Good-bye, My Lady (film): Difference between revisions

Good-bye, My Lady
The Boy and the Laughing Dog
Good-bye, My Lady; The Boy and the Laughing Dog
	1956 Theatrical Poster
Directed by	William A. Wellman
Screenplay by	Sid Fleischman
Based on	Good-bye, My Lady; 1954 novel; by James Street
Produced by	Robert Fellows
Starring	Walter Brennan; Phil Harris; Brandon deWilde; Sidney Poitier; William Hopper; Louise Beavers
Cinematography	William H. Clothier
Edited by	Fred MacDowell
Music by	Music composed and played by Laurindo Almeida – guitar A.S.C.A.P.; George Fields – harmonica A.S.C.A.P.
Production; company	Batjac Productions
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	May 11, 1956;
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

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Good-bye, My Lady is a 1956 American drama film adaptation of the novel Good-bye, My Lady (1954) by James H. Street. The book had been inspired by Street's original 1941 story which appeared in The Saturday Evening Post. Street was going to be the principal advisor on the film when he suddenly died of a heart attack.^[1] A boy learns what it means to be a man by befriending and training a stray Basenji dog and then is forced to surrender her to its rightful owner. Both readers of the story and film-goers found the boy's eventual loss of the dog unexpected.^[1]

Directed by William A. Wellman, the film starred Walter Brennan and Brandon deWilde, with Sidney Poitier and Phil Harris in supporting roles. Brennan and Harris previously co-starred in 1951's The Wild Blue Yonder, and Brennan and deWilde would reunite for the cameras in 1965 for Disney in Those Calloways. That same year, deWilde would play producer John Wayne's son in In Harm's Way. The film was produced by John Wayne's Batjac Productions.

Plot

Young orphan boy Skeeter (Brandon deWilde) is being raised in a Mississippi swamp cabin by his poor and toothless Uncle Jesse Jackson (Walter Brennan). One night, a mysterious noise is heard. They later discover that the noise was caused by a strange breed of dog (My Lady of the Congo) they do not recognize. Rather than a bark, the dog has a yodel or laugh. The animal has keen senses, and they decide to train her for bird hunting.

In time, Skeeter learns that an ad had been placed for a female Basenji which had been lost in their swamp months earlier. Skeeter arranges for a telegram to be sent, and a representative (William Hopper) of the dog's rightful owner appears to take it back. Skeeter is forced to "come of age" and surrender the animal. With the $100 reward money given, he is able to purchase Jesse the false teeth that he needs and put a down payment on a 20 gauge shotgun.

Cast

Walter Brennan as Uncle Jesse Jackson
Phil Harris as Cash Evans
Brandon deWilde as Claude "Skeeter" Jackson
Sidney Poitier as Gates Watson
William Hopper as Walden Grover
Louise Beavers as Bonnie Drew

Production

There was one scene in the movie that director William A. Wellman thought was too slow. Rudi Fehr, the head of the post-production department, suggested to cut the whole scene. Although Wellman defended that scene as having a funny moment, Rudi replied "Better lose a laugh than lose the audience!" In a 1971 interview with American Cinema Editors, Jack L. Warner remarked of Fehr "That's pretty good for a kid from Berlin."^[2]

The dog

Chosen for the film was My Lady of the Congo, a six-month-old Basenji puppy of Miss Veronica Tudor-Williams of Molesey, England. My Lady was flown to Hollywood, to be followed later by four young dogs as doubles, including her little brother My Lord of the Congo and Flageolet of the Congo, subsequently an International Champion. As it was, My Lady wound up doing most of the scenes. When not filming with then 13-year-old deWilde, the dog spent all her time with him, and an attachment developed between them. Unknown to theater-goers that saw boy and dog parted in the film was the fact that the written agreement supplying the animal stated that My Lady would become the personal property of Brandon deWilde upon completion of filming.^[1]

The rare breed of dog had been unknown to most Americans. Affected by either the story, the novel or the movie, many people were inclined to become Basenji owners at this time.^[1]

Music

Song: "When Your Boy Becomes a Man". Music by Don Powell, lyrics by Moris Erby.

