The Proud Rebel (1958) User Reviews (47)

Good family western with colorful cinematography and excellent musical score

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 2 March 2005]

The movie concerns a father (Alan Ladd), a Confederate veteran , and his mute son (David Ladd, in real life too) who after framing impeachment by a judge (Henry Hull) he finds himself facing a 30-day jail sentence when he's unfairly accused of starting a brawl in a small town . A local spinster (Olivia De Havilland) pays his fine , as father and son find shelter in a ranch , providing that he works it off on her farm . The veteran is searching for a doctor who can cure his son , as the little boy suffers the emotional impact of the words he longed to tell them . Meanwhile , he soon finds himself involved in the struggle to keep her ranch from a local landowner and they'll have to confront a shepherd family (Dean Jagger and Harry Dean Stanton) and taking on a lot of dangers .

In the film there are glamorous landscapes , family drama , shootouts and agreeable feeling . This is a tale that reaches far and wide as the human life , being based on a story titled "Journal of Linnett Moore¨ written by James Edward Grant . The movie talks upon typical western old theme: fights between settlers and cattlemen . The final showdown amongst the protagonists and enemies is exciting . Runtime film is adjusted, one hour and half approx., it is neither dreary , nor tiring but enjoyable.

Alan Ladd's interpretation is top-notch likeness his son David Ladd (future marriage to Cheryl Ladd and father of Jordan Ladd) . Olivia De Havilland is enticing , gentle and sweet . Support cast is awesome , as Dean Jagger , John Carradine , Cecil Kellaway , Mary Wickes and Harry Dean Stanton (Paris, Texas) , an outstanding actor with a long career that today continues . Ted Mc Cord cinematography is riveting and glamorous . Jerome Moross musical score is fascinating , similar to soundtrack he composed in ¨Big country¨ deemed to be the best western score along with ¨ The magnificent seven¨ . The motion picture well produced by Samuel Goldwyn Jr was compellingly directed by Michael Curtiz . The yarn will appeal to western buffs and sentimental plot lovers . Rating : Good , better than average . Well catching .

Thank goodness--a western that is different!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 9 August 2010]

I have long complained because there must have been a million western movies made over the years by Hollywood and practically all of them are variations on the exact Fsame half dozen (or less) themes. As a result, most westerns are repetitive and dull. Fortunately, this one is a bit different--with enough that is not familiar to make it worth viewing.

The film begins with a father and son (Alan Ladd and his real life son, David) traveling across the country. They are Southerners but have left Atlanta following the Civil War in order to locate a doctor who might be able to cure the boy. It seems that following witnessing his mother's death the child has been mute.

In one of the towns, the father meets up with a couple dirt-bags who pick a fight with him. However, it is Ladd himself who is convicted of assault and is sentenced to spend 30 days in jail or pay $30--which he just doesn't have. A local spinster (Olivia de Havilland) takes pity on them and offers to pay the fine if the father comes to her farm to work off the debt.

Once on this farm, it's obvious Olivia's having problems with the same dirt-bags that attacked Ladd earlier in the film. In this case, the men are trying to force her to sell them her struggling farm. Along the way, Alan comes to her aid in this struggle and it's also obvious that some real affection is forming--and it's hardly a surprise when the two decide to stay.

While the story is not monumental in scope, it's a nice story about people. It helped that an exceptional director (Michael Curtiz) and many excellent actors appeared in the film. In addition to the main characters, veteran character actors such as Cecil Kellaway, Dean Jagger, Henry Hull and Harry Dean Stanton appeared in the film as well--giving it nice color. Plus the writing was very good and made for an appealing film.

By the way, the sign language that David Ladd uses throughout the film isn't perfect, but it IS essentially correct. So, when he is trying to tell Alan that there is a fire, that IS what he is signing. It's actually funny, but several times during the movie the dad didn't seem to know what the kid was saying--and I clearly understood and felt like yelling out what he was signing! I especially liked when the boy was trying to tell de Havilland how much he liked her but no one seemed to understand that he was saying how much he liked her. The film makers COULD have just as easily had the kid just make some nonsense signs and hardly anyone every would have known. It's nice to see that they tried. Now here is the rub, however, the DVD is NOT captioned at all!!! So, deaf people who COULD understand the boy cannot watch the film and enjoy it.

