Good-bye, My Lady

I just caught this film recently on American Movie Classics. It was better than I ever would have expected. The summary for the film reads like a Disney story "An old man and a young boy who live in the Georgia swamps are brought together by the love of a dog.", but the film actually mixes in a lot of humor with a sad story.

The stars in the film include Sidney Poitier, who doesn't play a real major role in the film, and Walter Brennan. If you know who Walter Brennan is, then you've proved that you watched those Sunday afternoon Westerns as a kid, like "How the West Was Won" or "Support Your Local Sheriff". Brennan's unique voice has been mimicked over the years by many, and is one that almost everyone would recognize. It's the unmistakable "country hill-billy" voice that we all can help but smile when hearing.

The film isn't a comedy, but give the viewer plenty to smile about. Uncle Jessie's as the stereotypical hillbilly is the source of many of those grins. He is supposed to be cutting firewood to make money, but he can't seem to cut more than 1 or 2 pieces daily before succumbing to an all-afternoon nap. He also has some fun dialog like "when I gets me enough money I'm gonna git me a set a dem Roebucker-teeth [false teeth from Sears & Roebuck], and if-en I save enough maybe I'll git me a couple-a gold ones" or some banter with his nephew Skeeter that includes words like "mighten" and advice to "don't crowd God".

Skeeter, the nephew (played by Brandon De Wilde), has some great facial expressions throughout the film and also has some funny scenes with Lady (the dog).

The dog that they boy finds and subsequently catches and names "Lady" is said by the boy and Jessie to "laugh, sure as day" - and by God, they weren't lying. The dog in the film actually laughs! I mean it's a dog-laugh, but it's unmistakable.

Anyway, while not a film that I would rate as a "can't miss", "Good-bye, My Lady" was a fun film that had it's touching moments, but mixed in a lot of fun. A really good Sunday afternoon flick and a must for Walter Brennan fans.

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).

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.

There is a very interesting item about this film that is not mentioned on the information page about the dog. Without exception, this is the only film that features the basenji, also known as the African barkless dog. I know of only a couple other films that show a basenji, but just briefly, one of which is "The African Queen", where, near the beginning, you see it for only a moment. The film gives a good depiction about the nature and characteristics about the breed. I can attest to it since I grew up with this breed and have been around them for over 40 years. It's a shame that the breed is not used more often. If only this movie were available on DVD!

I saw this movie with my father when I was a kid, of course we loved the movie. In Spanish the title was Inseparables. I have been looking for this movie for several years, finally my daughter found it on internet and ordered it for me as a Xmas present. We watched it today and I could remember just about everything in the movie. I am a little confused, I remember when I saw the movie many years ago, Lady returns to Skeeter and Uncle Jesse, but the owner comes back to get her. He takes her away again, but this time she does not return. This did not happen in the movie that we saw today. Am I mistaken? Did the movie have an alternative ending? Any clarification to this will be greatly appreciated. We enjoyed the movie so much and it brought wonderful memories of my dear father.