Good-bye, My Lady

I too caught this one on American Movie Classics and I have to say it's a modest little movie that does a lot of things right. The moment we hear of a movie about a boy and a dog, we expect a surfeit of sentimentality, a la "Old Yeller". This movie is rather understated, right down to being in black & white and having a single acoustic guitar do the background music. The movie does not opt for the cheap happy ending it might have, but gives us something sadder and more real. By doing so it makes for a much richer movie. This fine little film isn't going to be on anyone's "ten greatest movies" list, but it's worth a see.

This is a nice film directed by William Wellman about "Skeeter" (Brandon DeWilde) who finds a most unusual dog in the swamps near Pascagoula. He lives with his uncle (Walter Brennan) and decides to keep the seemingly stray dog and name her "Lady".

Lady turns out to be a very good hunter who can stand "on points" when she finds birds, but also has a penchant for chickens and rats as well. She is a sort of terrier, is what they assume, not realizing she is actually an African Basenji, rare and unusual.

There are a few amusing scenes, as when Brennan's neighbor brings his heeler, old "Millard Fillmore" to hunt with Lady, and Lady out bird-dogs "Old Mill" (what kind of name is that). Also when a kennel owner from Old Lyme, CT comes to look at the dog, and says the dog should be fed meat every day, ...Yankees treat their dogs good....they muse. Oatmeal and bacon fat isn't good enough?.

There are also some nice scenes of the mangrove swamps and Spanish moss. Pretty scenery, rough to live in though. Sidney Poitier has a brief role also, as he reads up on the dog and finds out its history. Won't spoil the ending here.

It's a sweet film without being overly sentimental, just the bond, unconditional love of a boy and his dog. 10/10.

I was introduced to this movie by my niece, who had seen it at her vocational school. She and her friends (about a dozen girls) sat and watched it over and over, and cried their eyes out at the end every time! For a 50 year old movie to have that much impact on a group of modern 15 and 16 year old kids really says something about the quality of its content. It is certainly out-dated in many ways, and shows training techniques that would, no doubt make the ASPCA cringe today. For those of us that grew up in a little less gentile world it brings back memories of how life used to be. The acting in the film is good throughout, the characters are generally believable. If you have ever had the pleasure of interacting with a Basenji, than you will realize that most of what is depicted in the movie concerning the dog is quite plausible. It is one of the best dog movies I have ever seen, and really worth a look (if you can find it).

Brandon deWilde & Walter Brennan star in this affectionate 1956 tale of a boy's love for his dog. DeWilde, a latch key kid living w/his uncle, Brennan, doesn't seem to have things going his way. Brennan won't let him have a rifle to shoot varmints with or have a pet of his own which all changes when he hears a yippish cry from the woods finding a rare dog from Africa. They soon bond & develop a love for each other but as night follows day, sunnier times turn dark as the original owner, sending an envoy to collect the pooch, wants what's his back. Will deWilde relinquish his pal at the end or put up a good fight? Touching upon many boy & their pet yarns like The Yearling (my personal favorite of this type) & Ol' Yeller, this film is in a lower register w/simple guitar strumming for a score, copious amounts of Southern drawls heard throughout & direction by William A. Wellman (the original A Star is Born/Wings) as deliberate as the clearing of one's throat so if you love your canine & old films, what a pair this film'll make. Also starring Sidney Poitier as a friendly neighbor & Phil Harris (that's right Baloo from the animated Jungle Book) as a kindly general store owner.

Phil Harris's contribution to this low-key gem should be acknowledged. Harris does not strike a single false note in his role as the local merchant and bird hunter. Sydney Poitier is a little less believable. By the way, the characters are properly described as swamp folk, or swamp rats, not hill billies.