Also, while not a huge mistake, in one scene late in the film the three leads are in town and it's pouring down rain--so much so that they need to stay there until it clears. Yet, when they arrive back at the farm, it's 100% dry--the same dessert-like place it's always been with dirt, dirt and more dirt.

A REAL FAMILY CLASSIC

[bbrasher1 · 8/10 · 23 May 2003]

I grew up watching "Family Classics with Frazier Thomas", a program that featured a wide variety of family friendly movies. This was one of them(so was TOBOR THE GREAT but we won't get into that-I just finished reviewing that clunker a few minutes ago). Alan Ladd plays Civil War veteran John Chandler, who is seeking treatment for his mute son(played by real-life son David Ladd), and meets up with a town spinster (Olivia DeHavilland), who takes both of them in when Chandler is falsley accused of starting a brawl, facing thirty days in the town jail. In the meantime, a sheep herder (Dean Jagger) and his juvenile-delinquent sons attempt to force DeHavilland off her ranch. Chandler must also make the tough choice to sell young David's beloved dog to a breeder in order to pay for his treatment.

The performances are first-rate. Alan and David have one of the best father-son chemistries in movie history-(along with Jon Voight and Ricky Schroeder in THE CHAMP twenty or so years later). Also, Olivia DeHavilland, Dean Jagger, and veteran actor Harry Dean Stanton help make this one a must-see for all. Even horror veteran John Carradine makes a cameo appearance in the opening scene.

Sadly, this family classic makes the untimely death of Alan Ladd a few years later all the more tragic.

Rating: ****1/2 out of *****

Introducing David Ladd

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 9 July 2006]

Although young David Ladd had actually made a brief appearance in his father's western The Big Land the year before, it was decided that David would make a featured debut in this family picture about a father and son roughing it in post Civil War America.

Alan Ladd, late of the Confederate Army, and a widower has searched for and found his son in an orphanage in Pennsylvania. The Yankee soldiers took him and other kids left without homes to northern orphanages. In David's case he's lost his voice due to the traumatic shock of barely escaping the fire from a Union Army shell that burned down his home and killed his mother while Dad was in the army.

They're together now and working their way west. They run afoul of Dean Jagger and his roughneck sons in Illinois, but make friends of spinster farm lady Olivia DeHavilland and Quaker doctor Cecil Kellaway.

David has a sheepdog who could be valuable. And his father has some critical decisions to make about how to pay for an operation that might cure his son's vocal paralysis.

The casting by Alan Ladd of his son David was a stroke of good fortune as the chemistry between the real father and son proved to be a winner. Also Dean Jagger as the one armed sheepherder who has designs on Olivia's land was also very good and against type.

Playing Jagger's two sons are Tom Pittman and Harry Dean Stanton. Stanton, God Bless Him, is still around today, a very highly respected character actor who never seemed to lack for work. As for Tom Pittman, he was killed in a car crash while this film was out in theaters. John Mitchum in his memoirs Them Ornery Mitchum Boys, spoke very highly of Pittman, said he had a solid career ahead of him. He also described a harrowing experience where Pittman was missing for several days before police found him and his car and the bottom of a ravine where they had gone off the road.

This film marked a reunion of Olivia DeHavilland with Michael Curtiz who directed a whole bunch of her films at Warner Brothers back when she was a young leading lady and favorite leading lady of Errol Flynn. Olivia is older now and delivers a good performance as the wise and compassionate farm woman who takes in the Ladds.

With Ladd also producing and starring in this with his younger son, The Proud Rebel is a good family film in every sense of the word.

Loving the land, loving the dad, loving the best friend.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 5 October 2016]

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.

Excellent Boy-Dad-Dog Western

[Sleepy-17 · 24 March 2000]

Great acting by Olivia DeHavilland (!), Alan Ladd (!), and son David Ladd. Director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) shows his soft side in this family film about a man selling his dog to heal his son's muteness. I loved this film when I was a pre-teen, and watched it again last night with my twelve-year-old, and she was pulled into it faster than I was. (Harry) Dean Stanton as the villain, good photography and effective musical score by Jerome Moross in the "Big Country" mold. Lackluster action scenes aren't bad enough to ruin the mood; but it will remind many viewers of "Shane".

