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:

A true story that shook a city is told again to shake the world

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Donald Crisp (James Brown) previously appeared in Challenge to Lassie (1949), which was likewise based on Eleanor Atkinson's 1912 novel "Greyfriars Bobby".

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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 very sentimental tale of a wee doggy.

"Greyfriars Bobby" is a Disney live action film that is based on the real life dog, Bobby...who was a very odd dog to say the least! Like the beloved Japanese dog, Hachiko, Bobby's owner died and the dog refused to get on with its life...choosing instead to spend it's days at his master's grave. In fact, following the mans' death, the dog continued this routine for 14 years!! Talk about tenacious...and maladjusted! Regardless, it makes a dandy and very sentimental film, one which is best watched with a box of tissues nearby!

So what did I like about the film? Well, most everything. The cinematography was unusually good for a Disney movie--really gorgeous and artistic. Also, having two distinguished British actors in the lead, Donald Crisp and Laurence Naismith, sure helped.

A few things to note: First, if you visit Edinburgh you can see the sites in the movie. In fact, you can not only visit the pub and cemetery but you can also see the monument marking the grave of Bobby...just outside the church (kirk) gate. Second, the adorable dog which plays Bobby is said to be a Skye Terrier but looks nothing like a modern Skye Terrier. This is because nutty dog breeders have done a lot to change the look of MOST breeds in recent years. If you went to a dog show in the mid-1800s, you'd have a hard time recognizing most of the breeds. There has been that much manipulation of the genes in recent years that you'd barely recognize them.

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