THE PROUD REBEL

US, 1958, 105 minutes, Colour.
Alan Ladd, Olivia de Havilland, David Ladd, Dean Jagger, Cecil Kellaway.
Directed by Michael Curtiz.

The Proud Rebel is quite a fine film, able to be recommended to family and younger audiences as well as older audiences. David Ladd acts with his father as a mute boy from the South in the years immediately following the Civil War. The film is a gentler look at the harsh realities of hatred and prejudice that split America last century and the greed and malice that were so much a part of the expanding West.

1. Was the title of this film suitable? Why?

2. What kind of picture of American life after the Civil War was given in the film? How did Northeners and Southerners relate? Why did Northerners act as superior to "Reb" Southerners?

3. How was life in the town of Aberdeen pictured? Was it much the same as any country town and the people much the same? What characters and incidents in the film illustrate this?

4. Did you like John Chandler? Why was he so proud? What had he lost during the Civil War? What had he suffered?

5. Did you like David? Why? What difference did his paralysis make? Why was his father so devoted to him?

6. Did you like Lennet? What kind of woman was she? How strong a character? What incidents indicated this? How?

7. Were the Burley family malicious or just self-made and ambitious? Why did Jeb pick the fight with Chandler? Why did they harass the Moore farm and try to provoke Chandler? Would they have been typical of that kind of pastoralist in the 1860's and 1870's?

8. How honourable a man was Chandler during his time on the farm, a man of his word, his work, his love for David?

9. Was Linnet right about David's love for the dog being more important than his speech? Should Chandler have sold the dog? Since he did, when and how should he have told David?

10. Were you sorry that the operation was not a success? Why? Did you expect it to be? Why?

11. Did Chandler know that the Burleys were trying to provoke him with the dog? Should he have taken his gun?

12. Were the family cold blooded murderers? Why did Tom falter? Was this a good or bad thing?

13. Did the film make it plausible that David would get his voice back in a crisis? How?

14. Was the film too sentimental or did it have feeling and channel it well?

15. Was this a good film? An enjoyable film? A family film? Why?