A few odd things about this film, but it's a unique Western

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 14 August 2016]

I would very much liked to have given this a very rare rating for me when it comes to Westerns -- an "8". That's how good I thought the story was. It's a somewhat unique Western, with the whole plot based on a boy who became mute after a Civil War atrocity, and his father's sacrifices to find a cure...along the way they meet Olivia de Havilland.

BUT, when a film is supposed to be taking place in Illinois, yet it was filmed in the red rock country of Utah...well, I guess I must be missing something, because that makes no sense at all. It's nice scenery -- all that red rock of Illinois. All those mountains off in the distance...must be a clear day to see the Rockies all the way from Illinois.

The other odd thing about this film is that while Alan Ladd's character is described as a Confederate (after the war), the Confederacy aspect is virtually irrelevant. In fact, it might have made more sense to have the boy's hysterical muteness caused by an Indian attack. Ah well.

But, in addition to the otherwise excellent story line, the acting here is paramount. Alan Ladd is superior as the father. And I would have to say that I appreciated his performance here more than I did in "Shane".

It was an odd film for Olivia de Havilland. The role doesn't seem like her...although she plays it well. And, make no mistake, this is Alan Ladd's film.

Dean Jagger was a unique character actor. Even in a rather hateful role (like this one), you don't hold it against him.

The boy is played by David Ladd, Alan's son. He does it well.

Cecil Kellaway plays Cecil Kellaway, here as a Quaker doctor.

I was not at all familiar with Tom Pittman, who died tragically at a very early age. But wow...what a long list of film and television credits he had in a very short career (see Wikipedia).

A top notch Western that was, in my view, better than "Shane".

This film has stood the test of time well and will grow in popularity

[marxsarx · 9/10 · 8 March 2003]

Alan Ladd plays a widower whose wife died in a fire during the Civil War. His young son (played by his real life son, David Ladd) has not been able to speak after he saw his mother die. Alan Ladd's character is trying to find a doctor to help his son. Ladd ends up with a thirty day jail sentence after being unfairly fined for a brawl which the two sons of an ambitious sheep rancher (wonderfully played by Dean Jagger) intentionally initiate. Olivia DeHavilland is a local unmarried woman who sees the predicament Alan Ladd and his son are in, and she pays the fine so that Ladd will not have to spend thirty days in jail, provided he works it off for thirty days on her farm. Michael Curtiz did a fantastic job of directing this beautiful film. Alan Ladd, Olivia DeHavilland and David Ladd are all terrific. This movie is a bit different than Ladd's classic film,"Shane", although there are some similarities. Ladd is once again the strong silent type, although he is more human in this film. David Ladd is perfectly cast as his son who can't speak. Olivia DeHavilland has just the right touch as a lonely but strong woman who quickly gets attached to the two new men in her life. The chemistry between the three leads in this film is tough to beat. The supporting actors are very good, including Cecil Kellaway, Dean Jagger, the ubiquitous film star John Carradine and Harry Dean Stanton. This movie works as a family film, which is in the end uplifting. The photography is just beautiful in this movie. "The Proud Rebel" is definitely an overlooked minor classic in the same genre as "Old Yeller", "The Yearling" and even "Shane." It has stood the test of time very well and I truly expect it will begin to grow in stature if it is shown on cable channels and available on DVD. Well worth watching for fans of the Western and Family Film genre. 90/100. Buy it if you have kids! Heck, buy it even if you don't!

"I might never come back, but you will".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 9 August 2010]

I'm surprised no other reviewers on this board give Lance the dog any credit at all. His work with the sheep was downright amazing, and if it was somehow staged without Lance's involvement, you could have fooled me. Exceptional work there old Lance, or 'King', I should say. I'm glad to see you got the proper screen credit.

But with Lance at the heart of the story, I found it irritating that once Chandler (Alan Ladd) decided that selling the dog wasn't the right thing to do, some more time goes by and he decides that is what he'll do after all. That back and forth agonizing over how to pay for the trip to get his son's (David Ladd) voice back would have been better served if Ladd's character had a Shane moment right from the get go. That happens near the end of the picture when Chandler straps on his firearm to take on the Burleigh's. But if you think about it, what Chandler had in mind would not be considered altogether lawful if old man Burleigh (Dean Jagger) didn't feign cooperation. He was just going there to take back Lance no matter what. The strategy works in a good guys versus bad guys sort of way, but sure wouldn't pass muster as lawful if push came to shove.

