Director Ralph Nelson must have welcomed this project as blessed relief from the horrors of his 'Soldier Blue' of the previous year. Following that film - still heavily censored in versions for the US market to avoid showing the appalling genocide of the Native Americans at the notorious Sand Creek massacre of 1864 - we have this gentle, charming, colourful and funny children's film - tuneful, too, with even a young Dana making a winsome appearance. And it's all set in the Irish Republic of a simpler time.
I say gentle, although the brutish stepfather has to be pretty nasty to motivate the flight of his unfortunate charges; and there is also something really sinister lurking behind Ron Moody's brilliantly ridiculous disguises as the wicked Uncle, dead set on murdering the runaway brother and his little sister, who want to live with their kindly Irish Gran, but who will be the heirs of a fortune their Uncle covets for himself, and will inherit if these children can be removed from the succession. However, although he is put to great trouble and many amusing mishaps in his relentless wicked pursuit of these innocents, he just can't do the dirty deed in the end, so he's a big softy really.
The technical side receives the full Hollywood treatment and the film, while not as polished as big-bucks Disney productions, is quite enjoyable. But be warned: It's considered too naive for modern tastes!
I say gentle, although the brutish stepfather has to be pretty nasty to motivate the flight of his unfortunate charges; and there is also something really sinister lurking behind Ron Moody's brilliantly ridiculous disguises as the wicked Uncle, dead set on murdering the runaway brother and his little sister, who want to live with their kindly Irish Gran, but who will be the heirs of a fortune their Uncle covets for himself, and will inherit if these children can be removed from the succession. However, although he is put to great trouble and many amusing mishaps in his relentless wicked pursuit of these innocents, he just can't do the dirty deed in the end, so he's a big softy really.
The technical side receives the full Hollywood treatment and the film, while not as polished as big-bucks Disney productions, is quite enjoyable. But be warned: It's considered too naive for modern tastes!