The Son of Rusty (1947)

Malicious gossip about a war veteran (STEPHEN DUNNE) is at the center of this routine story in the Rusty series starring TED DONALDSON as the boy who tries to befriend the veteran only to have the friendship cut short by an accident involving explosives that hurt Rusty.

STEPHEN DUNNE gives an earnest, likable performance as the misunderstood veteran soldier and THURSTON HALL does a nice job as a helpful and trusted lawyer Gibson who defends the man accused of a misdemeanor for using explosives/ The final courtroom scene tends to be too preachy in its summation of small-town American values, as well intended as it is, even though Thurston Hall delivers it well.

But the story essentially is a weak one, bolstered only by the likable performances and the amazingly well trained canine mentioned in the title. The only real interest in the story comes from the mystery surrounding Dunne and his erratic behavior, which is only solved by the courtroom testimony he's forced to give about his background.

Summing up: A small trifle about a small-town incident used to showcase the abilities of a dog named Rusty and his owner, Donaldson.