You know, I think I've finally seen what it means to be a 'handsome' woman. Olivia de Havilland is not the kind of actress I would think of to portray a spinster, but she makes it work here with a nicely nuanced portrayal that allows her inner beauty to shine through. Two decades following her appearance in "Gone With the Wind", de Havilland's features have matured to a gracefulness that doesn't have to rely on youth. I'm on the side of most other viewers who thinks more could have been done with the Chandler/Linnett Moore relationship, although I see how it might have gotten in the way of the father-son story.

So in sum, I see this as a fine family picture that takes the story to a happy ending, but there's some suspension of disbelief required for the magic to work. Especially after Chandler kills old man Burleigh and son Jeb (Harry Dean Stanton). Only in the movies do you have no aftermath to consider, like the law swooping down on the Burleigh ranch and investigating Chandler for the death of two citizens. Especially when old Judge Morley (Henry Hull) was ready to throw the book at Chandler early on just for getting beat up.

Classic western and story telling

[rickidaksgrips · 8/10 · 8 April 2014]

A very nice classic movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood. I disagree with another reviewer that the film is too slow. It develops and moves along fine. The trouble with todays youth, is that everything has too spill out in a minute flat as nearly everyone under 25 has A.D.H.D or is so pumped up on energy drinks. They are so impatient and snappy. That there are no real craftsmen anywhere or in any field nowadays. It is often said all new movies have 1 dimension characters. Well if you pace it slower and show the back round of the characters. You can have fully developed and believable characters. Alan Ladd did a great portrayal of the character, as he did with the Shane character in the movie of the same name, made 5 years earlier and also a western. The actor dosen't act, he becomes the character. The rest of the cast were superb as well. Olivia De Havaland played such a wholesome women. That you'd want to marry her knowing you'd last forever with her. Alan's son played his son in the film, and playing a mute boy made you think that maybe he couldn't speak. He later of course married Cheryl Ladd from Charlie's Angels series. A nice story without CGI effects and explosions and lots of unnecessary sex.

These are storybook stories that embed in peoples minds. Films from this era have been remembered for 70-80 years. How many films from last year can you recall.

SHANE PART TWO...?

[masonfisk · 6/10 · 5 May 2022]

Alan Ladd does the Shane thing again in this Western from 1958. Ladd, a former Confederate soldier, travels w/his supposedly tongue tied son (played by Alan's actual son in real life David who uses grunts & sign language to communicate) & their well trained sheep dog when he comes upon a town & visits a doctor, played Cecil Kellaway, to see if he can cure his son's malady (a running issue Ladd has been on the move to solve) which he can't but does give him the name of a specialist in Minnesota who may be able to help. Running into some trouble w/a sheep farmer, played by Dean Jagger & his two sons, Harry Dean Stanton (billed as Dean Stanton) & Tom Pittman, Ladd is railroaded into jail w/a bail amount he can't come up with but luckily Olivia de Havilland comes to his rescue (she witnessed the incident) & Ladd agrees to work off his debt which gives the ad hoc family a renewed purpose (especially since Jagger has designs on de Havilland's land for his sheep) but when he gets a generous offer for his sheep dog (an amount that would cover his specialist's bill), he sells the pooch knowing it'll break his son's heart when he returns. Director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca/Captain Blood) gets good mileage from the premise but it's too bad George Stevens got there first w/his seminal version of Shane & the narrative is further let down when the story's later focus is on a typical shoot out to right all wrongs between our players when the strength of the piece is Ladd not coming to terms w/his son's ailment which we now know stems from a mental trauma then something medical science can operate on. Also starring John Carradine as a traveling salesman & Henry Hull as a cantankerous judge.

A classic rendering with many interesting ingredients

[ra-kamal · 8/10 · 25 September 2014]

