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Disney which is best known now for their animated films made a number of good movies with real actors and actresses. This 1965 feature is one of those movies. An excellent cast of talented actors headed up by the late Brian Keith and the beautiful Vera Miles tells the tale of a family whose dream is to create a sanctuary for wild Geese. Certain interest groups have other ideas however for the fate of the Geese. If you've never seen this Disney movie from the mid 60's then check it out on the Disney channel or rent it. A young Linda Evans and Tom Skerritt also costar along with Brandon DeWilde the legendary Walter Brennan and Ed Wynn.

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.

Family drama from Disney, the kind of folksy yarn the studio seemed to revel in during this era. Do-gooder adaptation of Paul Annixter's novel "Swiftwater" concerns Vermont couple and their son at odds with the rest of the town over their attempts to save a flock of geese from game-hunters. Mixes elements of melodrama, outdoor adventure, teen romance and nature asides, but too little humor. Running a seat-numbing 131mns, the picture was never popular with the matinee crowds despite beautiful scenery and a good cast including Brian Keith as the head of the house; Vera Miles as his frontier wife; Brandon de Wilde (pulling a James MacArthur) and Linda Evans (lovely) as the young sweethearts; and Walter Brennan as an old coot named Alf. OK yarn wears "values" on its sleeve, but is really too solemn and lethargic to appeal to anyone except nostalgic adults and Disney-philes. Score by Max Steiner, his only time working for the Mouse. **1/2 from ****

"You can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar"--an old proverb

"Those Calloways" is a live action DIsney film which has long ago faded into obscurity. I decided to watch it because of its impressive cast. However, if you try to watch it on Disney+, you are forced to watch a quick blurb about how the film isn't politically correct. The only 'offensive' things I saw were hunting and trapping and a non-American Indian playing an Indian. In other words, Disney is appealing to REALLY sensitive people out there...and if you see the film, ignore this blurb. By the way, this isn't all that easy because I found if you stop and re-start the film, it makes you watch this statement again.

As for the movie, it seems to epitomize the word 'okay'. It is nice is some ways but in others it could have stood some improvement. In particular, Mr. Calloway is big into preserving the geese from over hunting....but he yells and bellows so much. You can actually understand why many folks DIDN'T listen to him. A John Muir, he was not!

Apart from that, it's the type of live action film Walt himself loved, as it emphasizes a bygone era in America and old fashioned values. Considering his love of the late 1800s and early 1900s, setting the film during the Coolidge administration (1923-1929) isn't a surprise.

Overall, the film features some nice story and nice acting (apart from Brian Keith...the character who seemed to be yelling all the time). It's not a film I'd rush to see but don't let Disney's current warning scare you away...it's not offensive unless you hate hunting and can't get past Frank DeKova playing an Indian...though hundreds of films and TV shows of the 1950s-60s featured this. I don't like it because it's more realistic to have American Indians playing American Indians, but I have pretty thick skin.

This is one of those great "green" movies that we should rally around.

Brian Keith plays a man who makes his living killing creature after creature. He kills as many as he can all day long. It's his job.

Keith gets upset because other people want to kill geese. For some reason, Keith thinks it is wrong to buy a license and go out once or twice a year and kill an animal. Especially geese.

Keith continues to kill his way. Kill, kill, kill. Kill, kill, kill. Keith makes a nice living with his slaughter.

And he continues to fight people who want to kill a goose or two. Bad, bad people.

Naturally, the pretty pretty geese that people shoot to put food on their table are saved. Yay!! And boy, aren't we lucky that Keith gets to keep skinning animals for their hides.

It's a feel-good movie for all, unless you happen to be one of the animals that Keith likes to kill.