I too caught this one on American Movie Classics and I have to say it's a modest little movie that does a lot of things right. The moment we hear of a movie about a boy and a dog, we expect a surfeit of sentimentality, a la "Old Yeller". This movie is rather understated, right down to being in black & white and having a single acoustic guitar do the background music. The movie does not opt for the cheap happy ending it might have, but gives us something sadder and more real. By doing so it makes for a much richer movie. This fine little film isn't going to be on anyone's "ten greatest movies" list, but it's worth a see.
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rupie21 September 1999
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bkoganbing19 April 2005I remember seeing Goodbye My Lady back when I was a lad as the second part of a double feature. I was pretty amazed at this most unusual canine.
Young Skeeter, who lives with his Uncle Jesse in the swamp area near Pascagoula, Mississippi comes upon a most unusual dog in the swamp. It grooms itself like a cat, has a hyena like laugh instead of a bark, and has the speed of Secretariat. Any kid like the one I was when I saw this would want to possess an animal like this. When Skeeter finally does capture him he finds he's got the most natural hunting dog ever seen those parts.
Brandon DeWilde was a pretty popular child actor in the Fifties, Shane and The Member of the Wedding cemented his career. He and Walter Brennan playing Uncle Jesse are a winning combination. They get good support from Phil Harris as the local grocer, Sidney Poitier has a small role as a young black neighbor and William Hopper, the Yankee visitor from Connecticut.
Would you believe this film was produced by John Wayne? His Batjac Production company occasionally did films that did not star the Duke. Duke got a top director in William Wellman with whom he had just finished The High and the Mighty to direct Goodbye My Lady and Phil Harris and William Hopper who was in the cast of same. Wellman mixes all the elements just right for a winning film.
This unusual dog turns out to be a basenji from Africa and of course the dog is lost from it's real owner. The ending isn't what you would expect from a boy/dog picture, it's more real and that's as far as I go at this point.
Living in Buffalo as I do now, there's a bit of humor here that non- Buffalonians can't appreciate. Phil Harris has a hunting dog named Millard Fillmore, named after our 13th American President. Fillmore is somewhere in the middle rank of Presidents generally, but as a native of Buffalo, you'll find a few people in this part of the world who will accord him as great.
Harris makes a joke about nothing ever being named for Fillmore. Where I live there's a page or two in the phone book for things named Fillmore. That must have sent up a few howls back when I was a kid in theaters here. -
I just caught this film recently on American Movie Classics. It was better than I ever would have expected. The summary for the film reads like a Disney story "An old man and a young boy who live in the Georgia swamps are brought together by the love of a dog.", but the film actually mixes in a lot of humor with a sad story.
The stars in the film include Sidney Poitier, who doesn't play a real major role in the film, and Walter Brennan. If you know who Walter Brennan is, then you've proved that you watched those Sunday afternoon Westerns as a kid, like "How the West Was Won" or "Support Your Local Sheriff". Brennan's unique voice has been mimicked over the years by many, and is one that almost everyone would recognize. It's the unmistakable "country hill-billy" voice that we all can help but smile when hearing.
The film isn't a comedy, but give the viewer plenty to smile about. Uncle Jessie's as the stereotypical hillbilly is the source of many of those grins. He is supposed to be cutting firewood to make money, but he can't seem to cut more than 1 or 2 pieces daily before succumbing to an all-afternoon nap. He also has some fun dialog like "when I gets me enough money I'm gonna git me a set a dem Roebucker-teeth [false teeth from Sears & Roebuck], and if-en I save enough maybe I'll git me a couple-a gold ones" or some banter with his nephew Skeeter that includes words like "mighten" and advice to "don't crowd God".
Skeeter, the nephew (played by Brandon De Wilde), has some great facial expressions throughout the film and also has some funny scenes with Lady (the dog).
The dog that they boy finds and subsequently catches and names "Lady" is said by the boy and Jessie to "laugh, sure as day" - and by God, they weren't lying. The dog in the film actually laughs! I mean it's a dog-laugh, but it's unmistakable.
