Year of Release: 1958Country of Origin: USA
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Alan Ladd, Olivia de Havilland
Plot outline: A young boy becomes mute after seeing his mother killed in the Civil War and his father decides to take him and their dog on a trek to find a cure for his condition, but the road ahead is full of evil sheepherders and hard-to-find money (IMDb).
Although it nominally falls into the Western or outdoor-adventure categories, The Proud Rebel, which is not without gunplay, is more concerned with exposing character than mayhem. Director Michael Curtiz, except for a few lapses, has derived fine performances from his principals. Alan Ladd, who is not noted for explosive portrayals, is restrained but exceptionally expressive as the father, whose anxiety and devotion prove more powerful than pride. Although he has but one or two lines of dialogue, Mr. Ladd's 11-year-old son, David Ladd, contributes an astonishingly professional and sympathetic stint as his son. The tow-headed youngster, who is making his movie debut, is not only extremely likable but also projects movingly and with surprising naturalness and fidelity the helplessness of the mute. Olivia de Havilland, as the farm owner whose attachment to this family ripens into love, is the picture of hardy womanhood. Although she is not a couturier's dream, the warmth, affection and sturdiness needed in the role come across to an observer with telling effect. Dean Jagger, as the dastardly, scheming sheep raiser, is, on a few occasions, a mite too blackhearted, as are Dean Stanton and Thomas Pittman, as his churlish, cowardly sons. It was filmed in Utah with enough sweep, breathtaking vistas of rolling farmland and forests and streams to make one head for the hills instantly. It is a fitting background for the honestly heartwarming drama. (AHW)
My judgement: **1/2 out of 4 stars
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