Pretty Good

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This is absolutely one of my favourite movies of all time and I watch it at least twice a year. I first saw it at our magical Civic Theatre,down here in Auckland,N.Z. with my younger brother who was just old enough to appreciate it as much as I did. Two weeks later,we rushed up to our local cinema to see it again. I love every single aspect of "Old Yeller". Dorothy McGuire is so right in her role;very motherly,warm and lovable.She is pivotal to the whole movie and provides the necessary "star" name.The two boys are great and it is nice to see Chuck Connors as a man of integrity,following his scary portrayal in "The Big Country".I know I'll be returning to this classic movie regularly for the rest of my life.

Left in charge of the family farm while his father is away, a teenager gradually bonds with the stray dog ruining the family's crops in this Old West live action drama from Disney Studios. The ending of the film might be well-known, but much like 'White Heat' and 'Thelma & Louise' - which fall into the same boat - the film benefits by knowing what is coming and seeing everything progress with full knowledge of where it will lead. Tommy Kirk is also very good as the young protagonist placed into an awkward position as the man of the house with his father away. The less said about the rest of the cast the better. Both Dorothy McGuire and Fess Parker make little impression as his parents while Kevin Corcoran is grating as Kirk's constantly whining little brother. Corcoran's character is important in the narrative as his instant affection for the dog is half of what convinces Kirk to try accepting the rascal, however, it is hard not to wonder whether the film may have been better without Corcoran. Certainly, the best moments are the ones that Kirk shares alone with the dog. By the end of the film, one truly gets a sense of both the boy and the dog gradually come to like one another, something which renders the much talked about dénouement so dynamic. As per Disney norm, this is a bit of a sentimental movie, but the graphic conclusion is refreshingly hard-hitting.

Robert Stevenson directed this Disney classic starring Tommy Kirk as Travis Coates, a young man who becomes the "man of the house" after his father(played by Fess Parker) goes a cattle drive to make money. He must look after his mother Katie(played by Dorothy McGuire) and younger brother Arliss(played by Kevin Corcoran). One day, a stray yellow dog wanders onto the farm, and though Travis wants to get rid of it, Arliss becomes attached, and so Yeller(as he's named) stays, and later proves his worth as he saves the life of Arliss and drives away other wildlife from the farm. They grow to love the dog, but an unfortunate case of rabies for Yeller brings sadness for all... Memorable and effective film is fine family fare, especially for dog lovers.

I believe I first heard of this live action Disney movie from the 1950's late in my childhood (I was born nearly thirty years after this film's release), but never saw it until last year. I think it was late last summer when I first watched this adaptation of the "Old Yeller" novel by Fred Gipson, and from what I remember, I was impressed with a lot of it, but later on, I wasn't so sure anymore. I watched "The Shaggy Dog", another live action Disney dog movie from the 50's featuring Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran playing brothers, for the first time just this week. Shortly after watching that film and being fairly impressed with it, I have watched "Old Yeller" for the second time, and would say it was better for me than it was the first time, and also better than the other Disney dog movie I've mentioned, which I was expecting.In 1860's Texas, Jim Coates leaves his ranch to take part in a cattle drive, and won't be back for several months. On the ranch, he leaves behind his wife, Katie, and two sons Travis and Arliss. Travis, the older of the two brothers, is left to take his father's responsibilities. Shortly after his father leaves, Travis happens to be working outside when a stray yellow dog comes, scares the family mule, and makes it knock down the fence! Travis angrily chases this dog away, but the next day, he finds him back on the ranch already! Arliss has decided to adopt this dog, but after the trouble the mutt has already caused, Travis obviously doesn't want him around. However, the older Coates brother begins to have a change of heart when he discovers that the meat he left out overnight has surprisingly not been touched by the dog. It soon turns out that "Old Yeller" is a big help for Travis as he takes on the responsibilities of his absent father, and the two develop a strong bond, but there is some trouble ahead.This movie has a small cast, but most of the few who had roles in it put on decent performances, even if some are slightly flawed. Dorothy McGuire and Fess Parker as the Coates parents, Tommy Kirk as Travis (one of his many Disney roles), and actor/athlete Chuck Connors in the smaller role of Burn Sanderson, are all notable cast performances. On the other hand, I did not care much for Jeff York as the lazy, fast-talking Bud Searcy, or Beverly Washburn as Bud's daughter, Lisbeth, and when these two characters first appear, I've found that they may temporarily bring the entertainment value down a bit, but fortunately, they aren't usually a problem. For the most part, the plot is an intriguing one, with what Travis and Old Yeller go through together and the boy's initial reaction to the dog followed by the strong bond they develop. Obviously, SO many others have pointed this out, but parts of the film certainly are emotional as well, which also helps keep it from being underwhelming and forgettable. They also picked some nice, scenic filming locations for this particular live action Disney film.I'm sure many people through the generations have seen this movie in their childhood, but I didn't, so I obviously don't know what that's like. This certainly isn't the happiest movie a kid could watch, but its reputation shows that it clearly has pleased many of those who saw it as kids, so I guess it has succeeded with that goal as the decades have gone by, and likely continues to do so today. Many adults like this "Old Yeller" adaptation as well, which I can understand after seeing it myself. In my opinion, there are some weaker parts of the film, so I can't rate it as highly as some voters, but overall, it's a solid effort that has aged well. If you haven't seen this successful 1957 Disney animal movie, I will say that should you do decide to watch it, some parts could make you cry if you're an emotional kind of person, or maybe even if you're not that emotional (though I didn't cry), but this is a major reason why it's so widely remembered and praised.