User Reviews

This has all the characteristics of "Little House on the Prairie", focusing on newcomers to a small community where they make both friends and foes, work hard, have a ton of children and even more tragedies. There's the kindly minister, doctor, giving women of the town, and one interfering busy body who is the poster hag for good intentions are the pathways to hell.

Instead of being already parents, newcomers Glynis Johns and Cameron Mitchell are Scottish immigrants who have come to see her uncle, unfortunately recently deceased in a fire. They decide to remain to give their unborn child a home, and before long, there are six of them. Papa passes on, and with mama ailing, it seems that they will soon need to be placed in other homes. Nasty Reta Shaw, who has been a thorn in John's side since the very beginning (think Mrs. Olsen without humor) begins to follow what she believes her Christian duty to be, obviously only going to make things worse.

People on the prairie faced many hardships, whether it be the weather, financial or medical, and with one child suffering from diphtheria and Johns from typhoid, their tragedies seem insurmountable. Of the children, Rex Thompson and Patty McCormick stand out the most. Johns is also excellent, with Mitchell often funny, especially when dealing with boss Alan Hale Jr., a strong Irishman who hates Scotts.

This is a story of survival, family sticking together even when the worst has happened and it's only the children. Shaw's hateful character deserves old fashioned hisses, a contrary to the hugs audiences wanted to give her as the lovable Mabel in the same year's film version of "The Pajama Game".

The beautiful snowy photography is another plus, showing both the danger and magnificence of it. I wouldn't recommend going into this film without Kleenex as many moments occur that could bring on a flood of tears.

Great Sunday afternoon movie. Tear Jerker with limited acting but great story. I remember watching this as a child and trying frantically to purchase this. Warm-hearted movie, old but enjoyable. Watch it for what it is. Close to the heart being "Scottish"! story about a Scots Family emigrating to the US, building up a family and looking to follow the American Dream. 2 Parents and 6 children as far as I can remember. One of the Parents gets ill, the other Parent takes unwell ( in these days if you were ill..YOU DIED) all of a sudden the oldest boy has to distribute all the brothers and sisters to appropriate villagers. You don't cry at this one (Male included) there's something wrong with you. Sap

Review Date 1/16/2018

PLEASE BEWARE OF SOME REVIEWERS THAT ONLY HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. WHEN ITS A POSITIVE THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE NO AGENDA! I REVIEW MOVIES & SPECIALS AS A WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN! I HAVE DISCOVERED MANY GEMS IN MY QUEST TO SEE AS MANY " C H R I S T M A S " MOVIES AS I CAN.

Now Someone keeps reporting my reviews. I guess they are jealous because I do tell the truth. I want to point out that I never make snide remarks about actors weight or real life sexual orientation. If there acting is terrible or limited "I talk about that". If a story is bad "I will mention that" So why am I being "picked on"? IMDB? When one of my reviews gets deleted IMDB will not even tell me what someone found offensive. Well on to this review.

I have never herd of this film it was part of 4 DVD pack of what Warner Brothers Stated as "Four Holiday Classic Films".

This film starts off as a pioneer story. Two Newly Weds making a home in America without a dime to their name. Before long they have 6 children. The mother names all of the children after her brothers and sisters.

The last 30 minutes of this film sends this into a different direction. The 6 children are now to be separated after the death of their parents. The oldest child seeks homes before the state takes them away. If they do that he might never see any of them again!

This film was very slow. The last 30 minutes is very heartbreaking! The makers of this film should have made the main about a boy seeking a home for his siblings. Instead we get an hour of a pioneers!

I think this is the saddest film ever made. The story follows the growth of an immigrant family from just Mom & Dad to a house full of children. Then tragedy strikes and we see the family start to shrink. First by death by disease the parents, then by having the oldest give away his brothers and sisters. This film has what most modern Hollywood films lack - characters that you care dearly about. You will care enough about this family by the end, as if it were your own. I was 10 when this film was released, and had just lost my Mom. The film really hits home - as Buddha said: every family has a tragedy.

I hope it is released in VHS or DVD sometime in the future.

CAMERON MITCHELL and GLYNIS JOHNS are young newlyweds trying to find their place on arrival in Wisconsin as Scottish immigrants. They're soon pioneering with him finding work as a logger (thanks to bossman ALAN HALE, JR.) and gradually start raising a family of six children.

Some charming moments as the kids grow and interact with parents and neighbors, but then the soap suds angle gets the upper hand in the script. First the youngest son gets diphtheria but recovers. Then the father becomes ill but fails to survive the illness. And finally, the brood of children are left orphaned when their mother dies of typhoid fever.

The last third of the film has the youngest son promising his dying mother that he'll find good parents for the kids instead of sending them off to an orphanage and the Christmas theme works nicely here in time for a happy ending.

It's a bit schmaltzy at times--a sort of poverty story a la A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN with a different setting--but at times it has the ability to hook you into the story and really care about those kids. Among them, blonde PATTY McCORMACK stands out although given little to do. REX THOMPSON does a nice job as the "man of the family" who fulfills his mother's wish in finding families to take the kids.

Summing up: Nice, but could have been a lot better with a finer cast and director. Too predictable right up until the end.

Robert (Cameron Mitchell) and his bride, Jo (Glynis Johns) are Scottish immigrants who arrive in 19th century, rustic Wisconsin. They are going to stay with relatives until they get the money for a place of their own. But, alas, when they arrive in the midwest, the town's folk give them terrible news. Their relatives are dead and the house has been burned. Startled but undaunted, the two begin re-building the house and await the birth of their first child. When the midwife comes to help Jo, she hustles Robert away from the house and, hours later, rings a bell. That indicates the baby is a boy, as a whistle serves notice to a girl. Very happy, Robert and Jo have five more kids, three older boys and three younger girls, including Annabelle (Patty McCormack). And, Robert works for a lumber yard to increase their revenue, even though he and the Irish boss once get into a fist fight. But, one sad day, one of the boys comes down with diphtheria and, although Robert takes all of the other kids to a little house in the woods, the situation is serious. Unfortunately, although the boy recovers, Robert dies. Jo tries hard to keep on keeping on, becoming a part time dressmaker to pay the bills. But, horribly, she becomes deathly ill, too. Before she expires, she makes the oldest boy, also Robert, promise to find families to "adopt" all of the children. Through his tears, he makes the pledge. But, can Robert really find five families willing to take an extra child into their home? This is a very fine film, with tremendous values. Just watching Robert and Jo build a house, cook meals over fires and eek out an existence is very inspiring. One forgets how difficult life used to be and how there was no time to sit around on your bottom. The children, too, learn from their dedicated parents and follow their example, working hard. Even so, the deaths of the parents are quite sad so if you are not in the mood to cry, don't watch this film until you are ready. Mitchell and Johns make a fine couple while the children and other cast members do nice work as well. Watch out for McCormack, in a post Bad Seed role, that is a complete turnabout. The setting in rural Wisconsin is lovely, as are the costumes and photography. As for the script, it is admirable in its depiction of life 100 years ago and the direction is secure. All in all, if you wish to show your loved ones a fine family film, with outstanding values, here is a very good choice. All yours will like All Mine, that's fairly certain.

Watching this movie was pure torture. Who thought death and separating children would be entertaining. This had the potential for an uplifting story of immigration but someone chose to depress the audience.