Anyway, while not a film that I would rate as a "can't miss", "Good-bye, My Lady" was a fun film that had it's touching moments, but mixed in a lot of fun. A really good Sunday afternoon flick and a must for Walter Brennan fans. -
Teenie-16 April 2001This is one of my all-time favorite family films. It doesn't remind me of "Old Yeller" or "Lassie," but something different. It centers around an elderly backwoods hillbilly (Walter Brennan)who is raising his young grand(?)nephew (a very young Brandon DeWilde). The boy finds a strange dog in the woods and, after much reluctance, adopts the dog, only to find that it is one of the strangest breeds (Basenji) in captivity. (Being a Basenji owner, they are indeed very strange but lovable). The film is very moving in parts, especially when you first note the gradual bond between the boy, the dog and the old man and how the little dog seems to bring out a lonely side of the little boy that you don't pick up until that part of the film. Yes, the dog does "sing" ( Basenjis do not bark, they "yodel") and it runs very fast (they are fast runners). The boy's fascination with figuring out just what this dog is all about really manages to capture and hold your attention throughout the entire film. Even you will want to figure out what this dog is all about.
Walter Brennan is hilarious, although it appears as though this role was intended to be on the light side, not hysterically funny side. I found myself laughing so hard in the scenes where he is running to catch up to the dog or running to get the wood chopped when he is suddenly awakened from a long nap. His character is "Grandpa McCoy" from "The Real McCoys" but a little more gritty (at least Grandpa McCoy had dentures). Brandon DeWilde is absolutely marvelous. And "Lady" is both magnificent and fascinating to watch.
Check this one out. It's well worth a family get-together for a few good laughs and for bringing folks together. And if you get the chance to watch a Basenji's antics, even you'll be asking, "Is this really a dog?" -
rlclcjrc-122 January 2008There is a very interesting item about this film that is not mentioned on the information page about the dog. Without exception, this is the only film that features the basenji, also known as the African barkless dog. I know of only a couple other films that show a basenji, but just briefly, one of which is "The African Queen", where, near the beginning, you see it for only a moment. The film gives a good depiction about the nature and characteristics about the breed. I can attest to it since I grew up with this breed and have been around them for over 40 years. It's a shame that the breed is not used more often. If only this movie were available on DVD!
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I was introduced to this movie by my niece, who had seen it at her vocational school. She and her friends (about a dozen girls) sat and watched it over and over, and cried their eyes out at the end every time! For a 50 year old movie to have that much impact on a group of modern 15 and 16 year old kids really says something about the quality of its content. It is certainly out-dated in many ways, and shows training techniques that would, no doubt make the ASPCA cringe today. For those of us that grew up in a little less gentile world it brings back memories of how life used to be. The acting in the film is good throughout, the characters are generally believable. If you have ever had the pleasure of interacting with a Basenji, than you will realize that most of what is depicted in the movie concerning the dog is quite plausible. It is one of the best dog movies I have ever seen, and really worth a look (if you can find it).
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Brandon deWilde & Walter Brennan star in this affectionate 1956 tale of a boy's love for his dog. DeWilde, a latch key kid living w/his uncle, Brennan, doesn't seem to have things going his way. Brennan won't let him have a rifle to shoot varmints with or have a pet of his own which all changes when he hears a yippish cry from the woods finding a rare dog from Africa. They soon bond & develop a love for each other but as night follows day, sunnier times turn dark as the original owner, sending an envoy to collect the pooch, wants what's his back. Will deWilde relinquish his pal at the end or put up a good fight? Touching upon many boy & their pet yarns like The Yearling (my personal favorite of this type) & Ol' Yeller, this film is in a lower register w/simple guitar strumming for a score, copious amounts of Southern drawls heard throughout & direction by William A. Wellman (the original A Star is Born/Wings) as deliberate as the clearing of one's throat so if you love your canine & old films, what a pair this film'll make. Also starring Sidney Poitier as a friendly neighbor & Phil Harris (that's right Baloo from the animated Jungle Book) as a kindly general store owner.
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MarieGabrielle29 April 2011This is a nice film directed by William Wellman about "Skeeter" (Brandon DeWilde) who finds a most unusual dog in the swamps near Pascagoula. He lives with his uncle (Walter Brennan) and decides to keep the seemingly stray dog and name her "Lady".
Lady turns out to be a very good hunter who can stand "on points" when she finds birds, but also has a penchant for chickens and rats as well. She is a sort of terrier, is what they assume, not realizing she is actually an African Basenji, rare and unusual.
There are a few amusing scenes, as when Brennan's neighbor brings his heeler, old "Millard Fillmore" to hunt with Lady, and Lady out bird-dogs "Old Mill" (what kind of name is that). Also when a kennel owner from Old Lyme, CT comes to look at the dog, and says the dog should be fed meat every day, ...Yankees treat their dogs good....they muse. Oatmeal and bacon fat isn't good enough?.
