A Dog of Flanders

Journeyman director James B. Clark's 1960 film is easily the best screen version of the beloved 1872 children's book by the pseudonymous Ouida (pen name of the prolific Marie Louise de la Ramée). Set in Belgium, the old-fashioned boy-and-his-dog story follows young Nello (David Ladd, son of Alan), who assists his elderly grandfather Jehan (Donald Crisp) in carting milk from local farms to Antwerp, but longs to become a painter. After granddad's death, the despairing Nello runs away, but happily in this version (not the novel) his friends—including an artist (Theodore Bikel) who's decided to become his mentor—are able to locate him by trailing the scruffy old mongrel he rescued from an abusive owner and nursed back to health. A Dog of Flanders may be a shamelessly manipulative tearjerker with a heavy-handed message about following your dream, but it boasts a gentle charm, strong performances, and lovely Belgian locations (nicely captured in CinemaScope). Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)