he will automatically go to hell. However, Charlie quickly learns that his life is now tied to the "life watch," which means that as long as the watch is protected and operating, Charlie will live.

Back on Earth, Charlie reunites with Itchy and plots his revenge against Carface by setting up a rival business. Itchy reveals to Charlie that Carface has a Monster. Charlie decides to investigate the monster, however, it is revealed that Carface is imprisoning a little orphan girl named Anne-Marie for her ability to communicate with animals, giving him an advantage when betting on races, which are apparently fixed so that those who speak the racing animals' language can know in advance of the outcome. Charlie "rescues" Anne-Marie, telling her that they will help the poor and he will find her a family. Charlie takes Anne-Marie to the local Horse Track, where a pensive Anne-Marie doesn't want to talk. When Charlie says the money is for the poor, like in Robin Hood, Anne-Marie agrees to help. After a time, Anne-Marie becomes upset due to Charlie not looking for Parents. Charlie begins to make a large profit using Anne-Marie, who eventually attempts to leave when she realizes Charlie was using her in the same way that Carface was, but Charlie convinces Anne-Marie to stay by his side by promising to give to the poor, resulting in Charlie purchasing Pizza and Cake for an Orphanage of abandoned puppies. Anne-Marie, however, finds the wallet which was stolen by Charlie from the horse race. Anne-Marie angrily corners Charlie accusing him. Anne-Marie then sleeps in the attic. That night, Charlie has a nightmare in which he is banished to hell and is attacked by a Hellhound and his minions.

The next day, Anne-Marie goes to return the wallet. Charlie finds her eating breakfast with the Wallet Family, the family whose wallet was stolen, where he discovers that the couple is planning to take Anne-Marie in. Charlie tricks Anne-Marie into leaving by pretending to be sick. After escaping an ambush with Carface and Killer, Charlie and Anne-Marie fall through the floor of an old warehouse into an underground sewer where they narrowly avoid being eaten by King Gator, a giant alligator who befriends them and learns how well Charlie can sing. Meanwhile, Itchy is ambushed by Carface and his thugs, who destroy Charlie's Casino. Charlie brings Anne-Marie to the church, where a beaten Itchy accuses Charlie of caring more for Anne-Marie than him or their business. Frustrated, Charlie says that he never actually cared about the girl. Anne-Marie overhears them, however, and runs away into a thunderstorm, and into the clutches of Carface.

Charlie goes to the casino/boat to rescue Anne-Marie, where Carface and others captures him. Itchy is given instructions to warn the Wallet Family about Anne-Marie's capture, which results in the neighborhood dogs collaborating to get the message to the family. Charlie is ambushed by Carface's thugs, who attempt to tie him to a boat anchor. However, when one of the thugs bites Charlie's foot, making him howl, King Gator comes to their rescue, frees Charlie and eats Carface. Anne-Marie falls into the water, along with Charlie's watch. Charlie dives in to save Anne-Marie and the watch, but cannot get both. Charlie places Anne-Marie on a board and pushes her to safety. Charlie then attempts to swim to his watch, but is unsuccessful, resulting in him drowning. Anne-Marie ends up with her new family and Charlie is allowed back into heaven, instead of hell, since he sacrificed himself to save his friend. He gives his heartfelt goodbyes to Anne-Marie and Itchy, finally proving his love for her. Leaving Itchy in her care, Charlie finally departs for the afterlife, where he finds (rather comically) that Carface has also ended up in heaven and attempts to use his clock to return home like Charlie did. The Whippet Angel chases him down warning him that he will never return, but Charlie emerges from a cloud and assures the audience that Carface's escape will not last long.