Old Yeller

Of all the movies I saw as a young in the theaters in the 1950s, the only one that haunted me or brought tears to my eyes was this one. It made a lasting impression on everyone in our family. Not long afterward, we bought a Golden Retriever puppy and it was a fabulous dog.

After a long, long absence, I saw it for the third time in the late1990s on VHS. Since I never forgot the sad ending, I was prepared for that. My attitude was great going in, especially since I had become a fan of Dorothy McGuire since her magnificent performance in "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn."

Anyway - hey, I have to be honest - this time around I was disappointed. I think I expected too much since the film had such strong nostalgia value. Yes, it was still a nice old-fashioned story but the impact was so-so and McGuire looked like she had aged 20 years since "Brooklyn." She didn't look like the same person from the famous 1945 drama.

Tommy Kirk went on to be a star on television and in the movies for Walt Disney while I don't believe Kevin Corcoran, who was just as good as Kirk, did a whole lot after this....some westerns into the '60s. Good 'ole "Davy Crockett," Fess Parker, also is in this movie but has a minor role, being seen only in the beginning and at the end. Chuck Connors also had a small role.

A nice story, no doubt. Perhaps another viewing with lower expectations would make me rate this highly again. Just the name "Old Yeller" is still special to me, however.

So lets just jump right into this review. Story: The Story in the Old Yeller film is surprisingly Entertaining I expected this film to be boring but it is also Charming and Just one note if you can't handle watching animals die this film is not for you. Characters: So lets start off at the main character witch is travis he's a good main character and has a lot of character Development. then there's Old Yeller who is a pretty good character also. the only character that may be considered annoying is Arliss he's just annoying when he lies and whines and throws rocks at travis his Brother. Conclusion: so in conclusion this is a sad and entertaining film if you enjoy another film called the Shaggy Dog you will enjoy this. Personal Score 7/10

Critic Score: Story: 7/10 Characters 7/10 Overall Critic Score 7/10

It is a heart-warming tale of a boy's friendship with a dog. In late 19th century Texas, a homesteader leaves his wife (Dorothy McGuire) and his two sons for a few months to make some fortune in the city. He leaves his elder son Travis (Fess Parker) in charge of the family. The very next day, the family comes across a stray dog. They name him Yeller and very soon he becomes a well-beloved family pet. Yeller is a smart dog and acts as a guardian for the family.

Yeller is in fact the protagonist of the story. His personality is well developed and he steals our hearts with no effort. The dog playing Yeller was one expressive canine. You can very clearly see the emotions on his face.

It is romanticized depiction of the old west but who cares. The location is picturesque. There are plenty of animals; lizards, snakes, toads, hogs, horses, cows, bears, wolves and of course dogs. They seem to be well-trained; most of their scenes look extremely natural. Add to that, the characters are all charming as simple, hard-working and good-natured folk. And, you have an enjoyable little movie for both kids and adults.

After watching this movie with my son I checked this site expecting a rating closer to 9 or 10 and was a bit disappointed some folks did not enjoy it as much as we did. It's a wonderful movie with a touching and believable story line. Travis and his younger brother Arliss perform flawlessly, though their mother may seem too passive for a frontier woman. The sudden appearance of Chuck Connors (Burn Sanderson) enlightens the story line with a light romantic undertone.

The movie teaches young kids the values of hard work, family love, neighborly support, hospitality and pretty much everything that today's movies seem to overlook as too mundane and banal. I strongly recommend this movie to young and old and give it a rating of 10. In my view the movie should be judged in its genre which is family/kids and not be compared with better adult performances in more serious movies. Surely, Tommy Kirk is not Gregory Peck in "To Kill a Mocking Bird" but his performance is just the same for a kid of his age in a family movie.

The quintessential boy/dog movie. It does have obvious correlations with Marjorie Rawling's "The Yearling". I first saw this film on TV when I was six years old or so. Interestingly, at that time, I remember the Chuck Connors character as menacing and almost evil. On viewing as an adult, that character was a perfect gentleman, giving up the dog to the boy when he was under absolutely no obligation to do so. Also interesting to see the casual, and basically unnoticed cruelty of the Travis character toward the little girl. I don't remember even noticing that as a child. Disney knew how to make real family entertainment in those days. Now, it seems that material suitable for children is targeted directly at them, and is generally a chore for adults to sit through. OY found a way to split the difference. Truly a classic.