Big Red

Big Red was shot around La Malbaie and Cap Aigle in the Charlevoix Region of Quebec. The falls are currently part of the Chutes Fraser Campground. The surrounding scenery is set at the Cabot Farm. The gardens of Francis Cabot, "Les Quatre Vents," can be visited or seen in his book, "The Greater Perfection, The Story of the Gardens at Les Quatre Vents." From a historical perspective this area was frequented by President William Howard Taft among others of high society, hence the story takes on new meaning with the wealthy owner of Red taking an interest in young french speaking Gilles. This film is suitable for young children and those who occasionally like to take a stroll down memory lane to a simpler time.

"Big Red" is the story of a boy and a dog. The dog, Big Red, is owned by an older woodsman, played by Walter Pigeon. But Walter only wants the dog as a showdog, and treats him like a piece of furniture. When a young boy comes to work for Walter, he showers the dog with attention, and the dog becomes emotionally attached to the boy. Walter forbids the boy from paying attention to Big Red; the dog becomes depressed and jumps through a glass window to get to his friend. The glass slices the dog up, and after he heals, Walter sees that with all the scars on Red, he will no longer make it as a showdog. He gives the dog to the boy. But Red also has feelings for his old master, no matter how Walter seems to act toward him, and in the end Big Red and the boy save Walter after a hunting accident. This is a good family film; a little on the dramatic and depressing side, but for older kids it would be fine.

I find it interesting and a bit frustrating that so many speak of "Old Yeller" as the holly grail of "boy and his dog" films and that "Big Red" as been totally lost in the mix and is now even out of print. I actually don't understand as I personally found "Old Yeller" vastly underrated and I believe that if it wasn't for it's unusually sad ending for a Disney film,it probably would have not been hailed the classic as it is today.After all when you take off the shock ending of "Old Yeller" you are left with a pretty bland film with very little story except ..A boy left to take care of his home with the help of his new dog.. But enough of this and on to "Big Red". This is an absolutely charming little film. It avoids the certain things that makes other Disney 60's flicks age badly so in "Big red" we have no Cheesy theme song a la "Davy Crockett" (Thank goodness for that!) What makes this film work the most is the superb performance by the two main actors Walter Pidgeon and Gilles Payant. The Canadian kid was just natural and charming and it's surprising that it was his first and only film because he outdo in the acting department in a single film most of the Disney kids the studio were spitting out in the 60's.He was likable and the actor presence made us really care for the kid , I was surprise by this because normally in that sort of film the dog end up being more interesting then the kid but this time both the dog and the kid were equally interesting to watch.Talking about the dog , I usually don't think about the trainers when I watch films featuring animals but I had a lot of "How did they make the dog look so natural on screen?" moment , great work done with the dogs in this film. Walter Pidgeon who was a bit of a Walt Disney look alike is really good in this film and I enjoyed the fact that the film was as much about his character and his relationship with the kid then the boy and his relationship with the dog , unlike "Old Yeller" this film as a bit more layer. It's not just about a dog , It's also about a lonely man who lost the will to love until that kid shows up.So it makes this film more accessible then your typical animal film fare , I have friends that cant stand "Dog" films and they really enjoyed this one. The other supporting cast are great as well. The music is very pleasing,I love the main theme and the very short song by the Sherman, again , it was great not to have one of those silly songs. This film felt very short because I wasn't bored once. It is really unfortunate that "Big Red" did not find a public and that now it is a forgotten film but I couldn't recommend more for any fan of Disney live action flick of the past to give this wonderful film a try.

Disney seems to show a great many of the films they produced in the 50's and 60's on their cable channel extremely early in the morning 3, 4 am etc. So many of them like Big Red have probably never been seen by the younger generation of today. These movies have never lost their excellent story content. This picture is no exception. Walter Pidgeon delivers a solid performance as a dog owner who cares only for the Irish Setter he has as a potential winner in dog shows and nothing as a pet. A young boy who comes to work for Pidgeon develops a friendship for the dog. Big Reds life is changed but not without some dangerous events. Certainly a must see for any Dog lover and any one who enjoys non animated Disney films.

It holds some charm, but 'Big Red' is mostly average.

Gilles Payant gives a likeable, if wooden, performance as Rene, while Walter Pidgeon adds a touch of elegance to the film as James. Émile Genest and Janette Bertrand are alright, too. The cast I actually like, it's just the plot and how it is told that hampers the film for me.

The onscreen dogs are adorable and their story ends in a cutesy manner, but there's not much more to enjoy past that. It's a very basic premise which is revealed in a very basic way. Nothing necessarily bad, but nothing all that good either. Forgettable, in a word.