The boy, David, is the focal point of this movie. The movie had a resounding impact on young boys coming of age in the late 50s and into the 60s. Its powerful impact at the time is what made it a successful movie. The many emotional ups and downs throughout the movie dealt with a wide variety of issues faced by a devoted war veteran father from the south, trying hard to steer away from violence as he travels the Midwest seeking medical resolution to his traumatized son who had been struck by aphasia after witnessing his mother's burning death in a Civil War atrocity . Some of the issues viewers are exposed to include the tragedies during and after the Civil War, the western range wars, the disenfranchisement of the southerners, an evil rancher and his evil sons, a frontier love story, and a son-dog-father saga. The traumatized boy-cum-hero is superbly portrayed by child actor, David Ladd, who becomes the film's hero at the climatic gunfight at the end of the movie, saving his father, reuniting with his dog and regaining his voice. The developing love story between the father portrayed by the ever stoic and stiff Alan Ladd and the widower farmer portrayed by Olivia de Havilland, takes second stage to the tear-jerking scenes superbly portrayed by the boy in two scenes: when he learns that his father had sold his dog, and when he regains his ability to speak at the end of the movie. A well-crafted movie and an outstanding performance by David Ladd who was eleven years old when the film was released.

The theme of the skilled gunfighter trying to lead a gun-free productive civilian life but is thwarted and forced back to his firearm to right an injustice, is a theme that recurs numerous times in western movies. In fact, this theme is quite common in the most successful of westerns including this movie, Shane and High Noon. The overriding message of this genre of movies is: if you are unjustly treated (justice commonly portrayed as inept or corrupt), then you may take up arms and take justice into your own hands, even if it means killing others. The hero and his gun are paramount.

Me and you and a dog named King.

[ulicknormanowen · 7/10 · 10 August 2020]

This is the perfect movie-for-the whole-family which respects its audience, which is rarely the case in today's production aimed at the children's market which substitute heart and soul for special effects .

The screenplay is derivative and looks like a cross between "Shane " and "Lassie come home" ,but it does not matter ;there's a good chemistry between Alan Ladd and his son in real life :the boy does a very good job , particularly in the scene when he searches the empty farm ; and what a pleasure to see the great Olivia De Havilland directed by Curtiz after all these years !

A simple Western

[gbill-74877 · 5/10 · 10 February 2019]

This is not a terrible film, but it was just too simple for me, perhaps reflecting a target of younger audiences and it being 1958. It's all rather generic, with emotions as sedate as Alan Ladd's performance. He plays a Confederate soldier from Atlanta (without a trace of a Southern accent) who arrives in town to see a doctor for his son. The boy has been struck mute after seeing his mother die, clearly a mental trauma, and yet an operation is what he's going to need to restore his voice (how does that make sense?) They're helped out by a friendly farmer (Olivia de Havilland), a widow who gives him work. She has some evil neighbors who want to run her off her land, and it's the same folks who picked a fight with Ladd in town. So you can see the conflicts - the boy's voice, the bad guys, and two decent, kindly widows living together getting attracted to one another - and it's pretty clear how it will play out.

The film starts off with some post-Civil War tension, Ladd being the 'proud rebel' who is picked on by some less than honorable Yankees, but this really doesn't go anywhere, which was probably a good thing. Was this just in there for the title, and to appeal to Southern filmgoers? I wondered. Regardless, it was nice to see Harry Dean Stanton in just his second credited role, as well as de Havilland, who at 42 had been living in Paris for several years and was in a slower part of her career. She plays her part well, handling horses and performing manual labor naturally, but the script is pretty limiting. Director Michael Curtiz, on the other hand, was 72 and nearing the end of his long career, and he just seems to have phoned it in. Maybe the biggest highlight of all was the border collie who becomes a key plot point, likely to try to get some emotion into this dud, because after all, what tugs at the heartstrings more than separating a dog from a child? Anyway, his sheep herding skills were on full display, and he was definitely a good boy.

A place they can call home

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 23 June 2022]

THE PROUD REBEL was made in the late 1950s by Samuel Goldwyn Jr. It came along at a time when TV westerns were quite popular, but it offered something that could only be found on the big screen- a sweeping story about post-war life told in Technicolor. At this stage in their careers, the two stars were no longer playing young romantic leads, and what develops is essentially a mature romance.

Alan Ladd is cast as an ex-Confederate soldier heading north to Minnesota after the Civil War. Except for his pride, he has lost much of what he once had. Traveling with him is a young son (Ladd's own real life son David) who is now mute.

Due to traumatic shock, the boy hasn't uttered a word since the end of the war. It is the elder Ladd's hope that they might find a doctor in the Midwest with a cure. But when they speak to a physician (Cecil Kellaway), they're told the boy's inability to speak might be psychological, not physical.