Home media

Good-bye, My Lady was originally released on VHS in the United States by Warner Home Video, on December 13, 1993. On December 10, 2010, Warner Archive Collection released Good-bye, My Lady as a manufactured on-demand remastered wide-screen DVD-R release.

In an interview for Turner Classic Movies, Gretchen Wayne, the daughter-in-law of John Wayne and current president of Batjac Productions, was asked about a DVD. "I'm not sure who owns Good-bye, My Lady -- it might be Warner Brothers. It's a charming story and it should be released," she said.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d The Inside Story of Good-bye, My Lady
^ Warner, Jack (1971). "Film Editors I Have Worked With Throughout the Years". In Smith, Fredrick Y. (ed.). ACE Second Decade Anniversary Book. American Cinema Editors, Inc. pp. 19–21. At the preview the picture dragged. There was one scene in it that did not belong even though it did contain a little laugh. Rudi suggested that the whole sequence could be lost. Wellman said, "You can't cut that scene, you will lose the laugh." Rudi replied, "Better lose a laugh than lose the audience!" I said, "That's pretty good for a kid from Berlin."
^ "Interview with Gretchen Wayne". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 6 September 2015.

External links

Good-bye, My Lady at IMDb
‹The template AllMovie title is being considered for deletion.› Good-bye, My Lady at AllMovie
Good-bye, My Lady at the TCM Movie Database
Good-bye, My Lady at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

[auto-1] The Inside Story of Good-bye, My Lady

[2] Warner, Jack (1971). "Film Editors I Have Worked With Throughout the Years". In Smith, Fredrick Y. (ed.). ACE Second Decade Anniversary Book. American Cinema Editors, Inc. pp. 19–21. At the preview the picture dragged. There was one scene in it that did not belong even though it did contain a little laugh. Rudi suggested that the whole sequence could be lost. Wellman said, "You can't cut that scene, you will lose the laugh." Rudi replied, "Better lose a laugh than lose the audience!" I said, "That's pretty good for a kid from Berlin."

[3] "Interview with Gretchen Wayne". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 6 September 2015.

