''The Proud Rebel'' is a 1958 American

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

film directed by

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...

, with a

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, f ...

by Joseph Petracca and

Lillie Hayward Lillie Hayward (born Lillian Olenda Auen, September 12, 1891 – June 29, 1977) was an American screenwriter whose Hollywood career began during the silent era and continued well into the age of television. She wrote for more than 70 films ...

that was based on a story by James Edward Grant. It is the story of a widowed Confederate veteran and his mute son who struggle to make a new life among sometimes hostile neighbors in the Midwest. Despite the implications of the title, the main character in "The Proud Rebel" does not dwell much on his Southern past, but finds his life complicated by sectional prejudice. The film stars

Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British-American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her time. ...

Dean Jagger Dean Jagger (November 7, 1903 – February 5, 1991) was an American film, stage, and television actor who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Henry King's ''Twelve O'Clock High'' (1949). Early life Dean Jeffrie ...

, David Ladd and

Cecil Kellaway Cecil Lauriston Kellaway (22 August 1890 – 28 February 1973) was a South African character actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) and '' Guess Who's Coming to Dinner ...

and features

Harry Dean Stanton Harry Dean Stanton (July 14, 1926 – September 15, 2017) was an American actor, musician, and singer. In a career that spanned more than six decades, Stanton played supporting roles in films including ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), ''Kelly's Heroes ...

(credited as Dean Stanton) in an early film appearance.

Plot

A former Confederate soldier, John Chandler (

) has come to an Illinois town with his 10-year-old son David ( David Ladd) to see Dr. Enos Davis (

). The boy was struck mute after witnessing his mother's death in a fire, and hasn't spoken a word since. Dr. Davis recommends an operation by a doctor he knows in Minnesota. In the street outside Dr. Davis' office, John has his and David's expertly trained dog, Lance, clear the road of a flock of sheep being herded through town. The sheep belong to rancher Harry Burleigh (

) and his sons, Jeb (

) and Tom ( Tom Pittman), who try to steal the dog. John fights them while a passing stranger, Linnett Moore (

), keeps David safe and out of the way. Harry knocks out John, pours whiskey on him, then tells the sheriff about being attacked by a drunk. John must pay $30 or serve 30 days in jail. Linnett intervenes, suggesting to the sheriff that Chandler can work off the debt on her farm. In exchange she offers to cover the fine, so that he will be released. John disagrees at first, but is won over by her decency. Over the course of time, he discovers that Linnett is being pressured by the overbearing Burleigh to sell her land. It transpires that her land is blocking the easy passage of his sheep to pasture and the railroad. Gradually, John and Linnett grow closer, despite John being determined to remain aloof, knowing he and his son will leave soon. A trip to Minnesota for treatment is expensive but John won't accept offers for the valuable dog; David loves the animal but, after he is taunted for his muteness and roughed up by local children, John decides to sell Lance after all to finance the trip. He asks Linnett to accompany the boy up north while he rebuilds her barn, burned down by the Burleighs' men in an attempt to pressure Linnett to sell. The operation doesn't work, and David is devastated to return home and find the dog is no longer theirs. John goes to the Burleighs to try to get Lance back and finds he is being mistreated. Harry gives the dog back, but has his sons prepared to shoot John as a thief. The boy shouts out to save his father's life. In the end, John shoots Harry and his older son, then returns to Linnett with the dog and David, who is now able to speak.

Cast

as John Chandler *

as Linnett Moore *

as Harry Burleigh * David Ladd as David Chandler *

as Dr. Enos Davis (Quaker) * James Westerfield as Birm Bates * Dean Stanton as Jeb Burleigh * Thomas Pittman as Tom Burleigh *

Henry Hull Henry Watterson Hull (October 3, 1890 – March 8, 1977) was an American character actor perhaps best known for playing the lead in Universal Pictures's '' Werewolf of London'' (1935). For most of his career, he was a lead actor on stage and a c ...

as Judge Morley * Eli Mintz as Mr. Gorman *

John Carradine John Carradine ( ; born Richmond Reed Carradine; February 5, 1906 – November 27, 1988) was an American actor, considered one of the greatest character actors in American cinema. He was a member of Cecil B. DeMille's stock company and later ...