Outside the doctor's office, they get into a fight with some men trying to steal the boy's dog. This leads to an arrest and quick trial. A judgment is rendered against the Ladds, and a $30 fine is imposed...but they have no money to pay it.

A solution presents itself when a farm woman (Olivia de Havilland) steps forward. She will provide lodging for both of them, if they do jobs on her land to pay off the fine. Soon tender feelings are shared between the adults while the woman forges a special bond with the boy.

The film presents several unique character studies, and the situations are simple but realistic. We watch southerners exposed to prejudices in Midwestern territory, and we also see a conflict escalating between Miss de Havilland and a neighbor sheep baron (Dean Jagger).

In addition to this, there is hope the boy's voice might be restored if he undergoes an operation. As the story unfolds, it is clear the Ladds have found more than just a temporary refuge with de Havilland. They've found a place where they belong, a place they can call home.

What price do you put on love and devotion?.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 27 September 2008]

The Proud Rebel is directed by Michael Curtiz and adapted by Lillie Hayward & Joseph Petracca from the story "Journal of Linnett Moore" written by James Edward Grant. It stars Alan Ladd, Olivia de Havilland, Dean Jagger, David Ladd, Cecil Kellaway & Henry Hull. Jerome Moross scores the music and Ted McCord is the cinematographer. It's a Technicolor production and the location for the shoot is Cedar City, Utah, USA.

John Chandler (A Ladd) is a proud Southerner, the Civil war war may be over but he is still finding hostility in the North. He is searching for a doctor who can help his mute son David (D Ladd) speak again, the youngster has been unable to talk since the death of his mother in a fire at the family home. After being taunted for his Southern roots, John gets into a fight that lands him a 30 day jail term. Luckily a kindly local lady called Linnett Moore (Havilland) offers to pay the fine to keep John out of jail, she can see that young David needs his father, and a man about her farm will come in handy. From here John gets involved with Linnett's struggle to keep her land from ruthless local landowner Harry Burleigh (Jagger). Burleigh and his sons will do what it takes to get their way. As bonds and affections are formed, some real tough decisions must be made, can the proud rebel, and those he cares for, triumph in adversity?.

Make no mistake here, this film is as formulaic as it comes, any fan of the genre that reads the plot synopsis will know exactly what to expect. That, however, doesn't mean this isn't a smashing film, because it completely is. It's the kind of film that that all family members can sit in front of the TV and enjoy. When a plot arc in a film involves the bullied standing up to the bullies it's always rewarding, but The Proud Rebel doesn't just stop at pulling that particular heart string, it pulls at a couple of others involving the quest for David to speak again, and a lovely emotive strand involving Lance the dog. Even tho the expected finally arrives, you would have to be made of granite to not feel like whooping with joy as you swat away that fly in your eye.

Michael Curtiz directs and does, as usual, a brilliant unfussy job, but even he would surely have acknowledged the integral part the score plays in this story. Jerome Moross' score is simply wonderful, every frame comes to life as the music itself envelopes the characters and also brings them to life as well. Gorgeous and at times desperately sad, it's a score very much to savour. Alan Ladd as John slips quite easily into Shane mode, acting opposite his son David, he emotes with great conviction, and during some of the more sadder scenes he is quite heartfelt and believable. Olivia de Haviland as Linnett Moore is sturdy and tough, how nice it is watching de Haviland perform so well in this type of role. The supporting actors are all effective, most notably Jagger, Kellaway and of course young David Ladd, whilst keep an eye out for future great character actor Harry Dean Stanton.

If you like Shane and films of that ilk then this is for you, a perfect family picture that pulls at all the respective emotional threads. 7/10

Go West.

[sarcasm_for_free · 6/10 · 5 June 2022]

It's a tale as old as time immemorial: single travelling man sells dog to pay for son to get his voice back via an operation. When said op doesn't work and boy hates his pop for trading in his beloved pet, the man has to find a way to get his old pooch back. Hell hath no wrath like a mute kid separated from his beloved animal, after all.

Throw a very independent (for the time period) possible-love-interest lady who owns a nearby farm, and some rootin' tootin' crooks who'll stop at nothing to teach this new arrival some manners (they also happen to have his dog) and you have yourself a very fraught situation indeed. With this being a 50's western though, you can probably guess how it's gonna end at a time when Hollywood was pretty averse to taking risks...

