George Newton

"WHY DOES MY FAMILY LOVE YOU MORE THAN ME?! ALL YOU DO IS DROOL AND SHED AND EAT!"

- George raging his jealousy towards Beethoven.

George Newton is the main protagonist of the family film Beethoven and a supporting character of its sequel. He is played by Charles Grodin

Beethoven
George is reluctant to own the escaped st. Bernard  doesn't want the responsibility of owning a dog, but his wife, Alice and their children plays a portion of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and he barks along; thus they name him "Beethoven"

While George focuses on Beethoven's negative qualities, the rest of the family grows attached to him. However, George becomes increasingly jealous of the affection he receives, feeling as though he is being neglected as the family fawns over him. His frustration comes to a head when Beethoven's antics ruin a barbecue he is hosting for Brad & Bree  venture capitalists looking to invest in, and secretly swindle him out of his car freshener firm.

The family takes Beethoven to a local veterinarian, Dr. Herman Varnick for a routine medical examination and immunizations. They are unaware that he is involved in unethical and deadly animal experimentation and hired the two thieves, Harvey and Vernon. Varnick urges them to leave him there overnight, but they refuse. He speaks to George alone and give him In order to take Beethoven from the Newton family, giving false information by claiming St. Bernards were naturally aggressive (in reality they are the opposite except for Cujo but only because of his condition).

Varnick then visited The Newton home and tricked them into believing Beethoven had been bitten him via using scissors to tear his shirt sleeve and fake blood -- he then hit Beethoven repeatedly to provoke him into lunging at him. Emily, who saw Dr. Varnick hit him, protests that the attack was fake, but George, fearing for his family's safety, takes him to Dr. Varnick's office. It is on the way there that George discovers his own affections for him; he remembers his father had to take their dog to the vet to be put down and he never forgave him for it. He fears that his own family will hate him now for taking Beethoven to be put down. Sure enough, when he returns home with the empty leash and collar, his family looks at him and leave the dinner table rather than remain with him (with Emily calling him a "Dog Killer".

Later, after recognizing the children's sadness and having a conversation with Alice in which she suggests that they believe their own child, George reluctantly agrees to speak to Dr. Varnick again Dr. Varnick claims that Beethoven has already been put down. The children are distraught, but George is upset and reminds him that he had been told that this would not happen until the next day. George notices that Dr. Varnick has no bite marks on his arm and therefore the attack was fake, reazling he's being tricked and double-crossed by the vet. George furiously demands Varnick to tell him where Be

ethoven is but Varnick refuses and threatens to arrest them for assault. George punches Varnick in the face before leaving to find Beethoven. George & Alice call the cops but they show no interest in intervening -- they proceed to follow Varnick to his testing area. By the time they arrive he is already preparing to shoot Beethoven but is distracted when George (Beethoven's originally reluctant owner) smashes into the area -- Varnick proceeds to try and shoot him for interfering with a sad look on his face. Before he can however, Sparky the Jack Russell terrier bites the evil vet in the crotch-- causing him to scream and misfire.

At this point Ted who heard the gunshot smashes into the area using the family car and during the chaos launches numerous syringes at Varnick, sedating him -- Beethoven and the other dogs are freed and proceed to chase away Vernon & Harvey who tried to escape to the junkyard only to find out that they were about to be viciously maimed by a pack of Dobermans guarding the yard.

George is seen at the end watching Varnick & His cronies getting arrested and his family being interiviewed. Then eh goes to bed with Alice, Beethoven, and all the dogs they rescued.