When a chance meeting from a tough farm woman and a southern soldier, his mute son and their beloved sheep herding dog, a supposed temporary situation seems like it might go permanent. It's right after the end of the civil war, and strong but quiet Alan Ladd arrives far up north with his son (David Ladd). A fight with bullies trying to steal the dog lands him in trouble, and to prevent the two from being separated, hardworking and independent farm woman Olivia De Havilland agrees to pay his fine and take the elder Ladd on to aide her in fixing up her farm. A kinship develops between the foursome, but the loss of the younger Ladd's best friend and threats by de Havilland's bully neighbors threaten to destroy the vulnerable youngster who is mute as the result of a long ago tragedy.
A smartly written and amazingly well acted and directed family drama is a surprise on many fronts, particularly De Havilland's bold and refreshingly real performance. Gone are the cloying overly noble mannerisms that made you think that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, and you will find her totally believable as a spinster farm woman. She's Melanie Wilkes with a spine and a bit of Scarlet O'Hara sass: honest, no nonsense and filled with the soul of all the earth mother's put together.
Pop and son Alan and David are a perfect match, with the elder Ladd as memorable as he was in "Shane". Young David will steal your heart, already loving his dad and dog, and coming to love his surrogate mother. There's Dean Jagger as the ruthless land baron out to steal Olivia's, a young Harry Dean Stanton as one of his brutish sons, Cecil Kellaway as a kindly local doctor, Henry Hull as the local judge whom Olivia hoodwinks, and cameos by John Carradine and Mary Wickes.
A tale of greed, nobility, determination and retribution tie this together in the direction by the legendary Michael Curtiz who directed Olivia in many of her early films. There's no need to toss a strong romance with Alan and Olivia in this; the story makes you realize, "Whatever happens, happens". In a sense, all four leads are proud rebels, and their cause is one to be with, not without.
A smartly written and amazingly well acted and directed family drama is a surprise on many fronts, particularly De Havilland's bold and refreshingly real performance. Gone are the cloying overly noble mannerisms that made you think that butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, and you will find her totally believable as a spinster farm woman. She's Melanie Wilkes with a spine and a bit of Scarlet O'Hara sass: honest, no nonsense and filled with the soul of all the earth mother's put together.
Pop and son Alan and David are a perfect match, with the elder Ladd as memorable as he was in "Shane". Young David will steal your heart, already loving his dad and dog, and coming to love his surrogate mother. There's Dean Jagger as the ruthless land baron out to steal Olivia's, a young Harry Dean Stanton as one of his brutish sons, Cecil Kellaway as a kindly local doctor, Henry Hull as the local judge whom Olivia hoodwinks, and cameos by John Carradine and Mary Wickes.
A tale of greed, nobility, determination and retribution tie this together in the direction by the legendary Michael Curtiz who directed Olivia in many of her early films. There's no need to toss a strong romance with Alan and Olivia in this; the story makes you realize, "Whatever happens, happens". In a sense, all four leads are proud rebels, and their cause is one to be with, not without.