10 Classic Animal Movies

Old Yeller

Rated: G

Year: 1957

Cast: Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker

There's nothing remarkable about the "old yeller dog" that arrives on the farm, unwanted and uninvited. The stray rescues the family from a bear and a wolf, but in the process catches rabies, leading to the film's melancholy finale.

What Parents Like: Hard lessons come unexpectedly. As the father says, "Now and then, for no good reason, life will haul off and knock a man flat."

What Kids Like: Few stories touch boys and men as this weeper does.