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|1956 film by William A. Wellman}}
 {{Infobox film
 | name           = Good-bye, My Lady<br>The Boy and the Laughing Dog
 | image          = Good-bye My Lady 1955 poster.jpg
-| image_size     = 220
 | caption        = 1956 Theatrical Poster
 | director       = [[William A. Wellman]]
-| producer       = [[John Wayne]]
+| producer       = [[Robert Fellows]]
-| writer         = [[James H. Street]] {novel}
+| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Good-bye, My Lady]]''<br>1954 novel|[[James Street (novelist)|James Street]]}}
-| based on       = ''[[Good-bye, My Lady]]'' novel
+| screenplay     = [[Sid Fleischman]]
-| screenplay     = [[Albert Sidney Fleischman]]
 | narrator       =
-| starring       = [[Walter Brennan]]<br>[[Brandon deWilde]]<br>[[William Hopper]]<br>[[Phil  Harris]]<br>[[Sidney Poitier]]<br>[[Louise Beavers]]<br>[[My Lady of the Congo]]
+| starring       = [[Walter Brennan]]<br>[[Phil Harris]]<br>[[Brandon deWilde]]<br>[[Sidney Poitier]]<br>[[William Hopper]]<br>[[Louise Beavers]]
-| music          = [[Laurindo Almeida]]<br>George Fields
+| music          = Music composed and played by [[Laurindo Almeida]] – guitar [[A.S.C.A.P.]]<br>George Fields – harmonica [[A.S.C.A.P.]]
-| cinematography = [[William Clothier]]
+| cinematography = [[William H. Clothier]]
-| editing        = [[Fred MacDowell]]
+| editing        = Fred MacDowell
 | studio         = [[Batjac Productions]]
 | distributor    = [[Warner Bros.]]
-| released       = May 11, 1956
+| released       = {{Film date|1956|05|11}}
 | runtime        = 94 minutes
 | country        = United States
@@ Line 24: / Line 23: @@
 }}
-'''''Good-bye, My Lady''''' is a 1956 [[United States|American]] film adaptation of the novel ''[[Good-bye, My Lady]]'' (1954) by [[James H. Street]]. The book had been inspired by Street's original story appearing in ''[[The Saturday Evening Post]]''. Street was going to be the principal advisor on the film when he suddenly died of a heart attack.<ref>[http://www.apubasenjis.com/Good-Bye%20My%20Lady_a.pdf The Inside Story of ''Good-bye, My Lady'']</ref>
+'''''Good-bye, My Lady''''' is a 1956 [[United States|American]] [[Drama (film and television)|drama]] film adaptation of the novel ''[[Good-bye, My Lady]]'' (1954) by [[James H. Street]]. The book had been inspired by Street's original 1941 story which appeared in ''[[The Saturday Evening Post]]''. Street was going to be the principal advisor on the film when he suddenly died of a heart attack.<ref name="auto">[http://www.apubasenjis.com/Good-Bye%20My%20Lady_a.pdf The Inside Story of ''Good-bye, My Lady'']</ref> A boy learns what it means to be a man by befriending and training a stray [[Basenji]] dog and then is forced to surrender her to its rightful owner. Both readers of the story and film-goers found the boy's eventual loss of the dog unexpected.<ref name="auto"/>
-The film was produced by [[John Wayne]]'s [[Batjac Productions]]. Directed by [[William A. Wellman]], it starred [[Walter Brennan]] and [[Brandon deWilde]], with [[Sidney Poitier]] and [[Phil Harris]] in supporting roles.
+Directed by [[William A. Wellman]], the film starred [[Walter Brennan]] and [[Brandon deWilde]], with [[Sidney Poitier]] and [[Phil Harris]] in supporting roles. Brennan and Harris previously co-starred in 1951's ''[[The Wild Blue Yonder (1951 film)|The Wild Blue Yonder]]'', and Brennan and deWilde would reunite for the cameras in 1965 for [[Disney]] in ''[[Those Calloways]]''. That same year, deWilde would play producer John Wayne's son in ''[[In Harm's Way]]''. The film was produced by [[John Wayne]]'s [[Batjac Productions]].
+==Plot==
-Music composed and played by [[Laurindo Almeida]] (guitar) and George Fields (Harmonica). Song: "When Your Boy Becomes a Man". Music by Don Powell and lyrics by Moris Erby.
+Young orphan boy Skeeter ([[Brandon deWilde]]) is being raised in a Mississippi swamp cabin by his poor and toothless Uncle Jesse Jackson ([[Walter Brennan]]). One night, a mysterious noise is heard. They later discover that the noise was caused by a strange breed of dog (My Lady of the Congo) they do not recognize. Rather than a bark, the dog has a yodel or laugh. The animal has keen senses, and they decide to train her for bird hunting.