A leisurely if not spectacular watch with good performances all round and a good bit of drama, The Proud Rebel eschews the usual genres staples of tense shoot-outs and fighting with Indians to concentrate mostly on the moving relationship between this determined man and his son, and well as throw in a bit of romance at the sidelines.

When I watched it (a rainy Sunday afternoon) is probably the best time; any other part of the day I might've thought it a bit too slight, but when you've got nothing better to do and the weather outside is foul, it hit the spot just perfect. 6/10.

Not so much of a review as a comment.

[beadsworth · 7/10 · 25 May 2020]

Music at the beginning could be right out of the score from Big Country

" Young David Ladd Charms Alongside Father Alan "

[PamelaShort · 8/10 · 23 November 2013]

The Proud Rebel is a touching tale, performed simply and effectively with the fine acting talents of Olivia De Havilland, Dean Jagger, Cecil Kellaway and Alan Ladd. The surprising winner is eleven year old David Ladd in his biggest film debut, playing Ladd's mute son, he gives an astonishingly professional and realistic performance. With outstanding cinematography and filmed on spectacular scenic locations in Utah and professionally directed by Michael Curtiz, The Proud Rebel deserves the title of timeless classic. I will not give a synopsis of this film as so many have already adequately done, but I do insist this heartwarming drama must be seen to be fully appreciated. This film will appeal to all fans of Alan Ladd, Olivia De Havilland, Western Films and anyone who enjoys a sentimental story about the love between a boy and his father and the forever loyalty of a beloved dog.

Pulls at the heart strings

[whiterabbit06 · 7/10 · 30 January 2019]

Very sweet movie that has excellent story development. A bit slow at parts but otherwise a great little watch.

Alongside Shane, Alan Ladd never made a better movie than THE PROUD REBEL.

[HONEYWALL1 · 10/10 · 13 April 2001]

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** I went to see this wonderful Technicolor film in 1958, when I was eleven, and it became one of my all-time favorite movies. Alan Ladd is top-billed, but the film belongs to his real-life, eleven year old son, David, who, in a truly outstanding performance, practically steals the whole film from his famous father. Set just after the end of the American Civil War, Alan Ladd plays John Chandler, a Confederate traveling the countryside searching for a doctor who can cure his mute son, David, who has been struck dumb with shock after seeing his mother killed in front of him and his home burned to the ground during the war. David's constant companion is his sheep dog, Lance, and the pair are devoted to one another. They are taken in by a spinster, Linnett Moore (Olivia de Havilland), in return for them helping her on her farm, which is coveted by a land-hungry rancher, Harry Burleigh (Dean Jagger) and his two obnoxious sons. When a doctor is found in far away Philadelphia who holds out a hope of curing David, John, unable to raise the money any other way, sells Lance to a dog breeder without David knowing. The operation is a failure and when David returns home to find Lance gone, he is inconsolable. Meanwhile, Lance has fallen into the hands of Burleigh, who, knowing John must come to get the dog back for his son's sake, sets a trap for him. David follows his father to Burleigh's ranch and the shock of seeing his father about to be shot from behind restores his power of speech. Just in time, he shouts a warning to his father, who turns and shoots his attacker, killing him. The final scene, where David runs across the fields with Lance into the arms of Linnett, sobbing "I...can...talk...I can...talk!" had me and the rest of the audience in tears. Jerome Moross' wonderful music score greatly added to the overall effect of this classic movie, which I rate ten out of ten!

A Little Rebel Yell

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 12 August 2015]

Following the US Civil War, Confederate soldier Alan Ladd (as John Chandler), his skittish 10-year-old son David Ladd (as David Chandler) and their dog "Lance" move from Georgia to Illinois. They are looking for a smart Northern doctor to examine young Ladd, who hasn't been able to speak since he witnessed his mother die by fire. The doctor examines the boy's throat and tells Mr. Ladd the muteness is likely psychological. We hear the younger Ladd make noises one would associate with healthy vocal chords, although he mainly communicates with sign language. After visiting the doctor, Ladd gets into a fight with one-armed sheep rancher Dean Jagger (as Harry Burleigh)...

