Old Yeller (film)
| Old Yeller | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Robert Stevenson |
| Produced by | Walt Disney |
| Screenplay by | Fred Gipson William Tunberg |
| Based on |
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson |
| Starring |
Dorothy McGuire Fess Parker Kevin Corcoran Tommy Kirk Spike |
| Music by |
Oliver Wallace Will Schaefer |
| Cinematography | Charles P. Boyle |
| Edited by | Stanley E. Johnson |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
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Release date
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Running time
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83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $6,250,000 (US/ Canada rentals) |
Old Yeller is a 1957 American drama film produced by Walt Disney. It stars Tommy Kirk, Dorothy McGuire and Beverly Washburn. It is about a boy and a stray dog in post-Civil War Texas. The film is based upon the 1956 Newbery Honor-winning book of the same name by Fred Gipson. Gipson also cowrote the screenplay with William Tunberg. The success of the Old Yeller film led to a sequel, Savage Sam, which was also based on a book by Gipson.
In 1860s post-U.S. Civil War Texas, Jim Coates (Fess Parker) leaves home to work on a cattle drive, leaving behind his wife Katie (Dorothy McGuire), older son Travis (Tommy Kirk) and younger son Arliss (Kevin Corcoran).
While Jim is away, Travis sets off to work in the cornfield, where he encounters "Old Yeller" (Spike), a Labrador Retriever/Mastiff mix. He was called that because "yeller" is a dialect pronunciation of yellow and the fact that his bark sounds more like a human yell. Travis unsuccessfully tries to drive the dog away, but Arliss likes him and defends him to Travis. However, the dog's habit of stealing meat from smokehouses and robbing hens' nests does not endear him to Travis.
Later, Arliss tries to capture a black bear cub by feeding it cornbread and grabbing it. Its angry mother hears her cub wailing and attacks, but Old Yeller appears and drives her off, earning the affection of the family. Travis grows to love and respect Old Yeller, who comes to have a profound effect on the boy's life.
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