It's really a shame that this B&W southern-western has been forgotten. It much reminds me of the much better remembered "The Southerner", only it's better, in my opinion. This screenplay took place in the contemporary world in which it was filmed, with jeeps, trucks and trailers. Yet, for the most part, the audience feels they are back 50 years before. Certainly, it doesn't lack for star power, with Dale Robertson acting as the original Texan returning from a 7 year stay in Kansas City, to the farm he grew up on, bringing his 2 young boys and father(Walter Brennan) with him. He buried his wife in KC, and sorely misses her, but is lucky to have his aged father to help around the house. Brennan steals the show, with his cantankerous mumblings and 'down home' philosophizing, along with some illegal hunting on his neighbor's property that causes friction between the two owners. Then, there's Richard Boone, who is the closest thing to a villain in the film. He's part owner of the neighboring ranch, having achieved this position by marrying one daughter of the previous owner. The other daughter, played by Joanne Dru("Red River", "The Wagon Masters", etc.)owns the other half of her father's spread, and is still up for grabs. She spends most of the film trying to decide whether to marry Dale or Dr. Harris(Robert Horton), to whom she is betrothed. Her heart mostly says Dale, but he's been shy about pursuing her, and she fears she will never be able to supplant Dale's love or that of his boys for his deceased wife. Near the end, it looks like the Dr. is going to win her, as everyone expected. But, the audience should expect that something will change that at the last moment. That 'something' is the death of grandpa from a 2nd stroke, his first stroke occurring just a few days before. Dale needs a new mate, ASAP, to take grandpa's place as his house keeper and cook. Joanne could fill that role if she cancelled her imminent wedding(She already has her wedding dress on!). Thus, grandpa's death symbolically opens the door wider for Joanne's role as a replacement mom. We see this symbolic replacement in various other films. One that comes to mind occurs in "The Far Country". when Brennan, again, is shot dead, opening the flood gates for 2 women who have been flirting with Stewart for some time. They compete for nursing Stewart back to health after he is wounded, strengthening their romantic bonds to this confirmed bachelor.
The familiar western song "Don't Fence Me In" serves as the theme song, being played during the opening credits and sung by Dale and Joanne as they drive down the road. It's an especially appropriate theme song, as fences play a significant role in the screenplay. Dale makes most of his money for several months putting up new fencing for Boone. Then, there are the problems with holes in the fence between the Crockett's (i.e. Dale) property and Boone's property. When they arrived, the Crocketts found Boone's cattle grazing on their land because of a hole in the fence that Boone had no reason to fix. In one instance, Boone made a hole in the fence near Dale's watermelon patch which he had already contracted to deliver. Boone's cattle came through the fence and trampled some melons before he herded them back on the other side. Boone presumably did this in retaliation for grandpa poaching some of his deer and turkeys. This incident also precipitated grandpa's stroke. Apparently, there was no game on the Crockett's smaller holding, and grandpa was bored if he couldn't do some hunting.
I would classify this as a family film, with the caveat that there is some shooting at one point, although no one is injured. Also, there is one street brawl between Dale and Boone, over Boone being late to pay Dale for his fence work.
See it at YouTube
The familiar western song "Don't Fence Me In" serves as the theme song, being played during the opening credits and sung by Dale and Joanne as they drive down the road. It's an especially appropriate theme song, as fences play a significant role in the screenplay. Dale makes most of his money for several months putting up new fencing for Boone. Then, there are the problems with holes in the fence between the Crockett's (i.e. Dale) property and Boone's property. When they arrived, the Crocketts found Boone's cattle grazing on their land because of a hole in the fence that Boone had no reason to fix. In one instance, Boone made a hole in the fence near Dale's watermelon patch which he had already contracted to deliver. Boone's cattle came through the fence and trampled some melons before he herded them back on the other side. Boone presumably did this in retaliation for grandpa poaching some of his deer and turkeys. This incident also precipitated grandpa's stroke. Apparently, there was no game on the Crockett's smaller holding, and grandpa was bored if he couldn't do some hunting.
I would classify this as a family film, with the caveat that there is some shooting at one point, although no one is injured. Also, there is one street brawl between Dale and Boone, over Boone being late to pay Dale for his fence work.
See it at YouTube