Main Cast: Steve Forrest, Bill Mumy, Pamela Toll, Elsa Lanchester
Release Year: 1969
Country: US
Run Time: 84 minutes
Plot
Rascal, the Sterling North novel that has been a longtime fixture of Scholastic Magazine book clubs, was given Tiffany treatment by the Disney studios in 1969. Bill Mumy plays young Sterling North, whose Wisconsin childhood is enriched through his friendship with a stray raccoon. Though lacking the emotional depth of the novel, the film is distinguished by the lovingly detailed outdoor photography that has always been a Disney hallmark. Likewise a "regular" in the Disney canon are scenes of animals wreaking comic destruction and wild chase sequences, and Rascal does not flag when offering these. A favorite of the Saturday matinee circuit, Rascal has in recent years become a standard weekend TV offering whenever a sports event is rained out or otherwise delayed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
A boy-and-his-dog tale with a lovable raccoon standing in for the dog, Rascal is the kind of simple, sweet tug-at-the-heartstrings family film that the Disney studios used to turn out on a regular basis. Few of the films aimed to be anything more than a pleasant, manipulative (and usually obviously so) way to bring about some laughs and encourage a few tears, and Rascal is no exception. Those who find this kind of film treacly and artificial won't have their minds changed by Rascal, but those who are perfectly willing to hand themselves over for an engaging if not challenging diversion will find their time well rewarded. Norman Tokar directs with a sure hand. There's nothing imaginative here from him, and he overplays the sentiment, but it works just fine. Harold Swanton's screenplay goes exactly where you expect it to go, but does so with a minimum of fuss, and William Snyder's camera makes the most of the trees and outdoor settings. Bill Mumy carries the film with great assurance for a young actor and is both believable and appealing. The rest of the cast is fine, with Else Lanchester providing her customary solid support and Walter Pidgeon reassuringly authoritative as the narrator. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
John Mansbridge - Art Director, Rosemary Odell - Costume Designer, Norman Tokar - Director, Norman R. Palmer - Editor, Buddy Baker - Composer (Music Score), Otis Malcolm - Makeup, William Snyder - Cinematographer, James Algar - Producer, Emile Kuri - Set Designer, Frank R. McKelvey - Set Designer, Eustace Lycett - Special Effects, Robert O. Cook - Sound/Sound Designer, Harold Swanton - Screenwriter, Sterling North - Book Author
The movie is based on Sterling North's 1963 "memoir of a better era." North, born near Edgerton, Wisconsin, was a former literary editor for newspapers in Chicago and New York. The movie tells the tale of a year in the life of young Sterling North (charmingly portrayed by Bill Mumy) and his "ringtailed wonder" pet raccoon, Rascal. Although set in Wisconsin, circa 1917, the movie was filmed in California.
