Si cher à mon cœur

Original title: So Dear to My Heart

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

1.8K

YOUR RATING

Beulah Bondi, Bobby Driscoll, Burl Ives, and Luana Patten in Si cher à mon cœur (1948)

This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.

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Animation Drama Family Musical

This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.This heartwarming classic tells the tale of a country boy who adopts a mischevious black lamb and learns valuable lessons about love and dedication.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

1.8K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 1 nomination total

Vocal Ensemble
(voice)
(as The Rhythmaires)

Danny

Baby Lamb…

Stewart Bair

Singer
(voice)
(uncredited)

Fred Carter

Sheep Handler
(uncredited)

Emett Casey

Singer
(voice)
(uncredited)

Jack Chase

Abe - Dan Patch's Groom
(uncredited)

User reviews25

6.71.7K

Featured reviews

7moonspinner55

One of Walt Disney's personal favorites

A boy-and-his-sheep story, set on a farm at the turn of the century, and a valentine to childhood. This family film from Walt Disney opens, literally, with help from a collection of animated greeting cards. It proceeds from there with bits of animation accentuating the story of a likable youngster entering his beloved pet sheep in a county fair contest. Attempt to recapture the uncanny mix of animation and live-action warmth and humor of "Song of the South" doesn't completely succeed because, although the same kids--Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten--are present, there's no Uncle Remus or any memorable songs beyond "Lavender Blue" (which, granted, is a dilly). Still, the film is meticulously produced and overwhelmingly heartfelt. A nice addition to the Disney catalogue, and rather touching in its old-fashioned way. *** from ****

8bkoganbing

To Get To The County Fair

One of the most enduring products from the Magic Kingdom is So Dear To My Heart still retains its charm after 62 years. It's a very simple story about a young lad trying to earn enough money to get to the Pike County Fair at the turn of the last century. Young Bobby Driscoll aided and abetted by Luana Patten wants to get his lamb Danny to the County Fair and get awarded the first prize.

Young Danny came by his name because of a passing visit to their town of the Great Dan Patch legendary trotting horse champion from back in those days. He is literally the black sheep of the family with a fine coat of black wool. He also has no pedigree to speak of and that's important in these county fair events. Still Driscoll is full of hope.

He also has to convince is grandmother/guardian Beulah Bondi, a kindly and pious woman who's not really into wasting money on frivolities. For that the kids rely on Burl Ives, village blacksmith with a continual song for all occasions.

This film marked the farewell performance of Harry Carey who has a small role as the judge at the County Fair. So Dear To My Heart features a nice musical score by Elliot Daniel and Hy Morey which includes the Oscar nominated Lavendar Blue which Burl Ives delivers in a straightforward style. The song lost however to Baby It's Cold Outside from Neptune's Daughter.

The ensemble cast is great, especially the kids. Hard to believe what eventually happened with Bobby Driscoll, he looks so innocent here. Still that's the power of film, to freeze time and images that were more favorable.

After 62 years a great family film.

moviebuff-2

Another Disney live-action/animation winner!

"So Dear to My Heart" is yet another great Disney live-action/animation film. Kind of a follow-up to "Song of the South", but equally good. Burl Ives and his songs make the film worth seeing alone. A surprise song in the movie is "Billy Boy", sung in a duet between Beulah Bondi and Burl Ives. Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten are just as fresh and appealing here as they were in "Song of the South". During the scene with the song "Billy Boy", watching them smile just fills me with joy. Equally joyous is seeing them dance with Bondi and Ives later in the same scene. If only they lived longer in real life, then I'd probably meet and work with them. This movie is not as well-known as other Disney films, probably because of its simple story, but don't miss it. With a lot of pros I've mentioned above, it doesn't seem dated. I love it as much as "Song of the South" and rate it **** out of ****.

10songofthesouth

A wonderful Disney film! Song of the South-like

Being a huge fan of Song of the South, this movie was also a delight. Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten ("The Sweetheart Team"), are great as usual just like in all the classic Disney productions of this decade. And Burl Ives (voice of the eagle in Disneyland's old attraction America Sings) and his song Lavender Blue bring back memories! Quite honestly, I'm surprised the "offend no-one" attitude of Disney today hasn't got to the religious content of this film, which is refreshing and makes me thankful that they at least hold SOME things sacred (unlike digitally removing Pecos Bill's cigarette or editing out the Hatfields and McCoys scene from Make Mine Music). I love this film.

barnabyrudge

Too innocent for contemporary audiences, but taken in the context of when it was made this is still enjoyable.

So Dear To My Heart is a more-or-less forgotten Disney movie made in 1949. It feels like an attempt to repeat the success of the studio's 1946 classic Song of the South, but the innocent, twee approach is likely to be met with derision by many of today's street-wise youngsters. That's not to say the film is bad. In fact, if you can put it into the context of when it was made and try to enjoy it for its merits, this film is actually a lovely slice of entertainment.

The simple story tells of a young boy called Jeremiah Kincaid (Bobby Driscoll) who lives on a farm in 1903, helping his granny (Beulah Bondi) with the up-keep of the place. He comes to own a young black lamb named Danny, and dreams of taking the lamb to the County Fair - though granny advises him not to bother, since there's no call for black wool. Young Jeremiah is visited by some animated creatures who convince him to follow his heart.... if he thinks the lamb has a chance of winning, what the hell! Why not go for it?

Driscoll was one of the finest child actors ever and here he is excellent as the young boy with a far-fetched dream. Bondi as granny is stern but lovable, and Burl Ives is good too as the boy's optimistic uncle. The animation is quite good, but the live action takes up most of the screen time. There are some memorable songs, although the Oscar nominated tune "Lavender Blue" is actually rather disappointing.

So Dear To My Heart is worth watching, just so long as you remember that it was made in a time when the world was more innocent.

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Trivia
Most of the filming took place in 1946, but the film was not released until early in 1949; Harry Carey had been dead for more than a year by the time the film was eventually released.

Quotes
Granny Kincaid: [arguing about God being her solution to everything] Oh, I know. It's a vexin' thing. It's a cruel thing, havin' your lamb run away. Maybe Danny found a holler log and crawled into it... where the dogs couldn't find him. Maybe he's snuggled up under the roots of a big old tree. However it is, it's beyond our power to help. All you can do is just hope for the best but be prepared for whatever happens.
Jeremiah 'Jerry' Kincaid: He ain't dead. He ain't dead!
Granny Kincaid: I didn't say he was. I'm only tryin' to tell you to remember that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.
Jeremiah 'Jerry' Kincaid: Well, he can't have him. He can't take Danny.
Granny Kincaid: You're not tellin' the Lord what he can do or can't do. The Lord'll do the tellin'.
[realizes what she just said]
Granny Kincaid: Oh, this is all my fault. I've seen it comin'. I've seen it comin' all along. You've turned your heart away from the things I've taught you... ever since you were a little baby. No,Jeremiah, you can't do this. It's one thing, blamin' poor little Tildy for letting your lamb get away... when all she was tryin' to do was to help you feed him. And it's one thing, blamin' me. But it's another thing when you start blamin' your maker. Started out by lovin' the lamb, and that's why I let you keep him. True love ain't a harmful thing. True love's a good thing. It's good for the spirit. But you don't love that lamb any more. What you love is blue ribbons and cash awards. That's all you're thinkin' about-- things that are vain, things of this world-- until you forgot all about the things of the spirit. And when you can't have your own way, you start burdenin' the Lord. You ain't thinkin' of that lamb. You're just thinkin' about yourself. You know what's right, Jeremiah but you'll have to find it in your own heart to do what's right.