Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog
Encyclopedia
Greyfriars Bobby is a 1961 Walt Disney Productions feature film
starring Donald Crisp
and Laurence Naismith
in a story about two Scottish
men who compete for the affection of a Skye Terrier
named Bobby. The screenplay by Robert Westerby
was based upon a novel by Eleanor Atkinson
which was based, in turn, upon an incident in 19th century Edinburgh
involving a dog that came to be known as Greyfriars Bobby
. The film was directed by Don Chaffey
and shot in England
and Scotland
. The film has been released to DVD
.
named Bobby is the pet of a Scottish farmer and his wife (Gordon Jackson
and Rosalie Crutchley
) but the dog loves a hired man on the farm called Auld Jock (Alex Mackenzie
). When money grows scarce on the farm, Auld Jock is fired. He travels to Edinburgh, and Bobby follows him. Auld Jock dies in poverty and is buried in Greyfriar's Kirkyard. Bobby returns to Auld Jock's grave every night to sleep.
Against the wishes of his wife (Kay Walsh
), the graveyard caretaker James Brown (Donald Crisp
) tries to shoo Bobby away, but Bobby always finds his way back to the grave. Bobby endears himself to all, especially the neighborhood children. Brown and a restaurant owner, Mr. Traill (Laurence Naismith
), compete for the affections of the dog. Brown alleges Traill should pay Bobby's licence fee, which he refuses on principle, not being Bobby's master.
Bobby's fate rests with the Lord Provost of Edinburgh (Andrew Cruickshank
) and, without a license and someone to take responsibility for Bobby, he may be destroyed. The children of Edinburgh contribute their pennies for Bobby's license. Bobby is declared a Freeman of the City and adopted by the populace of Edinburgh. Cast includes Duncan Macrae as Constable Maclean, Freda Jackson
as Old Woman Caretaker, Moultrie Kelsall
as The Magistrate, Jameson Clark
as Constable, and Vincent Winter
as Tammy.
commented, "Greyfriars Bobby sets out to melt the heart and does it skillfully. Central character is a little Skye terrier, and this engaging little animal is quite irresistible...Patiently and brilliantly trained, Bobby wraps up the stellar honors for himself and the humans, knowing they don't stand a chance, wisely are content to play chorus. Nevertheless, there are some very effective pieces of thesping, largely by Scottish actors. Laurence Naismith gives a strong, likeable performance as the kindly eating-house owner who takes Bobby under his wing..."
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
starring Donald Crisp
Donald Crisp
Donald Crisp was an English film actor. He was also an early motion picture producer, director and screenwriter...
and Laurence Naismith
Laurence Naismith
Laurence Naismith was an English actor.Naismith appeared in films such as Carrington VC , Richard III , Sink the Bismarck! , Jason and the Argonauts , and Diamonds Are Forever . He also starred in a children's ghost film The Amazing Mr Blunden...
in a story about two Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
men who compete for the affection of a Skye Terrier
Skye Terrier
The Skye Terrier is a breed of dog that is a long, low, hardy terrier.-Coat:The Skye is double coated, with a short, soft undercoat and a hard, straight topcoat. The ideal coat length is 5 inches , with no extra credit for a longer coat. The shorter hair of the head veils the forehead and...
named Bobby. The screenplay by Robert Westerby
Robert Westerby
Robert Westerby , was an author of novels and screenwriter for films and television....
was based upon a novel by Eleanor Atkinson
Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson
Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson was an American author, journalist and teacher.She was born Eleanor Stackhouse in Rensselaer, Indiana, and later married Francis Blake Atkinson, himself also an author. She taught in schools in both Indianapolis and Chicago...
which was based, in turn, upon an incident in 19th century Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
involving a dog that came to be known as Greyfriars Bobby
Greyfriars Bobby
Greyfriars Bobby was a Skye Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh for spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray , until he died himself on 14 January 1872...
