Movie Type: Animal Picture, Family-Oriented Adventure
Themes: Man's Best Friend
Main Cast: Walter Pidgeon, Gilles Payant, Emile Genest
Release Year: 1962
Country: US
Run Time: 89 minutes
Plot
Big Red is one of several Disney pictures filmed in Canada during the 1960s. Orphaned Gilles Payant goes to work for wealthy Walter Pidgeon, who raises prize dogs. Pidgeon's particular favorite among his canines is Big Red, who unfortunately resists all efforts to be trained. Young Payant manages to "reach" Big Red, to such an extent that Pidgeon is worried: if the boy and dog become too close, Red will never behave anyone else. Pidgeon orders Payant to stay away from Red until after an upcoming important dog show. The boy disobeys his boss, resulting in a near-tragedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Disney produced a mini-genre of "animal pictures," including Big Red. Although all of them had humor, many of these tended to be a bit more "serious" in tone, as opposed to the "zanier" comedy of films like The Absent Minded Professor. Big Red is very typical of these films, and it's quite likeable. Yes, it's absolutely manipulative dramatically, but the kids that are its target audience won't really mind, and most parents probably won't be too offended by that either. The film's screenplay is pretty much a by-the-numbers affair, but those numbers do add up to an effective story. It has a rather obvious moral, of course, but it's a good one for its young viewers. And the cast is quite likeable, with Gilles Payant very winning as the boy and Walter Pidgeon appropriately short-sighted but teachable as the adult who doesn't understand the true value of things. Even more importantly, Big Red has an absolutely beautiful and totally lovable canine actor in the title role, who is bound to win most hearts with just a toss of his furry head. Add in some very lovely scenery and some rich, yummy color lensing, and the result is a pleasant little family diversion. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Carroll Clark - Art Director, Marvin Aubrey Davis - Art Director, Winston Hibler - Co-producer, Chuck Keehne - Costume Designer, Arthur J. Vitarelli - First Assistant Director, Norman Tokar - Director, Grant K. Smith - Editor, Oliver Wallace - Composer (Music Score), Oliver Williams - Composer (Music Score), Richard M. Sherman - Songwriter, Robert B. Sherman - Songwriter, Pat McNalley - Makeup, Edward Colman - Cinematographer, Walt Disney - Producer, Hal G. Gausman - Set Designer, Emile Kuri - Set Designer, Louis Pelletier - Screenwriter, Jim A. Kjelgaard - Book Author
Set in the province of Quebec, "Big Red" is an Irish Setter that would rather run through the woods than be the perfectly-trained and groomed show dog his sportsman owner (Pidgeon) wants. A ten-year-old orphan boy (Payant) helps look after the dog and rebels against his owner's strict discipline of "Big Red."
