Old Yeller (1957)

A teenage boy grows to love a stray yellow dog while helping his mother and younger brother run their Texas homestead while their father is away on a cattle drive. First thought to be good-for-nothing mutt, Old Yeller is soon beloved by all.

Director:

Robert Stevenson

Writers:

Fred Gipson (screenplay), William Tunberg (screenplay)

Stars:

Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, Tommy Kirk

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dorothy McGuire	...	Katie Coates
Fess Parker	...	Jim Coates
Jeff York	...	Bud Searcy
Chuck Connors	...	Burn Sanderson
Beverly Washburn	...	Lisbeth Searcy
Tommy Kirk	...	Travis Coates
Kevin Corcoran	...	Arliss Coates

Storyline

Young Travis Coates is left to take care of the family ranch with his mother and younger brother while his father goes off on a cattle drive in the 1860's. When a yellow mongrel comes for an uninvited stay with the family, Travis reluctantly adopts the dog. After a series of scrapes involving raccoons, snakes, bears, wild hogs and wolves, Travis grows to love and respect Old Yeller, who comes to have a profound effect on the boy's life.

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Plot Keywords:

dog | rabies | dog movie | 19th century | shooting a dog | 

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Taglines:

A motion picture to remember with glowing pleasure!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 July 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Old Yeller

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$21,909,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Disney debut of Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran.

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Goofs

The film is set in 1869. However, Travis' gun has a model 1873 Springfield Trapdoor receiver. This rifle fires a cartridge, so Travis has no need for the powder horn around his neck.

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Quotes

Arliss Coates: Why did you shoot Rosemary?
Travis Coates: She was sick.
Arliss Coates: Well, you were sick. How come we didn't shoot you?
Travis Coates: Well, that's some different.

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Alternate Versions

UK versions are cut by 9 secs and remove shots of a cow tripping and hitting the ground.

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Connections

Referenced in Tosh.0: Boomer the Dog (2014)

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Soundtracks

Old Yeller
Lyrics by Hazel George (as Gil George)
Music by Oliver Wallace
Sung by Jerome Courtland

User Reviews

Almost 50 years later and it still can make the most tough unemotional person cry

I had refused to see this movie because all I could really hear was about how depressing "Old Yeller" was and how it could make anyone cry. My friend pretty much, in the sense of literally, put this movie in the pile that she lent me and when I called her, she told me to watch it or she'd never take it back. Well, I guess I just wanted to give in since she bugged me every phone conversation from that point on.

Old Yeller is a lost dog that comes across a western set family who's father has headed for money and items for his family. When they find Old Yeller, it's like he's taken the father's position, protecting the family every chance he got. The family comes to love this dog with a passion, even when the original owner comes to claim Old Yeller, he can tell that the dog truly belongs to the family and gives them the dog. But unfortunately, the dog gets rabies... and... sob! You get the point.

I'm not kidding, this movie is so depressing, but this was the kinder version of what Hollywood once was. The story is sweet, just like I said, you'll cry for a few, because almost everyone can admit that they had that dog who was so much like Old Yeller in one way or another. So, I'm not sure if I'd recommend it or not, just for the simple sake of that it brings back old memories. Sob!

7/10