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So Dear to My Heart

  • 1948
  • G
  • 1h 19m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
Beulah Bondi, Bobby Driscoll, Burl Ives, and Luana Patten in So Dear to My Heart (1948)
This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.
Play trailer0:32
3 Videos
32 Photos
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This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.

  • Directors
    • Harold D. Schuster
    • Hamilton Luske
  • Writers
    • John Tucker Battle
    • Maurice Rapf
    • Ted Sears
  • Stars
    • Burl Ives
    • Beulah Bondi
    • Bobby Driscoll
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    1.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Harold D. Schuster
      • Hamilton Luske
    • Writers
      • John Tucker Battle
      • Maurice Rapf
      • Ted Sears
    • Stars
      • Burl Ives
      • Beulah Bondi
      • Bobby Driscoll
    • 25User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos3

    Trailer
    Trailer 0:32
    Trailer
    So Dear To My Heart
    Clip 1:09
    So Dear To My Heart
    So Dear To My Heart
    Clip 1:09
    So Dear To My Heart
    So Dear To My Heart
    Clip 1:31
    So Dear To My Heart

    Photos32

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    + 26
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    Top cast47

    Edit
    Burl Ives
    Burl Ives
    • Uncle Hiram Douglas
    Beulah Bondi
    Beulah Bondi
    • Granny Kincaid
    Bobby Driscoll
    Bobby Driscoll
    • Jeremiah 'Jerry' Kincaid
    Luana Patten
    Luana Patten
    • Tildy
    Harry Carey
    Harry Carey
    • Head Judge at County Fair
    Raymond Bond
    • Pete Grundy - Storekeeper
    Walter Soderling
    Walter Soderling
    • Grampa Meeker
    Matt Willis
    Matt Willis
    • Mr. Burns - Horse Trainer
    Spelman B. Collins
    • Judge
    John Beal
    John Beal
    • Jeremiah as an Adult - Narrator
    • (voice)
    Ken Carson
    Ken Carson
    • Voice of Wise Old Owl
    • (voice)
    Bob Haymes
    Bob Haymes
    • Singer Bob Haymes
    • (voice)
    Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires
    • Vocal Ensemble
    • (voice)
    • (as The Rhythmaires)
    Danny
    • Baby Lamb…
    Stewart Bair
    • Singer
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Fred Carter
    • Sheep Handler
    • (uncredited)
    Emett Casey
    • Singer
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Chase
    • Abe - Dan Patch's Groom
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Harold D. Schuster
      • Hamilton Luske
    • Writers
      • John Tucker Battle
      • Maurice Rapf
      • Ted Sears
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews25

    6.71.7K
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    Featured reviews

    moviebuff-2

    Another Disney live-action/animation winner!

    "So Dear to My Heart" is yet another great Disney live-action/animation film. Kind of a follow-up to "Song of the South", but equally good. Burl Ives and his songs make the film worth seeing alone. A surprise song in the movie is "Billy Boy", sung in a duet between Beulah Bondi and Burl Ives. Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten are just as fresh and appealing here as they were in "Song of the South". During the scene with the song "Billy Boy", watching them smile just fills me with joy. Equally joyous is seeing them dance with Bondi and Ives later in the same scene. If only they lived longer in real life, then I'd probably meet and work with them. This movie is not as well-known as other Disney films, probably because of its simple story, but don't miss it. With a lot of pros I've mentioned above, it doesn't seem dated. I love it as much as "Song of the South" and rate it **** out of ****.
    Braves21688

    Even minor Disney movies from the lare40's- early 50's were exquisite 50's

    This film was another opportunity to see the talented Bobby Driscoll(possibly the best child actor of all time) and Luana Patten(the epitome of feminine demureness and modesty in a child actress). Although not as good overall as The Song of the South, which featured Driscoll and Patten at a younger age, this film celebrates the anglo-protestant core of America, and the honesty and religious values of America's past before Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson launched us on the road to empire-a road Americans never wanted to travel. The animated beginning is poignant, and the Christian faith that unselfconciously permeates the film portray America's rural past as an idyll, The cast is superb-Harry Carey captures perfectly the kindly rectitude of an older generation of Americans as the chief livestock judge at the county fair-he has the air of a stern but insightful church deacon, touched by and concerned with rewarding the virtues he sees in the emerging generation of his day. Beulah Bondi is superb as the stern but wise and loving grandmother. Each of the adults, even Uncle Hiram(Burl Ives) show a commendable concern for the children, providing not only for their safety but protecting their souls as well. What a wonderful world we once had!
    barnabyrudge

    Too innocent for contemporary audiences, but taken in the context of when it was made this is still enjoyable.

    So Dear To My Heart is a more-or-less forgotten Disney movie made in 1949. It feels like an attempt to repeat the success of the studio's 1946 classic Song of the South, but the innocent, twee approach is likely to be met with derision by many of today's street-wise youngsters. That's not to say the film is bad. In fact, if you can put it into the context of when it was made and try to enjoy it for its merits, this film is actually a lovely slice of entertainment.

