Common Sense Media Review
By Tom Cassidy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dull hunter story has animal cruelty and outdated terms.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Those Calloways
What's the Story?
In THOSE CALLOWAYS, trapper Cam Calloway (Brian Keith) dreams of starting a goose sanctuary. But his fellow townsfolk instead want to capitalize on the town's hunting potential.
Is It Any Good?
This is a long, boring slog, punctuated with real-life acts of animal cruelty. Running at a tedious pace, it's stuffy attempts at comedy would have felt dated even when Those Calloways was first released in 1965. The only interesting thing about this cruel movie is it's a great example of the tired, aimless state that Hollywood filmmaking had collapsed into just before the young pioneers of the American New Wave came in at the middle of the 60s and shook it up with fresh, dynamic movies.
The story preaches a message of caring for nature. But the characters and filmmakers take the notion of compassion, string it up, and set the dogs on it -- forcing us to watch every miserable step of the way. With so little to offer, the scenes of animal cruelty are even more painful to watch and make for a wholly bleak experience. This is one "classic" Disney tale that's best filed under "better left forgotten."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the animal cruelty in Those Calloways. How did those scenes make you feel? How has the way we treat animals changed since the making of this movie?
Talk about how Native Americans are portrayed in this film. How does this reflect the culture of the time in which the film was made, and how does this contrast with how Native Americans are depicted in later films?
Discuss the role of the female characters. Would you have liked to have seen them given more to say and do? What movies can you think of with strong female role models?
Bucky uses his fists to resolve some of his conflicts. How might communication have been a better way of doing so? Why is communication such a good character strength to have?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 5, 1965
- On DVD or streaming : February 3, 2004
- Cast : Brian Keith , Vera Miles , Brandon de Wilde
- Director : Norman Tokar
- Studio : Buena Vista
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters , STEM , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Run time : 131 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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