GamerTab That was an excellent one.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

klbird-1 The movie was premiered in Sedalia, Missouri,on a snowy March 10, 1948, not Sedalia Kansas as listed. The only other town with the name Sedalia is in Colorado! Sedalia held a parade in honor of the visiting stars Lon McCallister, Collene Townsend, Luanne Hogan, and Betty Ann Lynn, The premier is still talked about by old timers who marched in it and viewed the movie. While it was the only movie premiered in Sedalia, the city gained further fame as the end of trail town in the TV series RAWHIDE in the 1960s. RAWHIDE gave Clint Eastwood his career start and he even visited Sedalia in January 1959 to promote the program. Sedalia is celebrating it's 150 Anniversary in 2010, and Clint Eastwood is being invited back to participate in a Eastwood Film Festival. The area around Sedalia was famous for breeding high quality MISSOURI MULES, thus the reason for the selection of Sedalia for the premier.

moonspinner55 George Agnew Chamberlain's book about determined farm boy in rural small town America training two prize-winning mules to drive; pretty soon, he and the two stubborn creatures are hauling out logs from the forest and making fifteen dollars a day, which irks the man he bought them from as well as his own evil step-brother. Director F. Hugh Herbert, who also adapted the screenplay, does a terrific job setting the mood of the piece--frisky but also angst-ridden. Lon McCallister is the polite juvenile battling with his father's crude wife and her son for his dad's respect, later butting heads with farmer Tom Tully (in a convincingly angry, blow-hard performance). Although this is ostensibly a simple tale of a boy's love for two mules, there's a lot of busy melodrama going on. The scenario isn't overly-folksy, and the villains (including Anne Revere, in her least-sympathetic role ever) are surprisingly effective. The romance sub-plot between Tully's blonde, beautiful daughter June Haver and skinny McCallister doesn't quite work as well (she seems a bit out of his league); thankfully, little Natalie Wood is around a lot, spying on her neighbors and getting all the juicy gossip. Good contract-picture from Fox has an undeserved poor reputation (with its title causing most of the derision), but I was entertained from start to finish. Look fast for Marilyn Monroe as 'Betty' on the church steps. *** from ****

artzau One reviewer referred to this old film as "bucolic," a term we rarely encounter these days. I have to agree that the setting is rural and somewhat tame about a young man, Lon McCalliser, who prefers mules over Natalie Wood. Well, she was only 10 years old at the time and June Haver was the primary female interest as I recall. Crusty old crackly voiced Walter Brennan was the old mentor in the film and the story really doesn't stir a great deal of memories, except it was about muleskinners and back in those days (I was 11 at the time), that was enough romance for me.Not a a bad old film, if you come across it on the late show. But, definitely bucolic.

manemu No special effects, no musical numbers, no dance numbers, but a pleasant way to spend a rainy afternoon. The plot was predictable but acting was adequate and mostly realistic. Maybe not realistic results, but plot reinforced the attitude that hard work and honesty pay off in long run. Kindness to animals is nice sideline touch.