He’s “Dave” Congalton on the radio, but “David” when he writes. Despite years writing newspaper columns and books, his preferred output remains screenplays. After years of trying, Congalton finally hit the big screen with 2014’s Authors Anonymous. He apparently has beaten the Hollywood odds again with the recent sale of another script, Mrs. Strissel and the Dogs.
SLO Review: Congratulations on the sale of your screenplay. How did this come together?
David Congalton: Long story short: I’ve known a very talented director named Kerstin Karlhuber for a few years—a friend of a friend. We considered her as someone to possibly direct a different project I have, but it didn’t work out. But we stayed in touch and Kerstin has a real passion for dogs, so she was an obvious choice to share this script with. Kerstin read it, loved it, and asked to option it. In turn, she gave the script to producer Anthony Del Negro who became equally passionate, and he made me the proverbial offer I couldn’t refuse.
SR: The screenplay is called Mrs. Strissel and the Dogs. What’s with the title?
DC: It’s a period piece, set in 1964, inspired by a true story. Connie Strissel runs a dog boarding kennel in rural Ohio. Her biggest client unexpectedly dies, but leaves behind disturbing instructions in her will that her two beloved German Shepherds are to be euthanized and buried with her. Connie—“Mrs. Strissel”—refuses to surrender the dogs, and a court battle ensues.
SR: This movie better have a happy ending!
DC: Let’s just say that I am well aware that I would be run out of town if it didn’t. Also, this is inspired by true events, so the outcome of the script merely reflects what actually happened. This isn’t Marley & Me or Turner and Hooch. We’re definitely family friendly.
SR: How did you come across the original story?
DC: In the early 2000s I co-authored a book about pet trusts with [SLO Review publisher] Charlotte Alexander. Doing research, I came across this intriguing Pennsylvania court case about a woman who left similar instructions in her will. I knew right away that there was something here and I filed it away mentally. A few years later, I tried to turn it into a book, but no publisher would bite. Several of them noted in their rejections that a 1964 story felt “dated” because none of the people involved were still alive. I guess they don’t understand that that’s a common issue for authors who write history.
SR: So you had better luck with a screenplay version?
DC: I have. A few years ago, I decided to circle back, but this time with a highly dramatized version of the story. Different dogs. Different state. Different characters. I wanted to take what was in the will and explore the larger issue of the relationship between humans and dogs. Remember, this is 1964, when—sadly—dogs were often considered little more than personal property. But it was a struggle to write. Probably the most difficult screenplay I’ve tackled. I was always doubting whether people would be interested in this story. I gave up multiple times, but the dogs kept bringing me back. Still, it was more than a year to complete a first draft. That’s long for me.
SR: So now what happens?
DC: I got my first payment for the screenplay already, so these folks are serious. But they’re waiting on me to finish a rewrite, going deeper with some of the characters and adding more pages. My deadline is mid-March. They’re eyeing going into production in the fall, somewhere in the Midwest. Anthony likes shooting in Kentucky because of the tax credits, but is too early to tell. And this is Hollywood, so fall 2025 could easily become spring 2026. But I have every confidence this movie will be made.
SR: Writers don’t normally get to be on location during filming. Will you be on the set?
DC: Absolutely! They’re giving me an “executive producer” credit and paying all my expenses to join them. It’s a very generous offer and, frankly, I was stunned.
SR: About casting: do you have any thoughts?
DC: No, not at all. Kerstin and Anthony are pretty well connected and they’re drawing up some possible lists of actors. My job is to deliver the best script possible and trust their production decisions. I have every confidence that we’ll have a great cast and a great movie.
SR: A movie about dogs should have a built-in audience.
DC: I hope you’re right. But the flip side is that so, so many dogs are being euthanized lately. It really is horrific to see such apathy in our country. In some ways, it’s 1964 all over again. I’m hoping that in some small way that Mrs. Strissel and The Dogs can remind people of the special human-animal bond.
SR: Roughly one script gets produced for every 5,000 circulating in Hollywood. You’ve beaten the odds twice. How does that make you feel?
DC: People who have heard me talk about screenwriting know my warning to potential Hollywood scribes. You have to want this more than just about anything else in the world. You have to go through unbelievable amounts of rejection, disappointment, deception, and just plain old bullshit. Trust me when I tell you that you’ll probably be better off writing poetry. But if you do succeed, and your script gets produced, there’s no greater feeling in the world.