Those Calloways

I love these simple films from the 60s and 70s of Disney, at first that cute message about mistreatment and extermination of animals and peoples, but here we have a beautiful example of love and care for nature and wild animals, beautiful film, delicate and lovely, except for the money hunts and clothing skins... So beautiful, he "sacrifices" his own family for the sake of geese, a pity he just doesn't care about the animals they kill to get their skin off, but like every Disney movie does all right in the end... It's so long, but so engaging that we don't realize...

During his lifetime, Walt Disney made a number of serious-minded movies for family audiences, but quite often families ignored them and favored his goofball comedies and animated movies. "Those Calloways" is one such movie, not doing very well at the box office. Though I personally liked the movie, I can see why not many people were attracted to it. It's a long movie for one thing, over two hours in length. And the storytelling is kind of episodic than being one strong story. Still, I found the movie to have a lot of charm. It's shot on attractive New England locations, the characters are interesting, and the various vignettes are not boring. That is, if you are a (patient) adult. Though Disney intended this movie for a family audience, I think most modern day kids would be bored stiff by this movie with its slow pace and lack of action and special effects. Too bad - kids might learn a few things along the way.

Those Calloways is a family film from the Walt Disney Studios about a man who was raised by the Indians in rural Vermont and as such has an appreciation for nature that his fellow whites fail to see. As this film is set in the early years of the last century, Brian Keith's character would have an ally in the White House who would be making conservation a prime policy initiative in his presidency.

Theodore Roosevelt would have appreciated Cam Calloway's concern for the wild geese who pass over his part of Vermont going south for the winter. Their passage is something noted and revered by the Indians who helped raise Keith. But his concern for the geese is not something that his family, wife Vera Miles and son Brandon DeWilde, share with the same enthusiasm.

But if Miles and DeWilde are not on the same page as Keith, the rest of the town just ain't even reading the same book. The only real ally that Keith has is storekeeper Walter Brennan. A fast talking salesman played by Phillip Abbott wants to turn their little corner of Vermont into a duckhunter's paradise that might make the town some real money. Naturally they're resentful of Keith who is seeming to take the bread out of their mouths.

Those Calloways has a good cast and a sincere message about conservation. It's not delivered however in the best fashion and the audience never really gets it, why Brian Keith is so passionate about those geese. It's not one of the Disney Studio's better efforts.

This movie is one of the better movies that Disney put out in the '60s. Many of the movies that they were producing in this time period were obviously family oriented, but all had a much lighter tone to them. This was a serious look at a serious time in US History, and I think they did a fantastic job with it. Overall, the performances are memorable, and the cast has stars, but is not overweighted. Some supporting roles of note are done by Ed Wynn and Walter Brennan. The music is also well scripted. Definitely worth a look.

Bland. It's a film that slowly creeps through its 131 minute runtime.

I do really like Brian Keith as an actor, but he really did get the more lamer Disney films didn't he? 'The Parent Trap' aside, all of his others with the studio up until this point are marginally good at best; despite Keith's talent.

'Those Calloways' is poorly paced and doesn't have any truly lovable characters. The shtick with the main family is that they are opposed to hunting, yet their whole thing is hunting in itself. Sure, they're doing it for differing reasons, but it's hardly a massive gap - it's not like the film portrays them as disliking it either.

As for the cast, Keith is the best on display as Cam. Brandon deWilde (Bucky), Ed Wynn (Ed) and Walter Brennan (Alf) are fine. All of the antagonists are forgettable, though. Considering how long the film goes on for, they hardly do anything with the exception of one moment. There's a few scenes which could've done with some music too, particularly ones involving Bucky and Whit (Tom Skerritt).

There is definitely a good message attempted, but it kinda falls flat unfortunately. This isn't one I'd recommend, even if it isn't terrible.