Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

BallWubba Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Kinley This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

wes-connors 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

DKosty123 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.

bbrasher1 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 *****

Neil Doyle 'The Proud Rebl' has some heartwarming moments involving a boy and his strong loyalty to his dad and his dog--but it is not quite satisfying in that the Ladd-de Havilland relationship is never completely explored. A stronger dose of romance might have livened up some of the slower moments. Children will be drawn to the theme of boy/dog and man/son relationships--but adults may find it not quite as heartwarming as it strives to be. Ladd plays a tight-lipped man ready to brawl when he has to -- Shane in a minor key -- and David Ladd is the mute son traumatized by the death of his mother in a fire. De Havilland has some good moments as the woman who has both Ladds on her farm, helping her deal with villainous neighbor (Dean Jagger) and his outlaw sons. The technicolor photography makes the most of Utah locations and the background score by Jerome Moross is distinctive--but somehow the overall effect is simply that of a low-key family film, "a man, a boy and a dog" sort of thing that falls short of its intended mark. The missing element seems to be romance--it is barely hinted at in the relationship and should have been emphasized more, for there is good chemistry between Ladd and de Havilland and this would have given the story the adult appeal that it lacks.