The nastiest guy in town, Mr. Jagger tries to dog-nap Lance, correctly realizing the pooch would make an ideal sheepdog. For an older guy, Ladd puts up a good fight against Jagger's strong young sons, Dean Stanton and Tom Pittman (as Jeb and Tom). However, Ladd gets knocked out cold and dragged to the local judge. For being a "Reb" and losing the fight, Ladd is sentenced to 30 days or 30 dollars. Luckily, spinsterish but still good-looking Olivia de Havilland (as Linnett Moore) has arrived for her opening scene. She takes charge of young David and offers to employ dad Ladd on her 200 acre farm, so he can pay his fine. Of course, the Jagger gang causes violent trouble for the trio...

De Havilland acts admirably, but the best notices for "The Proud Rebel" went to the younger Ladd. He won the sporadic "Juvenile Actor" of the year from both Film Daily and the Golden Globes. Given an "Introducing" credit, David Ladd had been acting with his father for several years. He even had a minor role in his dad's extraordinary "Shane" (1953). "The Proud Rebel" feigns such similarity, it almost seems like David blurts out "Shane!" at a pivotal point. Of course, he does not. If you haven't seen the earlier film, do so. This one is nicely directed and photographed, by Michael Curtiz and Ted McCord. There's little magic, but just imagine you were a boy born in the late 1940s.

****** The Proud Rebel (1958-05-28) Michael Curtiz ~ Alan Ladd, David Ladd, Olivia de Havilland, Dean Jagger

Just Released From Copyright Issues - A Golden Globe Winner

[DKosty123 · 8/10 · 4 May 2015]

Michael Curtiz Directs A top shelf MGM picture here which was hung up with legal problems for a long time and just aired on Turner Classic movies. The pictures scenery and color make this one a great visual feast on a large screen. Alan Ladd and his son David (who won the Globe Award) are the main characters in a western drama where man has lost his wife in such shocking fashion that his son has become mute. This pulls the viewer in as Ladd is in search of a doctor who can get his son to speak again.

On this quest they run into and evil Dean Jagger whose a sheep farmer who initially tries to steal their dog. There is plenty of other solid support from John Carradine and other. Olivia De Havilland here is as good as ever as a barley farmer facing down Jagger and the sheep men, enlists the aid of Ladd and son for needed help. All the strength's here of cast and quality show through as the performances are stellar and the production is a step above many films. Alan Ladd is as good here as he was in Shane in 1953. The emotion between his character, his son and Olivia DE Havilland and Dean Jagger add substance to this movie making it very Watchable.

Olivia proves she is still very appealing and talented as an actress at age 42 here. I dedicate this review to her as the lawyers got this overlooked performance released for us to enjoy in time for her 100th birthday on July 1st, 2016. The quality if this movie would look good on an IMAX screen though real western dramas rarely get played on the venue.

seems like Shane, but ...

[umonti · 7/10 · 5 October 2010]

Just a comparison between The Proud Rebel and SHANE.

Characters are nearly the same. In SHANE: a wandering tough guy, a farmer, farmer's wife, boy, dog, cattle-breeder villains. In TPR the farmer is deleted and the wife becomes a she-farmer thus removing any moral question with the protagonist, the boy is moved to the wandering guy and afflicted with post-traumatic aphasia to keep the father under strain, and dog's character is enhanced. These changes water down the reasons for the final confrontation (not one murder and another attempted as with Shane), avoid any moral issue and open the way to the happy end with villains' death (only the strictly necessary ones) and the boy's recovery. Happy end a little phony with a hostile law enforcer in a northern town and a surviving brother ...

However, most likely the audience perceives more the similar characters than the difference.

An analysis of the main plot (see the 20 Master Plots) shows that this latter shift from "Sacrifice" (Shane gives up a quiet life and maybe a family) to a plot that is a mixture between "Rivalry" and "Underdog".

The Proud Rebel

[henry8-3 · 5/10 · 6 June 2022]

Confederate veteran John Chandler (Alan Ladd) and his traumatised mute son, played by Ladd's son David (rather well) move north and they are not welcomed, except by sympathetic farm owner Olivia de Havailland. Bad guy Dean Jagger and his 2 moronic sons need De Havilland's land - trouble ensues.

More of a family drama set in the west than a typical western, this is nevertheless engaging due to the performance of Ladd and especially De Havailland and an intelligent script. Jagger is a good villain and it's interesting to see Harry Dean Stanton in an early role. There are a few decent set pieces and if you can find a good print, it's very good looking. It is though not though that exciting and although we'll made, it follows a pretty predictable path.