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 by), William Tunberg (screenplay by)

Stars:

Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, Tommy Kirk

2 wins.

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 | puppy | rabies | raccoon | wolf | 

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Taglines:

WALT DISNEY'S Newest, Most Exciting Adventure Feature!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene with the wild hogs, Travis hauls up a little hog which is a juvenile. In hunting terminology, this is the designation for young wild hogs aged 10 to 12 months.

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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

[Travis has asked how he can tell if a creature has hydrophobia]
Burn Sanderson: You can't hardly tell at first, not till they get to the point of slobbering and staggering around. When you see a critter in that fix, you know for sure. But you want to watch for others that ain't that far along. Now, you take a bobcat or a fox. You know they'll run if you give 'em the chance. But when one don't run, or maybe makes fight at you, why, you shoot him and shoot him quick. After he's bitten you, it's too late.

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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 WTFiWWY: Bizarro Old Yeller (2015)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Dog is a Man's Best Friend

It is a heart-warming tale of a boy's friendship with a dog. In late 19th century Texas, a homesteader leaves his wife (Dorothy McGuire) and his two sons for a few months to make some fortune in the city. He leaves his elder son Travis (Fess Parker) in charge of the family. The very next day, the family comes across a stray dog. They name him Yeller and very soon he becomes a well-beloved family pet. Yeller is a smart dog and acts as a guardian for the family.

Yeller is in fact the protagonist of the story. His personality is well developed and he steals our hearts with no effort. The dog playing Yeller was one expressive canine. You can very clearly see the emotions on his face.

It is romanticized depiction of the old west but who cares. The location is picturesque. There are plenty of animals; lizards, snakes, toads, hogs, horses, cows, bears, wolves and of course dogs. They seem to be well-trained; most of their scenes look extremely natural. Add to that, the characters are all charming as simple, hard-working and good-natured folk. And, you have an enjoyable little movie for both kids and adults.

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