My Dog Shep

1131. MY DOG SHEP (1946-USA). With “FLAME,” TOM NEAL, WILLIAM FARNUM, AL ST. JOHN and GRADY SUTTON. Directed by FORD BEEBE, More than thirty years after William Farnum achieved stardom in his first screen role in The Spoilers (1914), he returned to film in one Of his most compelling parts. He plays C.J. Latham, an elder gent whose greatest wish is to be needed. The philosophy Of this tale Of a boy and his dog is a simple one: everybody needs to know that he or she is loved. When little Danny Barker is suddenly orphaned, he is shipped Off to live with distant relatives on an Ohio farm. On his way, he befriends an abandoned German Shepherd, Shep. As the days pass, it becomes clear that Danny and Shep are unwelcome guests in a selfish household. Then one morning Shep is falsely accused Of killing chickens, and so boy and dog run away. Meanwhile, a few miles down the dirt road, elderly Mr. Latham overhears his son and daughter-in-law complaining that he is a burden, just a boring old man who tells too many tales Of his adventures in the Spanish-American War. Dejected, he leaves to live at the old soldÂiers’ home. When their paths cross, Danny, Shep and Mr. Latham become an inseparable threesome who battle kidÂnappers and greedy relatives pretending to want Danny when they learn he has money. As Mr. Latham likes to say, “When the time comes, something generally always comes along.” Farnum is a standout as the old man who finds love after years Of loneliness. My Dog Shep is timeless family entertainment, a poignant story told with sentiment, featuring a cast Of topnotch veteran character actors. 70 minutes. Drama