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Allan Dwan was one of the few directors to bridge the gap from silent to sound pictures. His body of work includes silent films like Robin Hood, and decades later the John Wayne film, Sands of Iwo Jima. Though there may not be a signature classic to point to, his films always showed a skilled craftsman at work, even when there was little to work with. He seemed to have a knack for working with children and directed many of Shirley Temple's best films from the 1930's. Driftwood gave him a chance to work with child star Natalie Wood, and Dwan's craftsmanship coupled with Wood's talent, turned this sweet story from Mary Loos and Richard Sale into a warm family film. Natalie Wood is precious as Jenny, a smart little girl living with her great-grandfather in the ghost town of Bullfrog Springs. He is a minister and has taught little Jenny to always tell the truth, which along with her propensity to spout out a Bible quote for just about any situation, creates some amusing moments. The film begins when her great-grandfather suddenly dies and she is left alone in the ghost town. She heads for the town of Panbucket in the Nevada desert and along the way witnesses a plane crash and aquires its only survivor, a collie dog who she names Hollingsworth, to match her last name. Steve (Dean Jagger), a kind doctor trying to help find a treatment for rocky mountain spotted fever, finds them and takes her to his home. Walter Brennan has some good moments as Steve's dad, a crusty pharmacist trying to avoid getting caught in the bear trap of Charolette Greenwood, the aunt of Steve's pretty school teacher girlfriend, Susan (Ruth Warrick). Susan wants to marry Steve, but the income of a small town doctor holds him back. He wants to move away to do research. But the need for a country doctor becomes evident when a few town members, including Jenny, come down with the fever. A good story ties all the elements together as the plane crash, Jenny's collie, and the need to build a hospital in Panbucket are all intertwined. There is a natural feel to this warm family film. Dwan sprinkles it with humor throughout and the cast does a nice job with the sweet and sincere story. Dwan's craftsmanship prevents us from ever noticing there probably wasn't much of a budget on this film. It has a nice look in both the interior and outdoor shots, Dwan even showing attention to background sounds like crickets as Steve talks to Susan and her aunt on the porch at night. Natalie Wood was just terrific here and shows how good she was as a child. This is a fine film to watch with your young children, especially if they are 7-10 years old. It is a wholesome film the entire family can enjoy together and gets a high mark for a well told story and the skill of pioneering director Allan Dwan. Just grab some popcorn and have a family night with this one. Highly recommended.
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