Today’s quick review: The Proud Rebel. John Chandler (Alan Ladd), a former Confederate soldier, travels north with his son David (David Ladd) in search of a doctor who can treat the boy’s muteness. While in Aberdeen, Illinois, John gets into a fight with Harry Burleigh (Dean Jagger), a local rancher, and is charged with assault. To pay the fine, John agrees to help Linnett Moore (Olivia de Havilland), an independent-minded woman, tend to her farm.
The Proud Rebel is a Western with romantic elements. Alan Ladd stars as John Chandler, a displaced Southerner who has to take care of his mute son. John and David use their meager resources to travel from town to town, looking for a doctor talented enough to cure David. Linnett introduces stability into their lives when she offers them work and a place to stay. Strong character interactions and a tight plot make the movie a worthwhile pick.
The Proud Rebel has a knack for weaving together its plot developments and its character work. A significant part of the movie is spent watching John and David settle into their temporary home on Linnett’s farm. The characters are well-defined, and seeing them help each other is rewarding. But the story never loses its momentum. Every bit of character development is repaid in drama down the line, tying the movie into a cohesive whole.
Give The Proud Rebel a shot when you are in the mood for a character-driven Western with a wholesome story. The Proud Rebel strikes a nice balance between earnest drama and lighter moments, and its characters give the movie a solid emotional core. Viewers looking for a more action-packed or overtly dramatic Western may want to steer clear.
For a Prohibition-era crime drama about the bond between a man and his son, try Road to Perdition. For a lighter romantic comedy about a stranger in town and the willful woman he takes an interest in, try The Quiet Man. For a much darker drama with a Western setting and a more skewed father-son relationship, try There Will Be Blood.
[6.8 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052097/). I give it a 7.0 for a satisfying father-son story.