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 !
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 !