Old Yeller Movie

Old Yeller
Rating:
Run Time: 84 min
MPAA Rating: G
Released: 1957
Directors: Robert Stevenson
Genre/Type: Drama
Children's/Family
Coming-of-Age
Animal Picture
Producers: Walt Disney
Plot Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Based on the novel by Fred Gipson, Old Yeller is set in Texas in 1869. While his father is away on a cattle drive, 15-year-old Travis Coates (Tommy Kirk) takes over management of the family farm. Adopting a "strictly business" policy, Travis is irritated when younger brother, Arliss (Kevin Corcoran), adopts a frisky stray dog. But soon Travis is as fond of the dog as everyone else in the family; moreover, "Old Yeller" is an excellent watchdog. But while fighting off a mad wolf, Yeller is infected with rabies. Though Yeller seems unaffected at first, he eventually behaves so viciously that the disheartened Travis has no choice but to shoot the dog. A heart-to-heart talk between Travis and his returning father (Fess Parker), coupled with the adoption of a new pup, paves the way to an emotional but reasonably happy ending. Earning eight million dolalrs domestically on its first release, Old Yeller convinced Walt Disney to devote more and more time to live-action films and less time to animation -- which at the time was a sagacious business move. In 1963, Disney released a lesser sequel to Old Yeller titled Savage Sam.

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A boy brings a yellow dog home. The dog loves the family as much as they love him, but can the love last ? full summary | add synopsis
A mutt then & mongrel now. FICTION & used a mutt in the movie. NO it was *NOT * a fing BLACKMOUTH CUR!!! As anybody would actually SEEN them would know! *I* HAVE=NOTHING LIKE. There WERE no "blackmouth curs" when the FICTI...
Fred Gipson, author of Old Yeller

Cast

Actors Character Born
Dorothy McGuire Katie Coates Jun 14, 1916 in Omaha, NE
Fess Parker Jim Coates Aug 16, 1924 in Fort Worth, TX
Tommy Kirk Travis Coates Dec 10, 1941 in Louisville, KY
Kevin Corcoran Arliss Coates Jun 10, 1949 in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, CA
Jeff York Bud Searcy Mar 23, 1912
Chuck Connors Burn Sanderson Apr 10, 1921 in Brooklyn, New York City, NY
Beverly Washburn Lisbeth Searcy
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Back to the topReview

Review by Brendon Hanley
Old Yeller is one of the best-loved live-action features ever made by the Walt Disney Company. Unabashedly weepy, the film is genuine enough to have become a family classic. Director Robert Stevenson coaxes some fine performances from his cast and does an admirable job recreating farm life in the mid-1800s. The film inspired a number of copycats, and its influence can still be felt in almost any movie that prominently features an animal. Disney began to move away from animation after the success of 1950's Treasure Island; Yeller was one of many live-action hits directed by Stevenson, including Kidnapped, The Absent-Minded Professor, and, most notably, Mary Poppins. Yeller spawned an inferior sequel, Savage Sam, featuring much of the same cast but a different director.

Old Yeller on TV

Zip Code: 10010 · Provider: Verizon Fios Freehold NY Plus-Digital (Jersey City) Edit
Dec 4 , 6:00 AM ET · Old Yeller  · Channel 230 · TCM · Duration: 90 min.
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