This film begins in Texas right after the Civil War with a man by the name of "Jim Coates" (Fess Parker) in the process of leaving his wife and two children while he goes on a cattle drive for some much-needed money. Trying to be a responsible father, just prior to riding off he encourages his oldest son "Travis Coates" (Tommy Kirk) to look after the family until he gets back in a few months. With those last words he then departs, and Travis dutifully tries to fill his father's shoes until he gets back. The next day his work is interrupted when a dog appears out of nowhere and causes some damage to the garden and the fence posts while chasing a rabbit. At first, Travis despises the dog but, after his mother "Katie Coates" (Dorothy McGuire) convinces him to accept the dog for his younger brother's sake, Travis relents and allows the dog to remain. Not long afterward, after protecting Travis' younger brother "Arliss Coates" (Kevin Corcoran) from a bear, Travis fully accepts the dog as a member of the family. And from that point on Travis and "Old Yeller" become the best of friends. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this is an excellent family movie which really brings out the special relationship between a boy and his dog. Admittedly, like most viewers, I would have preferred a better ending, but even so, this film has achieved classic status, and I have rated it accordingly.
Review of Old Yeller
