Old Yeller

Old Yeller (1957)

Name: Old Yeller
Genre: children's film, coming-of-age film, drama film
Released: 1957
Duration: 83 min
Cast: Beverly Washburn, Chuck Connors, Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, Jeff York

In 1860s Texas a boy bonds with a stray yellow dog who helps protect his family while his father is away.

Details: 83 min · children's film · coming-of-age film
Directed by: Robert Stevenson
Format: Live-action
Country: United States
Animals: Dogs

PetActing ratings

3/5 Paw Score

A classic, but be ready for the ending.

Does the animal die?

Reveal answer (spoilers)

Yes, an animal dies.

Old Yeller is shot after catching rabies fighting a wolf, a famous scene.

Is an animal hurt or in danger?

Intense: animals in serious danger or distress

Bear, wolf and boar fights, plus rabies.

Real animals or CGI?

Real animals

Real dogs.

On-set animal welfare

Not publicly documented.

Tearjerker level

💧💧💧💧💧 5/5

The ending is one of the best-known tearjerkers.

Kid-friendliness (animal scenes)

Ages 9+

The ending is upsetting for children.

Breed / species accuracy

Not applicable

Breed accuracy not assessed in this draft.

Animal cast

Spike (Canis familiaris)

Where to watch

We don't store streaming data. Search each service for this title with JustWatch:

More animal movies like this

Sources

title, release year, runtime, genres, directors, countries, identifiers: www.wikidata.org (retrieved 2026-10-24)
cast: www.wikidata.org (retrieved 2026-10-24)
animals in the film: www.wikidata.org (retrieved 2026-10-24)
animals in the film: en.wikipedia.org (retrieved 2026-10-24)
animals in the film: en.wikipedia.org (retrieved 2026-10-24)

Facts last checked 2026-10-24. Ratings are PetActing's own opinion, never copied from other sites.