This is one of several versions of the classic novel by Ouida, with one earlier in 1935 and a later one in 1999. It's a film that within 10 minutes of starting I thought I would rate at a 10 out of 10, but to some very slow patches in the middle, I had to alter it. It is also a very depressing film so maybe not one that Disney film fans would enjoy, even though it stars the dog from "Old Yeller". David Ladd stars as a young boy living with grandfather Donald Crisp, taking in a dog they find on the road which has been abused, even though they are struggling to make ends meet.
Ladd finds a mentor in artist in Theodore Bikel, and hopes to have his paintings seen so he can make life for his ailing grandfather a little better. But there are fateful twists, some rather cruel thanks to some not so nice people, and thanks to changes from the original novel, the film does manage to have a happy ending.
The great Technicolor and Cinemascope processes add fabulously to this film that was filmed on location in Holland and Belgium, and Ladd is a fine young actor. Crisp is the grandfather that every young child would dream of having, especially if their parents were deceased and they had to be raised by someone else. The veteran actor from the silent era and "How Green Was My Valley" Academy Award Winner gives a fabulously moving performance. Bikel is temperamental but often sentimental as he learns to like his young protege whom he actually shows some envy of. I wish I could rate this higher because it is fabulous in many ways, but I felt that the film became a bit tedious in spots which lowered the impact of it overall.
Ladd finds a mentor in artist in Theodore Bikel, and hopes to have his paintings seen so he can make life for his ailing grandfather a little better. But there are fateful twists, some rather cruel thanks to some not so nice people, and thanks to changes from the original novel, the film does manage to have a happy ending.
The great Technicolor and Cinemascope processes add fabulously to this film that was filmed on location in Holland and Belgium, and Ladd is a fine young actor. Crisp is the grandfather that every young child would dream of having, especially if their parents were deceased and they had to be raised by someone else. The veteran actor from the silent era and "How Green Was My Valley" Academy Award Winner gives a fabulously moving performance. Bikel is temperamental but often sentimental as he learns to like his young protege whom he actually shows some envy of. I wish I could rate this higher because it is fabulous in many ways, but I felt that the film became a bit tedious in spots which lowered the impact of it overall.