There are also some nice scenes of the mangrove swamps and Spanish moss. Pretty scenery, rough to live in though. Sidney Poitier has a brief role also, as he reads up on the dog and finds out its history. Won't spoil the ending here.
It's a sweet film without being overly sentimental, just the bond, unconditional love of a boy and his dog. 10/10. -
wes-connors19 January 2011Orphaned young Brandon de Wilde (as "Skeeter" Claude) lives with wizened uncle Walter Brennan (as Jesse Jackson) near a Georgia swamp. The young lad's lonely life is brightened when he finds an unusual dog. "Lady" laughs, cries and catches chickens. Get out your handkerchiefs, because you can bet something will threaten to separate the boy and his dog. There is nothing here to propel this film too far above station; it represents the genre well, but not extraordinarily. Master de Wilde and Mr. Brennan perform exactly as you'd expect. There are some interestingly staged scenes, by director William A. Wellman and cameraman William H. Clothier, alongside an enhancing acoustic soundtrack and eclectic cast.
****** Good-bye, My Lady (5/12/56) William A. Wellman ~ Brandon de Wilde, Walter Brennan, Phil Harris, Sidney Poitier -
I saw this movie with my father when I was a kid, of course we loved the movie. In Spanish the title was Inseparables. I have been looking for this movie for several years, finally my daughter found it on internet and ordered it for me as a Xmas present. We watched it today and I could remember just about everything in the movie. I am a little confused, I remember when I saw the movie many years ago, Lady returns to Skeeter and Uncle Jesse, but the owner comes back to get her. He takes her away again, but this time she does not return. This did not happen in the movie that we saw today. Am I mistaken? Did the movie have an alternative ending? Any clarification to this will be greatly appreciated. We enjoyed the movie so much and it brought wonderful memories of my dear father.
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SnoopyStyle8 April 2023Young orphan boy Skeeter (Brandon De Wilde) lives in a Mississippi swamp with Uncle Jesse Jackson (Walter Brennan). Skeeter finds a dog of unknown breed. She's a good bird dog with strange manners and they call her Lady. Gates Watson (Sidney Poitier) is a friendly neighbor.
I would rather not film any of this on a sound stage. This movie needs to take place in a real swamp. It looks much better whenever it's filmed outside. There is a noticeable difference. This is generally a fine doggie movie and then Sidney Poitier shows up. He's on the verge of his legendary career. Maybe it's too much to ask the kid to cry, but I would at least give him an epic goodbye speech. -
I first saw this movie back in the late '60's as Saturday TV fair and noticed I missed so much seeing it again on TCM recently. This movie has a lot more heart and realism than I remembered.
A very naturally acted, non-sappy portrayal of the day in the life of a boy and his dog living in an old backwoods, swamp country shack with a caring old man.
The entire movie has an ease about it as it gradually tells a simple story of how a boy trains a strange dog to hunt. What's fascinating is the detail about how this boy goes about doing this with a level of intelligence and understanding that's so against what would be expected with your typical "boy and his dog" movie. It actually adds a deep dimension of character and feeling of respect for the overall story and characters including the supporting cast.
The way the ending is handled doesn't insult, preach or pander to the audience. I actually felt I was in the presence of very intelligent people both in front and behind the camera who have a deep understanding of human nature in its simplest form. It's a very strangely peaceful movie. I sensed it when I first saw it as a kid and now can describe it as an adult. A very underrated movie. -
The_Movie_Cat30 November 2015Good-bye, My Lady largely centres around just three characters for its 95 minute runtime: a boy, his uncle and their laughing (yes, laughing) dog. As a result, the film's appeal lies solely on having the audience fall in love and care for these characters, a hard ask sixty years on where the mannered style of acting is antiquated, and the rhythms of speech are sure rightly fashioned old, yes sirree bob.
The two leads insist upon their own charm, and the jaunty, syruppy music doesn't help matters, seemingly just two minutes of the same turgid theme on a loop. Cloying, dirge-like and sentimental with obvious bluntness, it's a different world where a child's main wish is to buy a shotgun and drink black coffee. Sidney Poitier looks bored in a bit part, sandwiched in between far larger roles in Blackboard Jungle/Edge of the City. Certainly, his involvement (the reason why I watched it) is a severely limited one, just three scenes amounting to less than 7 minutes of screen time.
