Old Yeller

1957 | Drama | 83 minutes | English

Info

On a farm in 1860s Texas, Jim Coates leaves his wife Katie, and his sons Travis and Arliss, and heads to Kansas to buy cattle. While working in the corn field, Travis encounters a stray Labrador Retriever. He calls the dog Old Yeller. In the field one day, when Arliss tries to feed a black bear cub, the violently angry mother bear attacks Arliss but Old Yeller comes to the rescue. Seeing the dog’s courage and strength, Travis becomes attached to Old Yeller. While attending to a sick cow, the family is attacked by a rabid wolf. Travis shoots the wolf but not before the wolf mauls Old Yeller. Tragically, the rabid wolf infected Old Yeller and now a tearful Travis must put the dog out of his misery. Heartbroken, Travis refuses to accept a puppy sired by Old Yeller. Jim, the father, returns home bearing gifts for the family. He hears about Old Yeller and consoles Travis. A joyous Travis now accepts the puppy and calls his new dog Young Yeller.

Cast

Fess Parker (Jim Coates) / Dorothy McGuire (Katie Coates) / Tommy Kirk (Travis Coates) / Kevin Corcoran (Arliss Coates)

Why Stream This Film?

Film critic Jeff Walls wrote the following: OLD YELLER has come to be more than just a movie; it has become a part of our culture. If you were to walk around asking random people, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who did not know the story of Old Yeller, someone who didn’t enjoy it or someone who didn’t cry. The movie’s ending has become as famous as any other in film history.

Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics Consensus): 100%
Metacritic Score: 84

Accolades

75th Venice Film Festival, Winner, Golden Lion
Ten Academy Award Nominations. Winner: Best Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director (Alfonso Cuarón), Best Cinematographer (Alfonso Cuarón)
Festivals: Venice, Telluride, Toronto, New York
Best Film of 2018: Time Magazine and The New York Film Critics Circle