Im Tal der Apachen

Not that many people, even among those who are big fans of OLD YELLER, know that a sequel was made to that beloved movie. Seeing the sequel today, I think I know why this sequel quickly drifted out of the public's conscious. Despite the movie having the name of the family dog in its title, there are large chunks of the movie where the dog is off camera. (And why is Sam shown to have a dark colored coat of hair when in the first movie as a puppy, he had golden hair?) Also, the characters of the little brother and the teenage girl are off camera for a sizable chunk of time as well. The biggest problem the movie has is that there isn't as much excitement or big feelings about anything like the first movie had. It's as if the movie was trying to be as mediocre as possible. Still, some loutish viewers may get a few laughs from how uncomfortable Tommy Kirk seems to be in the scenes where he's paired up with a female love interest.

Okay...in my opinion, this sequel was better than the original. I cried my butt off in Old Yeller, but something about this movie makes me like it more than Old Yeller. I have seen Savage Sam so many times that I know ALL the words to it. It's a very good children's film, but its a "Movie that all audiences will love" If you like Old Yeller, and Where the Red Fern grows, you will love this movie.

If you like the old Disney family movies like Old Yeller, Parent Trap, Swiss Family Robinson, Davy Crockett, etc., then you will probably like this movie. While it is advertised as a sequel to Old Yeller, the only similarities are the same actors are back for the boys and Mr. Searcy and the story does involve a dog. That's it for similarities.

You are best to watch this movie for what it is and ignore the sequel part. Brian Keith is a nice addition to the movie playing the boys' uncle and though it is familiar story, it is not a repeat of the original story as so many sequels tend to be.

Norman Tokar took over directing duties on this sequel to "Old Yeller" that sees Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran return as Travis and Arliss Coates, who, several years later, now have a new dog called 'Savage' Sam(though whether he really is related to Yeller is never established) who still proves as brave and heroic as Yeller, since both boys(along with a female friend) are abducted by a hostile Native tribe, and held for some undetermined reason. Meanwhile, their Uncle Beck Coates(played by Brian Keith) is looking for them, since their parents are away taking care of a sick relative. Just how can the group get out of this predicament? Disappointing film isn't at all bad, but is forgettable and ineffectual, with little of the folksy charm of the first.

Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, and Jeff York repeat their roles from Old Yeller in this sequel film about Old Yeller's son, Savage Sam. The Coates boys from the first film have grown up considerably and Tommy is fully into puberty and thinking about York's daughter in a different light. Marta Kirsten later of Lost In Space plays a more grownup version of the part introduced by Beverly Washburn.

The parents of Travis and Arliss Coates are away and their uncle Brian Keith comes to look out for the family. Nevertheless on a Comanche raid, Kirk, Corcoran, and Kirsten are all captured although Kirk manages to escape. When Keith who is leading a posse after them finds Kirk, the dog proves invaluable in tracking the kids down and aiding in their rescue.

Although I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would want to rescue Kevin Corcoran. He's a royal pain to both the red men and white men alike. I can't believe the Indians just didn't shoot him and leave him on the trail. As he got older Corcoran's presence was more annoying than cute in a lot of movies and television he did for Disney.

In addition to Keith and York, other members of the posse consist of such western regulars as Royal Dano, Slim Pickens, and Dewey Martin all in parts they would have been typecast for.

Savage Sam is hardly as good a film as Old Yeller though it sure ends better all around for the two legged and four legged players.