. The film was directed by Don Chaffey
Don Chaffey
Donald Chaffey was a British film director, writer, producer, and art director.Chaffey's film career began as an art director in 1947, and his directorial debut was in 1953. He remained active in the industry until his death in 1990 from heart failure...
and shot in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The film has been released to DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
Plot and cast
A little Skye TerrierSkye Terrier
The Skye Terrier is a breed of dog that is a long, low, hardy terrier.-Coat:The Skye is double coated, with a short, soft undercoat and a hard, straight topcoat. The ideal coat length is 5 inches , with no extra credit for a longer coat. The shorter hair of the head veils the forehead and...
named Bobby is the pet of a Scottish farmer and his wife (Gordon Jackson
Gordon Jackson (actor)
Gordon Cameron Jackson, OBE was a Scottish Emmy Award-winning actor best remembered for his roles as the butler Angus Hudson in Upstairs, Downstairs and George Cowley, the head of CI5, in The Professionals....
and Rosalie Crutchley
Rosalie Crutchley
Rosalie Crutchley was an English actress. Trained at the Royal Academy of Music, Crutchley was best known for her television performances, but had a long and successful career in the theatre and in films, making her stage debut at least as early as 1932 and her screen debut in 1947...
) but the dog loves a hired man on the farm called Auld Jock (Alex Mackenzie
Alex Mackenzie
Alex Mapoopzie was a Scottish character actor who was born and died in Glasgow. He was a schoolteacher in Clydebank until he was 61, before taking up a new profession.-Filmography:*The Maggie *Geordie...
). When money grows scarce on the farm, Auld Jock is fired. He travels to Edinburgh, and Bobby follows him. Auld Jock dies in poverty and is buried in Greyfriar's Kirkyard. Bobby returns to Auld Jock's grave every night to sleep.
Against the wishes of his wife (Kay Walsh
Kay Walsh
Kay Walsh was an English actress and dancer. She grew up in Pimlico, raised by her grandmother....
), the graveyard caretaker James Brown (Donald Crisp
Donald Crisp
Donald Crisp was an English film actor. He was also an early motion picture producer, director and screenwriter...
) tries to shoo Bobby away, but Bobby always finds his way back to the grave. Bobby endears himself to all, especially the neighborhood children. Brown and a restaurant owner, Mr. Traill (Laurence Naismith
Laurence Naismith
Laurence Naismith was an English actor.Naismith appeared in films such as Carrington VC , Richard III , Sink the Bismarck! , Jason and the Argonauts , and Diamonds Are Forever . He also starred in a children's ghost film The Amazing Mr Blunden...
), compete for the affections of the dog. Brown alleges Traill should pay Bobby's licence fee, which he refuses on principle, not being Bobby's master.
Bobby's fate rests with the Lord Provost of Edinburgh (Andrew Cruickshank
Andrew Cruickshank
Andrew John Maxton Cruickshank was a Scottish supporting actor, most famous for his portrayal of Dr Cameron in the long-running UK BBC television series, Dr Finlay's Casebook, which ran for 191 episodes from 1962 until 1971.-Life and career:Andrew Cruickshank was born to Andrew and Mary...
) and, without a license and someone to take responsibility for Bobby, he may be destroyed. The children of Edinburgh contribute their pennies for Bobby's license. Bobby is declared a Freeman of the City and adopted by the populace of Edinburgh. Cast includes Duncan Macrae as Constable Maclean, Freda Jackson
Freda Jackson
Freda Maud Jackson was an English stage actress who also worked in film and TV. Born in Nottingham, she was famous for her stage role as the cruel landlady Mrs. Voray in the play No Room at the Inn in the mid-1940s; she appeared in the film adaptation of 1948...
as Old Woman Caretaker, Moultrie Kelsall
Moultrie Kelsall
Moultrie Rowe Kelsall was a Scottish film and television character actor, who began his career in the industry as a radio station director and television producer...
as The Magistrate, Jameson Clark
Jameson Clark
Jameson Clark was a Scottish character actor who appeared in 22 films and made many appearances on television.-Career:...
as Constable, and Vincent Winter
Vincent Winter
Vincent Winter was a Scottish film actor who was successful as a child actor.-Career:Winter was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and made his first film appearance at the age of six in The Little Kidnappers winning, along with his co-star Jon Whiteley, an Academy Juvenile Award...
as Tammy.
Reception
VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
commented, "Greyfriars Bobby sets out to melt the heart and does it skillfully. Central character is a little Skye terrier, and this engaging little animal is quite irresistible...Patiently and brilliantly trained, Bobby wraps up the stellar honors for himself and the humans, knowing they don't stand a chance, wisely are content to play chorus. Nevertheless, there are some very effective pieces of thesping, largely by Scottish actors. Laurence Naismith gives a strong, likeable performance as the kindly eating-house owner who takes Bobby under his wing..."