+In time, Skeeter learns that an ad had been placed for a female Basenji which had been lost in their swamp months earlier. Skeeter arranges for a telegram to be sent, and a representative ([[William Hopper]]) of the dog's rightful owner appears to take it back. Skeeter is forced to "[[Coming of age|come of age]]" and surrender the animal. With the $100 reward money given, he is able to purchase Jesse the false teeth that he needs and put a down payment on a 20 gauge shotgun.
-A boy learns what it means to be a man by befriending and training a stray [[Basenji]] dog and then is forced to surrender her to its rightful owner. Both readers of the story and film-goers found the boy's eventual loss of the dog unexpected.<ref>[http://www.apubasenjis.com/Good-Bye%20My%20Lady_a.pdf The Inside Story of ''Good-bye, My Lady'']</ref>
+==Cast==
-Chosen for the film was My Lady of the Congo, a six-month old Basenji puppy of Miss Veronica Tudor-Williams of [[Molesey]], [[England]]. My Lady was flown to Hollywood to be followed later by four young dogs as doubles, including her little brother My Lord of the Congo and Flageolet of the Congo, subsequently an International [[Championship (dog)|Champion]]. As it was, My Lady wound up doing most of the scenes. When not filming with then 13-year-old De Wilde, the dog spent all her time with him and a real attachment developed between them. Unknown to theater-goers that saw boy and dog parted in the film was the fact that the written agreement that supplied the animal stated that My Lady would become the personal property of Brandon deWilde upon completion of filming.<ref>[http://www.apubasenjis.com/Good-Bye%20My%20Lady_a.pdf The Inside Story of ''Good-bye, My Lady'']</ref>
+* [[Walter Brennan]] as Uncle Jesse Jackson
+* [[Phil Harris]] as Cash Evans
+* [[Brandon deWilde]] as Claude "Skeeter" Jackson
+* [[Sidney Poitier]] as Gates Watson
+* [[William Hopper]] as Walden Grover
+* [[Louise Beavers]] as Bonnie Drew
+==Production==
-The rare breed of dog was heretofore unknown to most Americans. Affected by either the story, the novel or the movie, many people were inclined to become Basenji owners at this particular point in time.<ref>[http://www.apubasenjis.com/Good-Bye%20My%20Lady_a.pdf The Inside Story of ''Good-bye, My Lady'']</ref>
+There was one scene in the movie that director [[William A. Wellman]] thought was too slow. [[Rudi Fehr]], the head of the post-production department, suggested to cut the whole scene. Although Wellman defended that scene as having a funny moment, Rudi replied "Better lose a laugh than lose the audience!" In a 1971 interview with [[American Cinema Editors]], [[Jack L. Warner]] remarked of Fehr "That's pretty good for a kid from Berlin."<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Smith |editor-first=Fredrick Y. |last=Warner |first=Jack |title=ACE Second Decade Anniversary Book |chapter=Film Editors I Have Worked With Throughout the Years |date=1971 |publisher=American Cinema Editors, Inc |pages=19–21 |quote=At the preview the picture dragged. There was one scene in it that did not belong even though it did contain a little laugh. Rudi suggested that the whole sequence could be lost. Wellman said, "You can't cut that scene, you will lose the laugh." Rudi replied, "Better lose a laugh than lose the audience!" I said, "That's pretty good for a kid from Berlin." |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZ8EAQAAIAAJ}}</ref>
+===The dog===
-Brennan and De Wilde would unite again for the cameras in 1965 for [[Disney]] in ''[[Those Calloways]]''. That same year De Wilde would play producer John Wayne's son in ''[[In Harm's Way]]''.
+Chosen for the film was My Lady of the Congo, a six-month-old [[Basenji]] puppy of Miss Veronica Tudor-Williams of [[Molesey]], [[England]]. My Lady was flown to Hollywood, to be followed later by four young dogs as doubles, including her little brother My Lord of the Congo and Flageolet of the Congo, subsequently an International [[Championship (dog)|Champion]]. As it was, My Lady wound up doing most of the scenes. When not filming with then 13-year-old deWilde, the dog spent all her time with him, and an attachment developed between them. Unknown to theater-goers that saw boy and dog parted in the film was the fact that the written agreement supplying the animal stated that My Lady would become the personal property of Brandon deWilde upon completion of filming.<ref name="auto"/>
