Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog (1961)

The remarkable veritable story of a terrier named Bobby and the enduring friendship he forges with a tenderhearted shepherd known simply as Old Jock---unbroken even by the kindly old man's death.

Director:

Don Chaffey

Writers:

Robert Westerby (screenplay), Eleanor Atkinson (story)

Stars:

Donald Crisp, Laurence Naismith, Alex Mackenzie

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Donald Crisp	...	James Brown
Laurence Naismith	...	Mr. Traill
Alex Mackenzie	...	Auld Jock
Duncan Macrae	...	Sgt. Davie Maclean
Andrew Cruickshank	...	Lord Provost
Gordon Jackson	...	Farmer
Rosalie Crutchley	...	Farmer's wife
Freda Jackson	...	Old woman caretaker
Moultrie Kelsall	...	Magistrate
Joyce Carey	...	First Lady
Vincent Winter	...	Tammy
Jameson Clark	...	Constable (as Jameson Clarke)
Jack Lambert	...	Doctor
Bruce Seton	...	Prosecutor
Joan Juliet Buck	...	Ailie (as Joan Buck)

Storyline

Scotland, 1865. An old shepherd and his little Skye Terrier Bobby go to Edinburgh. But when the shepherd dies of pneumonia, the dog remains faithful to his master, refuses to be adopted by anyone, and takes to sleeping on his master's grave in the Greyfriars Kirkyard, despite a caretaker with a "no dogs" rule. And when Bobby is taken up for being unlicensed, it's up to the children of Edinburgh and the Lord Provost to decide what's to be done.

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Plot Keywords:

animal character name as title | eight word title | shepherd | master | dog | 

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Taglines:

The true story of a dog.

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Donald Crisp (James Brown) and Gordon Jackson (Farmer) played the same character, albeit with different spelling, in separate adaptations of the 1932 novel "Mutiny on the Bounty" by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall: Crisp played Burkitt in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) while Jackson played Seaman Edward Birkett in Mutiny on the Bounty (1962).

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Quotes

Urchin: A Penny? A Whole Penny? Each?

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Connections

Remade as The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby (2005)

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Soundtracks

The Seventy-Ninth's Farewell to Gibraltar
(uncredited)
Traditional bagpipe tune
Arranged by John McDonald

User Reviews

A Quiet Classic

Watching this for the first time in nearly forty years I was prepared for a nice little animal show the likes of which Disney studios were well known for. I expected a pleasant, well made, but mostly average little movie. Instead I found an artfully rendered film; calm but powerful, subtle and deep. The look of the film is surprisingly gritty and realistic, with the only complaint that anyone could raise being that the children were perhaps a tad too clean. The characterizations are top notch, even the children! There's not a faker in the bunch! They are wholly believable. The pace of the film is steady, never rushed, never slow, and lends a sense of real time passing. Even though most adults will easily predict the ultimate outcome, they will not be bored or disappointed as it unfolds. This is the kind of film that should be required watching in elementary schools instead of some that are. There is much to learn here: of how people in a particular place and time lived, of human nature and interpersonal relationships, of responsibility and initiative. Parents be confident showing this to your children. Adults be amazed at how good a G-rated family film can be. My comment upon viewing the conclusion in my own living room, "Remarkable!"

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 July 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog

Filming Locations:

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$721,203

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1