    The simple story tells of a young boy called Jeremiah Kincaid (Bobby Driscoll) who lives on a farm in 1903, helping his granny (Beulah Bondi) with the up-keep of the place. He comes to own a young black lamb named Danny, and dreams of taking the lamb to the County Fair - though granny advises him not to bother, since there's no call for black wool. Young Jeremiah is visited by some animated creatures who convince him to follow his heart.... if he thinks the lamb has a chance of winning, what the hell! Why not go for it?

    Driscoll was one of the finest child actors ever and here he is excellent as the young boy with a far-fetched dream. Bondi as granny is stern but lovable, and Burl Ives is good too as the boy's optimistic uncle. The animation is quite good, but the live action takes up most of the screen time. There are some memorable songs, although the Oscar nominated tune "Lavender Blue" is actually rather disappointing.

    So Dear To My Heart is worth watching, just so long as you remember that it was made in a time when the world was more innocent.
    10TheLittleSongbird

    I really hate how underrated this film is, because I adore it!

    So Dear To My Heart is an immensely charming live-action Dsiney film, but sadly it is overlooked. Same with Song of the South, and that was great too. I will say that asides from seeing it twice when I was 10, I didn't see this wonderful film til recently, and boy I am glad I did. It has a lot of charm, that makes it a genuine joy to watch. Considering that it was made in 1949, it looks beautiful, and I loved the animated sequences, especially with the scholarly owl. The songs are beautiful, from the stunning title song So Dear To My Heart, the charming Lavender Blue, the rousing Oodalay to the triumphant historical song with figures such as Christopher Colombus. The performances were great, with Bobby Driscoll very convincing as Jeremiah, and Beulah Bondi superb as his grandmother and Burl Ives appealing as Uncle Hiram. Danny, the neglected lamb was absolutely adorable, and Jeremiah was very loving towards him. The dialogue wasn't so bad either. So Dear to My Heart shouldn't be overlooked as a bittersweet kids film, instead it should be recognised as a charming film for the whole family, for that is exactly what it is. 10/10 Bethany Cox
    xyscaling

    Beautiful ! The way things were.

    So Dear To My Heart is such a wonderful movie. Full of hope and faith with a little fantasy and imagination mixed in. I love the simple loving family atmosphere shown in the movie. This was a time when friends and neighbors truly knew and loved each other and helped each other.

    As we see so often today, those viewers under 40 years of age will probably not understand and might even be critical of the beliefs and priorities shown in the film. Those of us old enough to remember seeing it in the theater will love the feeling of being taken back to a time when simple things were the important things in life. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family.

    Like Song of the South, it is not currently out on DVD in the United States, but fortunately I bought a laser-disc copy of the film several years ago.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Most of the filming took place in 1946, but the film was not released until early in 1949; Harry Carey had been dead for more than a year by the time the film was eventually released.
    • Quotes

      Granny Kincaid: [arguing about God being her solution to everything] Oh, I know. It's a vexin' thing. It's a cruel thing, havin' your lamb run away. Maybe Danny found a holler log and crawled into it... where the dogs couldn't find him. Maybe he's snuggled up under the roots of a big old tree. However it is, it's beyond our power to help. All you can do is just hope for the best but be prepared for whatever happens.

      Jeremiah 'Jerry' Kincaid: He ain't dead. He ain't dead!

      Granny Kincaid: I didn't say he was. I'm only tryin' to tell you to remember that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

      Jeremiah 'Jerry' Kincaid: Well, he can't have him. He can't take Danny.

      Granny Kincaid: You're not tellin' the Lord what he can do or can't do. The Lord'll do the tellin'.

      [realizes what she just said]

      Granny Kincaid: Oh, this is all my fault. I've seen it comin'. I've seen it comin' all along. You've turned your heart away from the things I've taught you... ever since you were a little baby. No,Jeremiah, you can't do this. It's one thing, blamin' poor little Tildy for letting your lamb get away... when all she was tryin' to do was to help you feed him. And it's one thing, blamin' me. But it's another thing when you start blamin' your maker. Started out by lovin' the lamb, and that's why I let you keep him. True love ain't a harmful thing. True love's a good thing. It's good for the spirit. But you don't love that lamb any more. What you love is blue ribbons and cash awards. That's all you're thinkin' about-- things that are vain, things of this world-- until you forgot all about the things of the spirit. And when you can't have your own way, you start burdenin' the Lord. You ain't thinkin' of that lamb. You're just thinkin' about yourself. You know what's right, Jeremiah but you'll have to find it in your own heart to do what's right.

    • Connections
      Edited into The Magical World of Disney: So Dear to My Heart (1954)
    • Soundtracks
      Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly)
      (uncredited)

      Words by Larry Morey

      Music by Eliot Daniel

      Sung by Burl Ives

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    FAQ17

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • January 19, 1949 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • 心花朵朵開
    • Filming locations
      • Porterville, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Walt Disney Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 19 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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