a_chinn
Another in a long line of enjoyable Disney nature films. This one tells the story of a wolf named Lobo (not Sherriff Lobo) from when he's a young pup to when he becomes an adult with a large bounty on his head. There's all sorts of corny cuteness with Lobo playing other animals and such, but the film was surprisingly realistic in the human hunters attempts to kill or capture Lobo with some pretty scary traps and hunting dogs. However, this remains a Disney films and is hardly a grim diatribe about the evils of hunting. At it's heart it's about cute animals and an appreciation for nature, which all goes down quite easy and without much pretension.
Wizard-8
During his lifetime, producer Walt Disney did turn out some interesting animal-themed shorts and movies. However, "The Legend of Lobo" is one time where Disney was apparently unable to give sufficient inspiration to his filmmakers. There are a number of things I could list that illustrate why this effort is a misfire, such as the obvious padding even for a 67 minute running time, the too-cutesy narration, and an ending that is abrupt and without a satisfying payoff. But I think that the main fault with the movie is that the wolf Lobo never becomes a strong animal figure. Yes, the first half follows him around when he is a pup, but he is then an immature animal that lacks any soul. It's even worse when Lobo becomes a full grown adult wolf - you never get a sense of any kind of personality you can relate to or understand. By the way, no director is listed in the credits for the movie - if the director decided to take his name off the credits after seeing the end results, I can certainly understand his decision.
Derek Crawford
I'm a little biased; the writer (Dwight Hauser) is my wife's father. We were looking for a copy and came across this site. It was fun for me to watch Marcia (my wife) watch the movie. And as with many thousands of other old folks, I remember it from my own childhood.I wonder if Lobo's mother was really injured. It certainly looked like it. I asked Marcia, but she didn't know. It seems doubtful Disney would have gone about it that way. Kinda heart wrenching, but an accurate reflection of the disdain held for wolves in those days...heck...even these days by a remaining few.This is a great find! We are passing it out to all the grandkids...:-)Derek
Figaro-8
Ernest Thompson Seton's story has been brought to the screen in a remarkable and unique way. There is no dialogue in the whole movie. The story is told through narration by Rex Allen (who had the perfect voice for this sort of thing) and music performed by the Sons of the Pioneers. (The title song, which reappears throughout the film, was written by the Sherman Brothers.) Oliver Wallace provides a nice music score and the outdoor photography by Jack Couffer and Lloyd Beebe is beautiful. All of these elements combine to form a very entertaining film. May the legend live on.