Underplayed Gems

Lad, A Dog (1962)

Lad, A Dog poster
Original title
Lad: A Dog
Directed by
Leslie H. Martinson, Aram Avakian
Genre
drama film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 38m
Rated
NR
Rating
7.7 of 10 from 3 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

More films like thisWatch the trailer

or watch the trailer on YouTube

How it feels

A heroic collie dog named Lad protects his family and helps people in need. He wins a rigged dog show, saves a girl from a snake, and catches a poacher who hurt his owners.

heartwarmingfamily-friendlysentimentalold-fashionedgentlehopefulmildly tensewholesome

What happens

Lad: A Dog is a 1962 American drama film based on the 1919 novel of the same name written by Albert Payson Terhune. Starring Peter Breck, Peggy McCay, Carroll O'Connor, and Angela Cartwright, the film blends several of the short stories featured in the novel, with the heroic Lad winning a rigged dog show, saving a handicapped girl from a snake, and capturing a poacher who killed his pups and injured one of his owners. Warner Bros. Pictures purchased the film rights for the novel from Vanguard Productions, and acquired the film rights for the other two Lad novels from the late Terhune's wife. Aram Avakian was initially selected to be the film's director, but when he continually refused to do a sentimental-type dog story, he was replaced by Leslie H. Martinson. Lillie Hayward and Roberta Hodes wrote the screenplay for the film, adapting several of the short stories from the novel to create a single narrative, and adding in an all-purpose villain. The film was released on June 6, 1962. The studio hoped it would be successful enough to be followed by a second film and a television series. Though it has been praised by fans and modern reviewers, contemporary critiques felt Terhune's work did not translate well to film and it was considered a low-budget B-movie. It was released to home video in 1995. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems. Not quite it? You can browse by genre, country and year, or take this one into the 3D catalogue and ask the Catbot for something closer.