Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Electrified_Voltage 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.

moonspinner55 In 1860s Texas, a youngster must act as man of the house when his rancher-father joins a three-month-long cattle drive; he and his ever-patient, ever-smiling mother take in a lovable stray dog who saves his little brother from a bear, and all grow attached to the mongrel even as a strain of hydrophobia spreads throughout the wildlife. Simple, episodic frontier tale given the Walt Disney touch: lots of cute, heart-tugging sentiment, plus a prescient 'circle of life' message at the end. Tommy Kirk gives arguably his best juvenile performance here, and mom Dorothy McGuire beams commendably without lapsing into syrupy goodness. The gorgeous color photography, the warm family narrative, and a jaunty title song all conspired to make the picture a box-office winner, but the main reason it's called a Disney Classic today is because of that dog. Disney did many things right, one of which was picking the very best animal actors for his live-action comedies and adventures. This lop-eared hound is a beauty to behold, and should enchant even non-dog lovers! **1/2 from ****

TheLittleSongbird Before I saw Old Yeller, I gave that distinction to the equally wonderful Lassie Come Home. After seeing Old Yeller, I think I have found the ultimate dog movie. Old Yeller for me does for dogs like The Three Lives of Thomasina does for cats and The Red Shoes does for dancing. In short, this film is a classic. It has beautiful cinematography and scenery. It has a beautiful story, and a truly affecting scene that anybody who's seen the movie will know what I'm talking about. It has a wonderfully-trained and adorable dog. It has some nice writing, and a pleasant score, as well as some fine direction and an excellent turn from Dorothy McGuire. I personally liked Kevin Cocoran and Tommy Kirk here, and much preferred them here than I did in Swiss Family Robinson. I didn't mind them then either, but they are more appealing and their characters are more likable in Old Yeller. In conclusion, a classic, moving, sweet and above all beautiful. Not to be missed! 10/10 Bethany Cox

The_Light_Triton In Old yeller, Travis (tommy kirk) is left alone with his ma (Dororthy McGuire) and little brother arliss (Kevin Cocoran) after his pa is off to sell cattle for money, so the family can get through the winter. so while he's gone for 3 months, he has to work like a man to get things done. along the way, he finds a dog. while initially he dislikes the dog for ruining his life, He comes to liking the dog. soon the two of them become inseparable. but will the Problems they face, such as the dog's original owner (played by the awesome chuck Connors) and an incurable contagious disease, tear them apart? I cannot stress this enough, Old Disney is, and will forever be better than the new Disney. It's movies like old yeller that will never be made again without heavy censorship. They would water down the hog attack scene. they would water down the ending. they would water down everything possible.But here's an original piece of work from Disney, and it's well worth buying on DVD or VHS, however you can find it.