20th Century-Fox Dynamo (February 1960)

A DOG OF FLANDERS continued The artist (Theodore Bikel), his heart softened by a boy’s dilemma and told that his model (Monique Ahrens) has always loved him, holds her lovingly when she accepts his proposal of marriage. The boy, Nello, and his grandfather, Jehan Daas, while making their milk delivery rounds in the city, find and eventually nurse back to health a cart dog that had been left to die by a brutal, drunken master, another peddler. Given the name Patrasche, the dog is trained to help the lad in covering the milk route after Daas finds it difficult to walk. On one of his trips to the city, the boy is able to keep his dog when an artist stops the latter’s former owner from taking Patrasche back by force. A warm and close friend- ship develops between the grateful Nello and the artist, and the latter’s beautiful model. The artist encourages Nello to pursue his ambition to paint, Under his guidance, the boy, whose idol is the mas- ter Rubens, makes fine progress. The artist and model find their protege becoming more endearing with the passing of each day. It is this concern for the boy that eventually brings about their marriage. DEATH COMES TO AILING GRANDFATHER (RONALD CRISP) WHILE POSING FOR HIS GRANDSON. 30 But, the lad’s happiness is short-lived. His grandfather succumbs to a heart attack while posing for his grandson who does not discover his death until after he has completed and is about to show Daas the drawing he has made of him. Subsequently, Nello enters the drawing in the annual children’s art competition. Full of hope, because the cash prize means so much to the orphaned lad, he attends (above) the meeting of the contest judges. But, that hope turns to despair when another entry is judged the best. Learning of the boy’s heart-break over his frustration, the artist and model seek him, but learn Nello had given his dog to a neighbor and left his deceased grandfather’s home. However, the dog breaking away, helps his friends and a playmate track down the boy in the Cathedral where Nello had sought solace on Christmas Eve in the presence of Rubens’ painting, unveiled for him by a priest. ESTABLISHES A NEW STAR! “A Dog Of Flanders”, states Motion Picture Herald in echoing the conclusion of all critics who have seen the picture, “will zoom to importance the name of David Ladd for a magnificent, sensi- tive portrayal” as the boy who befriends a dog and dreams of one day becoming a great artist. That this 12-year-old youngster may very well get official recognition for his beautiful perform- ance in “A Dog Of Flanders” Is promised by the opinions voiced by many in the industry to the effect that, as the Medford (Oregon) Tribune put it, “the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Science should set up a special ‘Oscar’ in 1960, for his is a memorable and rare portrayal.” For David Ladd “A Dog Of Flanders” is his third motion picture. This talented, young actor made his screen debut with his father, Alan Ladd, in “The Proud Rebel”, a role that won him the 1958 Critics’ Award for being voted “the best male ju- venile actor” of that year. His second mo- tion picture was “The Sad Horse”, one of our 1959 re- leases in which he played a handi- capped youngster who finds solace with his dog when he believes his fa- ther has turned against him. Variety, in its review of “A Dog Of Flanders”, observed: “Young Ladd happily is one of those children who barely seems to be acting. Teamed with the veteran Donald Crisp and the latter’s polished style, the two mesh nicely”. Another pertinent observation of Variety: “(Theodore) Bikel is amusing, and, with the. win- ning Dutch actress, Monique Ahrens, provides an adult love interest that is ingeniously threaded through the film. Even a scene of Miss Ahrens pos- ing bare-backed for artist Bikel is done so inno- cently and correctively that its intent cannot be mistaken. Otto Jeller’s camera work is rich in tone and composition, and the music of Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter is about the finest each composer has ever done”. Already “A Dog Of Flanders” has been awarded the coveted Parent’s Magazine Medal for family entertainment. DAVID LADD