With the constant obsessions over the stray "dawg", and what looks suspiciously like animal cruelty by today's standards, including slapping the poor thing in the face, it's a movie that's almost singular in its intent. In fact, it's hard to think of a movie so channelled towards a sole plot line; even Stallone movies have more of a developed narrative than this. Oddly for a film with such a flimsy plot, then there's even narration to move the picture along in case the audience can't grasp the complexity of a boy who tells us he loves his "dawg". Over and over.
It's of course entirely possible to enjoy films from all eras, from the present to the very dawn of cinema. But Good-bye, My Lady is not only dated in a very bad way, but with the very title giving away the ending, is also dramatically inert. It's hard to be in any way moved by a film that insists upon its own contrived emotion the way this picture does, but the current 7.3/10 rating from over 500 IMDb voters would seem to suggest that I'm in a minority. -
campo_smokie-citrus22 September 2015Loved it! A wonderful, folksy film set in the deep south in the 1950s. It's about a boy who lives with his uncle in a little cabin down by the swamp who begins hearing a strange noise at night and upon investigation, finds it is a rather unusual and amazing little dog, the likes of which nobody in those parts has ever seen. A little dog that laughs instead of barking, that preens like a cat, that can run faster and catch a scent better than any coon dog. It is a Basenji. Skeeter, the boy, adopts the dog, loves it, and trains it, and they become quite attached to each other. Uncle Jessie, played by Walter Brennan, shares in the wonder at this unusual little dog along with dispensing wisdom and lessons about growing up. It is a very touching coming of age story. You'll fall in love with Lady, the little dog. Among the other talented cast members are Phil Harris, Sidney Poitier, and William Hopper. This was directed by the talented William Wellman and was a production of John Wayne's company, Batjac. The music was composed and played by the great guitarist, Laurindo Almeida. The Basenji, named My Lady of the Congo, spent all her time between filming scenes with Brandon De Wilde, who played Skeeter and they became quite attached to each other. Upon completion of the film, Lady became the property of Brandon so in fact they did stay together. We've seen this a couple of times and will enjoy it again. Highly recommended!
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lornagwater26 February 2022I loved this movie and didn't want it to end. It is a growing-of-age story about a lonely young boy who finds a strange breed of dog in the Mississippi swamps and makes her his own. Starring Brandon De Wilde and Walter Brennan, it has able supporting performances by Sidney Poitier, Phil Harris, Louise Beavers, and William Hopper, all of whom are directed by the wonderful William Wellman. Of special note is the simple and haunting musical score, composed and played by Laurindo Almeida, guitar, and George Fields, harmonica. The opening and closing song is sung by Howard Keel.
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VernC24 June 2001Phil Harris's contribution to this low-key gem should be acknowledged. Harris does not strike a single false note in his role as the local merchant and bird hunter. Sydney Poitier is a little less believable. By the way, the characters are properly described as swamp folk, or swamp rats, not hill billies.
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westsidegang124 August 2014I saw this movie twice in one day in 1956 when in 1st run.I bought a copy on DVD and it is in b/w but when I first saw it,it was b/w but with a soft brown tint.Was there a reason.I saw it on a Saturday morning alone when just 16 years old and went back that night with a friend.I liked the movie that much but the person I went with said they did not like it that much but I still do till this day and have watched it several times on DVD and until this day would recommend it.I watched it in the early 60s under the title Boy and the laughing dog and it was b/w with no tint.The movie had heart and was made in good taste and the cast could not have been better.Wish movies were still that good.
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That brat was just too cruel to that dog while training. Slaps dog in face..ties dead rat around neck..hiding metal wire in a chew toy to train dog to bite down softly. Brandon only has one personality in all of his movies and just plays the same character over and over again no matter what age. Last good move he made was "All Fall Down". Basically a good movie for a one time watch. 4 stars max.
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I'll start by writing that "This is a great movie!"
It's about a boy and his dog, very much like "Ole Yeller" and "Benji;" but, also, very much unlike other dog movies like "Cujo."
A boy named Skeeter (Brandon De Wilde) living in the bayous of Louisiana finds a lonely and unattended little dog running about and decides to keep 'her' as a pet...and, attempts to train her as a bird-hunting dog.
From "Lady's" size and behavior, other people find this dog to be useless as far as hunting and view her as nothing more than a cute little pet...maybe capable for killing rats, at best. However, they are all proved wrongly as this dog, a central African Basenji...a 'barkless' hunting dog that makes a 'yodeling' noise called a barroo, proves herself as a flawless 'hound' that can point her master towards hunted prey without scaring that prey away with a familiar dog bark.
