Perhaps the least known of all Disney films, this forgotten classic is nonetheless one of the best, and was by the the most personal and revealing movie that Uncle Walt ever made. Americana is the correct term to describe this relaxed moral fable about a little boy (Bobby Driscoll) who longs to own a great race horse like Dan Patch but settles instead for a forlorn little lamb. The plot may sound like The Yearling, but nobody shoots the pet at the end, even if 'Danny' does do just as much damage to the farm. Beulah Bondi (John Ford's original choice for Maw in The Grapes of Wrath) is exquisite as Grandma (the boy is an orphan) and another Ford vet, Harry Carey, Sr., makes one of his final appearances as the judge of an animal show at the big fair. The movie, based on a Sterling North story, is anything but escapism. Underneath the 'ah shucks' atmosphere is a profound tale of growing up the hard way, and an attempt to maintain innocence when the world seems bent on destroying it. Terrific support from Burl Ives as a local folksinger. Several animated sequences introduce Professor Owl, a cartoon wise bird who would fitfully appear in Disney entertainment until replaced by Prof. Duck, Donald's uncle, in 1961. A heartwarming treat that inspired the Main Street, USA attraction in Disney parks.
Review of So Dear to My Heart
