Just a comparison between The Proud Rebel and SHANE.Characters are nearly the same. In SHANE: a wandering tough guy, a farmer, farmer's wife, boy, dog, cattle-breeder villains. In TPR the farmer is deleted and the wife becomes a she-farmer thus removing any moral question with the protagonist, the boy is moved to the wandering guy and afflicted with post-traumatic aphasia to keep the father under strain, and dog's character is enhanced. These changes water down the reasons for the final confrontation (not one murder and another attempted as with Shane), avoid any moral issue and open the way to the happy end with villains' death (only the strictly necessary ones) and the boy's recovery. Happy end a little phony with a hostile law enforcer in a northern town and a surviving brother ...However, most likely the audience perceives more the similar characters than the difference.An analysis of the main plot (see the 20 Master Plots) shows that this latter shift from "Sacrifice" (Shane gives up a quiet life and maybe a family) to a plot that is a mixture between "Rivalry" and "Underdog".

I'm surprised no other reviewers on this board give Lance the dog any credit at all. His work with the sheep was downright amazing, and if it was somehow staged without Lance's involvement, you could have fooled me. Exceptional work there old Lance, or 'King', I should say. I'm glad to see you got the proper screen credit.But with Lance at the heart of the story, I found it irritating that once Chandler (Alan Ladd) decided that selling the dog wasn't the right thing to do, some more time goes by and he decides that is what he'll do after all. That back and forth agonizing over how to pay for the trip to get his son's (David Ladd) voice back would have been better served if Ladd's character had a Shane moment right from the get go. That happens near the end of the picture when Chandler straps on his firearm to take on the Burleigh's. But if you think about it, what Chandler had in mind would not be considered altogether lawful if old man Burleigh (Dean Jagger) didn't feign cooperation. He was just going there to take back Lance no matter what. The strategy works in a good guys versus bad guys sort of way, but sure wouldn't pass muster as lawful if push came to shove.You know, I think I've finally seen what it means to be a 'handsome' woman. Olivia de Havilland is not the kind of actress I would think of to portray a spinster, but she makes it work here with a nicely nuanced portrayal that allows her inner beauty to shine through. Two decades following her appearance in "Gone With the Wind", de Havilland's features have matured to a gracefulness that doesn't have to rely on youth. I'm on the side of most other viewers who thinks more could have been done with the Chandler/Linnett Moore relationship, although I see how it might have gotten in the way of the father-son story.So in sum, I see this as a fine family picture that takes the story to a happy ending, but there's some suspension of disbelief required for the magic to work. Especially after Chandler kills old man Burleigh and son Jeb (Harry Dean Stanton). Only in the movies do you have no aftermath to consider, like the law swooping down on the Burleigh ranch and investigating Chandler for the death of two citizens. Especially when old Judge Morley (Henry Hull) was ready to throw the book at Chandler early on just for getting beat up.

There's good stuff in this movie, particularly the subtle music and the incredible views. The camera is also quite fine and unobtrusive. And the simple, sweet story is good too, enhanced by the real life father and son bond. Not so appealing are the obligatory firecrackers at the end. Definitely better than Shane.

Alan Ladd plays a widower whose wife died in a fire during the Civil War. His young son (played by his real life son, David Ladd) has not been able to speak after he saw his mother die. Alan Ladd's character is trying to find a doctor to help his son. Ladd ends up with a thirty day jail sentence after being unfairly fined for a brawl which the two sons of an ambitious sheep rancher (wonderfully played by Dean Jagger) intentionally initiate. Olivia DeHavilland is a local unmarried woman who sees the predicament Alan Ladd and his son are in, and she pays the fine so that Ladd will not have to spend thirty days in jail, provided he works it off for thirty days on her farm. Michael Curtiz did a fantastic job of directing this beautiful film. Alan Ladd, Olivia DeHavilland and David Ladd are all terrific. This movie is a bit different than Ladd's classic film,"Shane", although there are some similarities. Ladd is once again the strong silent type, although he is more human in this film. David Ladd is perfectly cast as his son who can't speak. Olivia DeHavilland has just the right touch as a lonely but strong woman who quickly gets attached to the two new men in her life. The chemistry between the three leads in this film is tough to beat. The supporting actors are very good, including Cecil Kellaway, Dean Jagger, the ubiquitous film star John Carradine and Harry Dean Stanton. This movie works as a family film, which is in the end uplifting. The photography is just beautiful in this movie. "The Proud Rebel" is definitely an overlooked minor classic in the same genre as "Old Yeller", "The Yearling" and even "Shane." It has stood the test of time very well and I truly expect it will begin to grow in stature if it is shown on cable channels and available on DVD. Well worth watching for fans of the Western and Family Film genre. 90/100. Buy it if you have kids! Heck, buy it even if you don't!