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

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.

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Connections

Featured in Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (2020)

User Reviews

One of my daughters' all-time favourite films!

I must have sat through this film at least twenty times, and cannot say that I was bored on any of them. My girls insisted I record it from them (on VHS) when it was on about 25 years ago, and then proceeded to watch it every Saturday morning for the next 6 months. It may be rather twee nd cute, but even now "daisy's ... they're my favourite flower" still evokes a smile from them and from my wife Predictable, happy ending - but then what else do you want from a children's film? Natalie Wood performs very ably, and the other main characters are highly satisfactory, including the lady who played the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz. Highly recommended for those with small girls, and I wish they would issue it on DVD

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Driftwood

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