+The rare breed of dog had been unknown to most Americans. Affected by either the story, the novel or the movie, many people were inclined to become Basenji owners at this time.<ref name="auto"/>
-==Plot==
-A young orphan boy Skeeter ([[Brandon deWilde]]) is being raised in a swamp cabin by his poor and toothless Uncle Jesse ([[Walter Brennan]]). One night a mysterious noise breaks the silence. They later discover that the noise was caused by a strange breed of dog (My Lady of the Congo) unknown to them. Rather than a bark the dog has a yodel or laugh. The animal has keen senses and they decide to train her for bird hunting. In time the rightful owner ([[William Hopper]]) of the animal appears and due to the rarity of the breed wants it back. Skeeter is forced to "[[Coming of age|come of age]]" as it were and surrender the animal. With the reward money given, he is able to purchase Jesse the false teeth that he needs and is able to get himself a hunting rifle, remembering then that Lady is no longer with him.
-==Cast==
+==Music==
+Song: "When Your Boy Becomes a Man". Music by Don Powell, lyrics by Moris Erby.
-{| class="wikitable" width="50%"
-|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
-! Actor !! Role
-|-
-| [[Walter Brennan]] || Uncle Jesse Jackson
-|-
-| [[Brandon deWilde]] || Claude Jackson (Skeeter)
-|-
-| [[William Hopper]] || Walden Grover
-|-
-| [[Phil Harris]] || Cash Evans
-|-
-| [[Sidney Poitier]] || Gates Watson
-|-
-| [[Louise Beavers]] || Bonnie Drew
-|-
-| [[My Lady of the Congo]] || Lady (a [[basenji]] dog)
-|}
 ==Home media==
 ''Good-bye, My Lady'' was originally released on [[VHS]] in the United States by [[Warner Home Video]], on December 13, 1993. On December 10, 2010, [[Warner Archive Collection]] released ''Good-bye, My Lady'' as a manufactured on-demand [[remastered]] [[wide-screen]] [[DVD-R]] release.
-In an interview for [[Turner Classic Movies]] [[Gretchen Wayne]], the daughter-in-law of John Wayne and the current president of Batjac Productions, was asked about a DVD. "I'm not sure who owns ''Good-bye, My Lady'' -- it might be [[Warner Brothers]]. It's a charming story and it should be released," she said.<ref>[http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=161227&mainArticleId=158612 Turner Classic Movies]</ref>
+In an interview for [[Turner Classic Movies]], Gretchen Wayne, the daughter-in-law of John Wayne and current president of Batjac Productions, was asked about a DVD. "I'm not sure who owns ''Good-bye, My Lady'' -- it might be [[Warner Brothers]]. It's a charming story and it should be released," she said.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article/?cid=161227&mainArticleId=158612|title=Interview with Gretchen Wayne|work=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=6 September 2015}}</ref>
+==See also==
+* [[List of American films of 1956]]
 ==References==
@@ Line 79: / Line 72: @@
 [[Category:1956 films]]
-[[Category:1950s drama films]]
+[[Category:1950s coming-of-age drama films]]
-[[Category:American films]]
-[[Category:American drama films]]
-[[Category:Films produced by John Wayne]]
 [[Category:Batjac Productions films]]
-[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
+[[Category:American coming-of-age drama films]]
 [[Category:Films about dogs]]
-[[Category:Films based on novels]]
+[[Category:Films about orphans]]
+[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
+[[Category:Films produced by John Wayne]]
+[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
+[[Category:1956 drama films]]
+[[Category:1950s English-language films]]
+[[Category:Films directed by William A. Wellman]]
+[[Category:1950s American films]]
+[[Category:American black-and-white films]]

v t e John Wayne
Filmography
As director	The Alamo (1960) The Green Berets (1968, with Ray Kellogg)
As producer	Bullfighter and the Lady (1951) Hondo (1953) Track of the Cat (1954) Good-bye, My Lady (1956) Gun the Man Down (1956) The Alamo (1960)
Family	Esperanza Baur (ex-wife) Michael Wayne (son) Patrick Wayne (son) Pilar Pallete (ex-wife) Ethan Wayne (son) Jennifer Wayne (granddaughter)
Memorials	John Wayne Airport
Related articles	Batjac Productions John Wayne Island John Wayne Tennis Club The Wild Goose