as Traveling Salesman * King as Lance, David's Dog ''Uncredited'' *

Percy Helton Percy Alfred Helton (January 31, 1894 – September 11, 1971) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He was one of the most familiar faces and voices in Hollywood of the 1950s. Career A Manhattan native, Helton began acting ...

as Photographer *

Dan White Daniel James White (September 2, 1946 – October 21, 1985) was an American politician who assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, on Monday, November 27, 1978, at City Hall. White was convicted of manslaugh ...

as Court Clerk *

Mary Wickes Mary Wickes (born Mary Isabella Wickenhauser; June 13, 1910 – October 22, 1995) was an American actress. She often played supporting roles as prim, professional women, secretaries, nurses, nuns, therapists, teachers and housekeepers, who made ...

as Mrs. Ainsley

Production

The film was based on a 1947 short story by James Edward Grant. Film rights were bought by Sam Goldwyn who gave them to his son in 1950. Goldwyn Jr. said the film would be about his favourite kind of story, "the theme of the undefeated man." He announced the project would be filmed in 1955 based on a script by Joseph Petracca. However it ended up taking him a few years to source financing. Goldwyn Jr. had budgeted the project at $1.6 million but had trouble securing financing over $1 million. He decided not to compromise and go for the larger budget without having sold it to a distributor. Goldwyn Jr.:

I really had no other choice. To me it was very important that this story be filmed as I thought it should be done or not at all. I suddenly realised that if I couldn't do it the way I saw it, I wouldn't be an independent producer. I was able to borrow $1,200,000 from the
Bank of America The Bank of America Corporation (often abbreviated BofA or BoA) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered at the Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bank ...
– my father signed the loan with me – and I put up the rest of the money.

Alan Ladd signed to co-star with his son David under the direction of Michael Curtiz. Goldwyn Jr said "Michael Curtiz has drawn fine performances from both of them. The boy, when I first spoke to him, was stiff and frightened, but when I started talking to him about his father, his face lighted up and I knew he was right for the part."

Adolphe Menjou Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor. His career spanned both silent films and talkies. He appeared in such films as Charlie Chaplin's ''A Woman of Paris'', where he played the lead role; Stanley K ...

was meant to play a supporting role but pulled out. The movie was shot in

Cedar City, Utah Cedar City is the largest city in Iron County, Utah, United States. It is located south of Salt Lake City, and north of Las Vegas on Interstate 15. It is the home of Southern Utah University, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Summer G ...

. Its external scenes depicting the U.S.Midwest—a flat and well-vegetated landscape, are a bit jarring to compare to Utah's arid, hilly and mountainous backdrop. Once the movie was completed, Goldwyn Jr. showed it to distributors and succeeded in securing deals with

Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada *Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” *Buena Vista, Saskatchewan * Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...

for the U.S. and Loews internationally.

Critical reception

A contemporary review in ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' described the film as a "suspenseful and fast-action post-Civil War yarn" with "characterizations that hold forth most strongly, topped perhaps by the very appealing performance of David Ladd." Critic A.H. Weiler wrote in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' that the film was "a genuinely sentimental but often moving drama" and an "honestly heartwarming drama" that "is more concerned with exposing character than mayhem." While praising the performances, the review also notes that "A viewer might justifiably observe that the tale is spun somewhat unevenly, that it slows down on a few occasions and that the 'happy ending' is telegraphed. But these ..are minor matters." A review in

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...

described the film as a "warm-hearted story" with " illiant performances (especially David Ladd's) and the unusual characterization of de Havilland's hardened, loner widow" and "fine color photography of the Utah landscape."

Trivia

''The Proud Rebel'' influenced the famous Indian artist

Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar (born as Abhas Kumar Ganguly (); 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music. He ...

, who remade it as '' Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein'' in 1964 starring his real-life son

Amit Kumar Amit Kumar (born 3 July 1952) is an Indian playback singer, actor, music composer. Kumar launched his own music production company, named Kumar Brothers Music. He predominantly worked in Bollywood and regional film songs since the 1970s, inc ...

playing the role of the mute son.

References

External links

* * * *
Review of film
at

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Proud Rebel, The 1958 films 1958 Western (genre) films 1950s English-language films Films directed by Michael Curtiz Films scored by Jerome Moross Films set in the 1860s American Western (genre) films 1950s American films