The Yearling (1946)

A boy persuades his parents to allow him to adopt a young deer, but what will happen if the deer misbehaves?

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

Paul Osborn (screen play), Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (based on the Pulitzer Prize novel by)

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, Claude Jarman Jr.

Won 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Gregory Peck	...	Penny Baxter
Jane Wyman	...	Orry Baxter
Claude Jarman Jr.	...	Jody Baxter
Chill Wills	...	Buck Forrester
Clem Bevans	...	Pa Forrester
Margaret Wycherly	...	Ma Forrester
Henry Travers	...	Mr. Boyles
Forrest Tucker	...	Lem Forrester
Donn Gift	...	Fodderwing

Storyline

The family of Civil War veteran Penny Baxter, who lives and works on a farm in Florida with his wife, Orry, and their son, Jody. The only surviving child of the family, Jody longs for companionship and unexpectedly finds it in the form of an orphaned fawn. While Penny is supportive of his son's four-legged friend, Orry is not, leading to heartbreaking conflict.

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Plot Keywords:

deer | fawn | coming of age | florida | killing an animal | 

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Taglines:

THRILLS! DRAMA! HEART-THROBS! (reissue print ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

May 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

El despertar

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$5,200,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This marked the second of three films for which Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse won an Academy Award for Art Direction.

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Goofs

When Jody is sitting with Flag, you see little buds where he is beginning to get antlers. In the next scene with Flag, as they are going to bed, you can clearly see that the deer has none at all.

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Quotes

Penny Baxter: [on the ocasion of the buryal of Fodderwing] Oh Lord. Almighty God. It ain't for us ignorant mortals to say what's right and what's wrong. Was any one of us to be doin' of it, we'd not of bring this poor boy into the world a cripple, and his mind teched. We'd of bring him in straight and tall like his brothers, fitten to live and work and do. But in a way o' speakin', Lord, you done made it up to him. You give him a way with the wild creatures. You give him a sort of wisdom, made him knowin' and...

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Crazy Credits

All scenes involving animals in this picture were made under the supervision and with the cooperation of the American Humane Association

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Connections

Featured in Bye Bye Love (1995)

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Soundtracks

Florida Suite
(1887) (uncredited)
Music by Frederick Delius
Selections played in the score

User Reviews

Tender, touching and terrific...Peck, Wyman and Jarman, Jr. are splendid...

Spencer Tracy was originally supposed to have played the father in 'The Yearling' with Ann Revere as his wife and some footage was even shot on location in Florida and later scrapped. But then, four years later, MGM decided to start again with Gregory Peck as the kindly father, Jane Wyman as his embittered wife and Claude Jarman, Jr. as the naive Jody whose love for a pet fawn is the centerpiece of the story. It was worth the wait. They are all well cast in this tender, warm-hearted story from the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings novel of a family living near the Florida everglades.

The technicolor photography is as impressive as the use of background music, especially in the scene where Jody playfully comes across the abandoned fawn. Jarman's emotions and the soaring score combine to make one of the film's strongest and most appealing moments. Jane Wyman was so convincing as the hardened mother afraid of losing her only child, that when she took her daughter to see the film she wouldn't speak to her for two weeks afterwards--unable to forgive her mother for the final action she takes in the film!

Ideal family entertainment and a must-see for anyone who has missed seeing this film classic. Claude Jarman, Jr. deserved his Academy Award and, although he had never acted before, was chosen from 19,000 applicants to play Jody. Peck plays the father with dignity and restraint, his love for the boy apparent in every frame of the film. An unforgettable coming of age tale, tastefully produced and faithful to the original source.