Main Cast: Bobby Driscoll, Beulah Bondi, Burl Ives, Luana Patten, Harry Carey
Release Year: 1948
Country: US
Run Time: 82 minutes
Plot
Like Disney's earlier Song of the South, So Dear to My Heart peppers its live action with animated sequences. In this film, however, it is the "live" story that lingers longest in the memory. Set in 1903, the film takes place on the small Kincaid farm. Twin sheep are born in the barn: one white, one black. When the mother sheep rejects the black lamb, young Jeremiah Kincaid (Bobby Driscoll) adopts the animal, naming it Danny, after the great trotting horse Dan Patch. Danny grows up to be quite troublesome, and Jeremiah's grandmother (Beulah Bondi) wishes that the boy would get rid of his pet. Jeremiah's only ally is kindly blacksmith Uncle Hiram (Burl Ives), who encourages the boy to enter Danny in blue-ribbon competition at the county fair. Granny is against this notion, so Jeremiah sets about to pay his own way. On a stormy night, Danny runs away; Jeremiah is kept from searching for the lost sheep by Granny, who now believes that the boy wants to enter the state fair contest for selfish reasons rather than out of love for his pet. She further warns that the Lord may not let Danny survive the night. The next day, however, Danny returns. Remembering Granny's remonstrations, Jeremiah now states that he won't attend the county fair, having promised the Lord that he'd forget about the competition if Danny was spared. Moved by this unselfishness, Granny softens her own stance, claiming that she'd promised the Lord that Jeremiah could go to the fair if the lamb returned alive. The story reaches a warm-hearted climax at the fair; Danny doesn't win, but his ultimate prize is far more meaningful than any blue ribbon. The isolated animated sequences spring from Jeremiah's scrapbook, illustrating such homespun philosophies as "stick-to-it-tivity" and "it's whatcha do with whatcha got." So Dear to My Heart yielded a hit song, "Lavender Blue," which co-star Burl Ives retained in his repertoire until his dying day. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Though definitely not a sequel, So Dear to My Heart is something of a follow-up to the more memorable Song of the South (although without the earlier film's racial aspect that causes discomfort among some modern viewers). Heart features several of Song's cast members, an agrarian period setting and a blend of live action and animation, but there the similarities end. The animation is professional but neither as lively nor as interesting as that in Song, and the cartoon elements therefore do not stand out; they're genial but not impressive. The score is catchy and serviceable, but not memorable, and the title song, while popular in its time, is somewhat on the treacly side. The screenplay lacks surprises, but does what it sets out to do, much like Harold D. Schuster's laidback direction. While no one turns in a powerhouse performance, the cast is solid. Bobby Driscoll carries off the lead role with assurance; if he occasionally goes in for a bit too much "cutesiness," he's still appealing. Beulah Bondi is quite good as the grandmother, a role which could easily be played as a too much of a harridan or too much of an old softy, and a young Burl Ives brings his downhome folksiness to the role of the uncle. Heart is typical of many Disney films of the period, but it has a warmth and a heart that will cause many viewers to overlook its flaws and give it a warm embrace. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
John Ewing - Art Director, Les Clark - Animator, Eric Larson - Animator, Milt Kahl - Animator, Hal King - Animator, John Lounsbery - Animator, Don Lusk - Animator, Hamilton Luske - Animator, Marvin Woodward - Animator, Harold D. Schuster - Director, Thomas Scott - Editor, Lloyd L. Richardson - Editor, Eliot Daniel - Composer (Music Score), Paul J. Smith - Composer (Music Score), Winton Hoch - Cinematographer, Walt Disney - Producer, Perce Pearce - Producer, Mac Alper - Set Designer, Joshua Meador - Special Effects, George Rowley - Special Effects, Dan McManus - Special Effects, John Tucker Battle - Screenwriter, Ted Sears - Screenwriter, Maurice Rapf - Screenwriter, Sterling North - Book Author
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Set in early 20th century Indiana (in 1903), So Dear to My Heart tells the tale of Jeremiah Kincaid (Bobby Driscoll) and his quest to raise his 'champion' lamb, Danny (named for the famed race horse, Dan Patch, who is also portrayed in the film). Jeremiah's dream of showing Danny at the Pike County Fair must overcome the obstinate objections of his loving, yet strict, grandmother Granny (Beulah Bondi). Jeremiah's confidant, Uncle Hiram (Burl Ives), is the boy's steady ally.
So Dear to My Heart wasn't rereleased until 1986, then again in 1991. It was then reprinted in 1992 and released on video in 1994 as part of the Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection. The film was originally planned for a US DVD release as part of the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection, but was canceled, with no particular reason given. Six years after seeing a region 2 DVD release, it was released in the US on DVD in July 2008 as a Disney Movie Club Exclusive.
