For the Love of Rusty

Small town Laytonville teen Ted Donaldson (as Daniel "Danny" Mitchell) is irritating father Tom Powers (as Hugh Mitchell). The boy has used the new can opener to take out the bottoms of his mom's two coffee pots, for his wagon. No coffee before Mr. Powers' amateur firemen meeting. Young Donaldson has also used all the soap to make a statue of his dog "Rusty", and he is working on blowing an electric fuse. Understanding mother Ann Doran (as Ethel) takes it in stride, but Powers blows his top. In order to mend the generation gap, Powers cooks up a "father and son luncheon," but Donaldson and the other boys are bored. Father and son seem irreconcilable...

Luckily, veterinary physician Aubrey Mather (as Francis Xavier Fay) has arrived in town from Cambridge, for a one week visit. He's a God-send - literally, if you're paying attention. Immediately sensing the love between Donaldson and his dad, Mr. Mather sets out to bring the father and son together. "Rusty" helps. Before it all ends, a terrible accident puts man and dog in danger. Watch and see how it all turns out. Of the men who played his part in the "Rusty" films, Powers looks like he really could be Donaldson's father. The outdoor set is very nice. Most interesting is the story's delicately subversive religious (Christian) allegory, cleverly written by Malcolm Stuart Boylan.

****** For the Love of Rusty (5/1/47) John Sturges ~ Ted Donaldson, Tom Powers, Aubrey Mather, Ann Doran