Everyone should see this movie. Walter Brennan is as wonderful as always; Sidney Poitier is great as the 'smart' character he always is; and, Brandon De Wilde and 'My Love of the Congo' as 'Lady the Dog' are priceless!
Everyone should see this lost classic at least once...or, twice! :) -
andysessa27 October 2013Wow,what a pleasant surprise...A movie in it's simplicity, tugs at your heart,while teaching us a lesson in life, respect for everyone and everything and virtue from a time unfortunately pasted, due to modern technology..Teaching us about the wilderness and life so few have experienced or understand of a day gone-bye for most of America...Can you imagine the courts of today awarding an orphan to a old man in the swamp..or the custody battle that would ensue in the courts of today for Skeeter and then Lady/Blue..You know Hopper could have called Burr and Mason could have handled the case, with equal distribution and custody of Lady/Blue...
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smiledaydream26 December 2019Too sweet to miss. The characters are great. It's wonderful when a story was just covered as a simple story. Everything here feels good even if it feels bad. Of course I'm probably a sucker for a dog movies.
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ctelbako8 April 2023I first saw this film at age 13 in a theater. As a kid, naturally I loved it. As an adult, I still love it. The cast is incredibly good. Brandon deWilde stars in it age 13. It is, I tink, an early role for sidney Poitier. Others are veterans Walter Brennan and Phil Harris. Laurindo Almeida wrote and plays music for the soundtrack. The film was beautifullly directed by William Wellman. Location filming looks great. Where was the swamp? Was it filmed entirely thre? None of it looks soundstagey to me. I recall that when I saw this film at a matinee in a downtown movie palace it was the second feature in a double bill. It should have been the feature!
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swoserin9 January 2015A charming film, of course. You got Walter Brennan, a boy, and a dog. What else do you need for charm... but 50+ years later the film can't help but be compared with an established faster pace in the art of film, and I'm not even referring to today's action films. The director clearly was seeking deliberate acting, and seems to have gone off the deep end. The pacing of dialogue was so slow, it was almost painful at times. And some of the direction seemed questionable. For example, Walter Brennan taking emotional paths that just didn't make sense. (I think some reviewers here saw these moments as intended comedy....uh, I don't think so.)
However, if it's a rainy day on the weekend, and you want something homey, with a window back to a time when some houses in rural areas still did not have running water, there is a certain level of fascination that can be found here if you're in a laid back mood. -
Equess125422 July 2007I recall reading the book when I was 8 or 9, but cannot recall the story. I remember that I fell in love with the book. I think I did see the movie also. Along with all of the Lassie and Disney animal movies, I also saw Bisquit Eater and Island of the Blue Dolphin (wish TCM or AMC would show that sometime) during my elementary school years in the 60s. During that time, also read the book "Rascal" about a pet raccoon and "Yellow Eyes" (I think that was the name of the book), which was about a cougar. And, of course, read the classics like Jack London's White Fang and Black Beauty; just about all of Walter Farley's books; and Albert Payson Terhune's (did I get the correct name?) series beginning with "Lad a Dog".
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"Good-bye, My Lady" is a most unusual film from teh Batjac production company...which was owned by John Wayne. As you can see with this film, Batjac made far more than just John Wayne's films.
The story is set in the swamps in the area around Mississippi. Because of this, there are many words in the film that non-Americans might struggle with...and a few Americans might also struggle with because it represents such a regional dialect. I mention this because you might want to consider this when you decide whether or not to see the film.
Skeeter (Brandon De Wilde) is a young boy who has been raised by his Uncle Jesse (Walter Brennan). They are poor and live in the swampland. One day, Skeeter hears some strange noises and he and his uncle have no idea what animal is making them. Well, it turns out that there is a Basenji (a type of non-barking dog native to Central Africa) somehow is living wild in the swamps and Skeeter is determined to catch it and tame it. Once he accomplishes this, he does what anyone with a dog in the swamplands would do...train it as a hunting dog. Soon the dog and boy are inseparable and you just know that in a film like this, some conflict must arise. Watch the film and find out for yourself.
This is an exquisitely written and acted film. You also cannot fault the direction, as together they all make a dandy family film...the sort that to me is clearly superior to doggy films like "Old Yeller", as Yeller was really a nasty beast and loved fighting and attacking any critter it came into contact with, whereas Lady (the name the boy gave the dog) is cute and much sweeter...which makes the strong finale all the more poignant. Well worth your time.