This little-remembered B-movie from near 'Poverty Row' studio Republic Pictures picks itself up by its bootstraps because of the wealth of acting talent from a cast better-known for other roles. It's the story of a little girl raised in the wilds who makes her way to town when her great-grandpappy (H.B. Warner, the chemist from "It's a Wonderful Life") dies. En route she finds a lovely collie whose role becomes crucial to the story (not, I think, played by Lassie!). She is found and initially looked after by Dean Jagger, still a romantic lead as such, best known for playing Brigham Young and an Oscar-winner for "Twelve O'Clock High". He lives with his uncle Murph played by two-time Oscar winner, three-time nominee Walter Brennan, a reliable character actor from silent days to the mid-seventies. His girl-friend is Ruth Warwick, best known as Kane's society wife in "Citizen Kane". She in turn lives with her aunt Charlotte Greenwood, a long-legged eccentric dancer and Aunt Eller in "Oklahoma". The self-centered town mayor who won't give the funds to build a local hospital for doctor Jagger is played by Jerome Cowan, the man whose son gives such crucial evidence in the Santa Claus trial in the original "Miracle on 34th Street". We even have Margaret Hamilton in a small role, who as everyone would immediately recognize is Oz's Wicked Witch of the West.
The glue which holds all of these performances together is a remarkable turn from 8-year old Natalie Wood, who was always something of a heart-breaker as a child actress. She manages to bring together the would-be romances amongst the cast, avoid the orphanage by finding herself a ready-made family, and surviving a dire bout of Spotted Fever which is Dr. Jagger's area of expertise. Naturally the wonder-dog is a key player in developing a suitable serum. Yes, a true B-effort, but a hugely satisfying one on so many levels.
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