Big Red (1962)

I love this movie so much

Wow! Such a good movie.

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

This is a good family film from the Disney vaults that has been tucked away in relative obscurity mainly because the lead child actor Gilles Payant, who was born in Quebec does not speak with a clear American speaking accent that Americans are always expecting to hear. Otherwise, this film is unfairly noted as a "foreign film". Such narrow mindness has its own reward that those open minded film goers who have seen Big Red still consider it a Disney classic some 56 years later.A hero Irish Red Setter befriending a Quebec boy who is an orphan himself sets out into the middle of the wilderness to find his beloved pupil dog only to find out that Big Red has now become a father. Big Red wants his offspring pups and their mother to be granted the freedom to choose where to live rather than to have a wealthy dog breeder sell them off as damaged goods. Actor Gilles Payant who plays the orphan boy Rene Dumont is not concerned about his own welfare and decides to leave his job in a full blown effort to find Big Red and his soon to be mother of his offspring in the wilderness after escaping from their shipping container on a freight train.Breeder and dog owner James Haggin (played by Walter Pidgeon) has one of those come to Jesus moments when he realizes that the orphan boy Rene Dumont who he had hired to simply exercise Big Red has sacrificed his job and decent way of life to find the lost dog, Big Red, in the middle of thousand of square miles of wild country. So dog owner James Haggin gets on his horse with his rifle in hand to find Rene Dumont and bring him home. The ending is a hero's welcome that Walt Disney is known for but back in 1962 Walt Disney was lesser known for making dramatic films and so this film received little recognition.....until now.I hope the Disney vault releases a Blu Ray version sometime soon. I give the film a decent 8 out of 10 rating.

Disney could always be relied upon (back then) for wonderful, real entertainment but as one of the reviewers stated a lot of these films seemed to just vanish. I saw this film as a Christmas treat but did not see or hear of it again until over 40 years later when I found it on the Disney station. I did, however, have the Golden Book. Golden Books had been around since the 1940s and most Disney films were presented in picture book form as Golden Books. They were beautifully illustrated, about 30 pages in length, so you could keep re-living the movie.The first thing I noticed in re-viewing this film was the bright, vivid Technicolor that Disney always used. James Haggin (Walter Pidgeon), a gruff dog breeder, pays the unheard of sum of $5,000 dollars for a prizewinning red setter. Rene (Gilles Payant), a young lad looking for work, meets Red and they become friends. He is given the job of being Red's handler and teaches him the fine art of hunting, as well as exercising him. Haggin is all business and is not happy that Red is becoming a pet. He takes Red up to the main house just before the big show but Red does not want to be separated from Rene and jumps through a plate glass window to be with him. Red is about to be put down but Rene runs off with him and nurses him back to health at his uncle's cabin.He returns Red to Haggin but with a big scar on his body Red will never be a show dog again. Rene is still upset that Haggin wanted to put Red down - he feels he cannot work for him again. Red and Molly, another setter, are being shipped by rail to another owner but a careless guard leaves their cage open and they escape in the Canadian wilds. Rene hears about it and is determined to find them - which he does with the aid of his trusty harmonica. Haggin goes up in the mountains to look for Rene and Red saves him from being mauled by a mountain lion. Red and the lion's confrontation looked real - none of this CGI stuff!!! In the meantime Molly has her puppies and they look so cute.This is a wonderful family film, not too long and with no forgettable songs to slow down the action. The location at Big Bear Lake was just so lush and green. Walter Pidgeon was his usual solid self. Gilles Payant was excellent as the young lad Rene. I wonder what ever happened to him and why this was his only film????Highly Recommended.

Big Red was shot around La Malbaie and Cap Aigle in the Charlevoix Region of Quebec. The falls are currently part of the Chutes Fraser Campground. The surrounding scenery is set at the Cabot Farm. The gardens of Francis Cabot, "Les Quatre Vents," can be visited or seen in his book, "The Greater Perfection, The Story of the Gardens at Les Quatre Vents." From a historical perspective this area was frequented by President William Howard Taft among others of high society, hence the story takes on new meaning with the wealthy owner of Red taking an interest in young french speaking Gilles. This film is suitable for young children and those who occasionally like to take a stroll down memory lane to a simpler time.

This classic movie really did wonders for increasing popularity of the Irish Setter, somewhat like the sudden increase in popularity of the Dalmatian breed after the 101 Dalmatians movie a few years ago. It truly shows most of the finer points of owning an Irish Setter. The dog is good natured, fun loving, yet loyal and attentive. The breed is also known for being hardy yet has "head turning" beauty. Although the dog loves people, it has been know to be very protective if necessary. This fact was also demonstrated toward the end of the movie.