Driftwood (1947)

Six-year-old Jenny rescues a collie dog, the only survivor of a plane wreck. A tag on the dog's neck states that it is en route to a medical laboratory where its blood will be used for ... See full summary »

Director:

Allan Dwan

Writers:

Mary Loos (original screenplay), Richard Sale (original screenplay)

Stars:

Ruth Warrick, Walter Brennan, Dean Jagger

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ruth Warrick	...	Susan Moore
Walter Brennan	...	Murph
Dean Jagger	...	Dr. Steve Webster
Charlotte Greenwood	...	Mathilda
Natalie Wood	...	Jenny Hollingsworth
Jerome Cowan	...	Mayor Snyder
H.B. Warner	...	Rev. J. 'Grandpappy' Hollingsworth
Margaret Hamilton	...	Essie Keenan
Hobart Cavanaugh	...	Judge Beckett
Francis Ford	...	Abner Green
Alan Napier	...	Dr. Nicholas Adams
Howland Chamberlain	...	Hiram Trumbell
James Bell	...	Sheriff Bolton
Teddy Infuhr	...	Lester Snyder
James Kirkwood	...	Rev. MacDougal

Storyline

Six-year-old Jenny rescues a collie dog, the only survivor of a plane wreck. A tag on the dog's neck states that it is en route to a medical laboratory where its blood will be used for spotted fever vaccine. Dr. Steven Webster meets both Jenny and the dog and "adopts" them both. His fiancée Susan isn't too fond of either the girl or the dog. Webster wants to get a hospital for the town but he is suppressed by the town mayor. In the arguments that follow, Webster's lab is wrecked and ticks infected with spotted fever escape. The town is in a panic and all want to be vaccinated. Jenny is infected and is about to die.

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Plot Keywords:

dog | vaccine | mayor | collie dog | girl child | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fiore selvaggio

Filming Locations:

Republic Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Lana Wood, but her scenes were cut from the picture before its release.

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Quotes

Rev. MacDougal: If a thing can be done, science and skill can do it. If a thing cannot be done, only faith can do it.

User Reviews

Alan Dwan at His Talkie Peak

When preacher H.B. Warner drops dead during a sermon, reducing the town's population to his great-grand-daughter Natalie Wood, she follows his instructions and heads out to Sodom and Gomorrah, almost getting hit by a crashing plane, being eaten by a wildcat, and rescuing a collie. They are rescued by Dean Jagger, a country doctor, who's living with his foster father, druggist Walter Brennan a small but corrupt town run by Jerome Cowan.

The story roams hither and yonder, involving Rocky Mountain fever, rotten kids, and a story line with plenty of laughs that eventually veers into a serious plot, a lecture on the necessity of getting your children vaccinated, and an over-the-top coincidence that saves the day at the end. It's carried by Dwan's impeccable direction, John Alton's flawless camerawork, and a cast of professionals that includes Ruth Warrick, Charlotte Greenwood, Margaret Hamilton, Hobart Cavanaugh, Alan Napier, Francis Ford.... well, Dwan had worked with everyone and could get them to come in. Lots of fun, and the dog was cute too.