Disclaimer: There’s some pretty serious anti-Indigenous racism on display here, and I’m not excusing that. The land we live on (if you’re reading this in the United States, but it also applies elsewhere) was taken from Indigenous peoples who were here long before white Europeans “settled” it. 

That said, the film is both a product and summation of the time period in which it was made and set in, and therefore the attitudes and mores of the prevailing (read: ruling) majority are found therein.

Savage Sam picks up a few years after the events of Old Yeller. Jim and Katie Coates (Fess Parker and Dorothy McGuire, respectively) are away from the family homestead visiting a sick grandmother while 18-year old Travis (Tommy Kirk) is in charge of watching his rambunctious 12-year old brother Arliss (Kevin Corcoran). Their dynamic is the same as it was in Old Yeller, but without the calming influence of their mother Katie to quell the fire between them. 

Instead, their Uncle Beck Coates (Brian Keith, who received top billing) acts as the adult mediator between them. Most of the plot revolves around Travis, Arliss, and Lisbeth Searcy (Marta Kristen, who replaced Beverly Washburn in the role from Old Yeller) getting captured by a group of Apaches led by a Comanche. 

I’m not going to say that this follow-up comes even close to matching the heart of the first film, but it certainly was entertaining to watch. It’s made me want to watch the other films where Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran play brothers, because I love their chemistry. 

Bud Searcy (Jeff York, who also reprised his role from Old Yeller) also provides a lot of comic relief as Lisbeth’s insufferable, lazy, and perpetually hungry father. 

As far as cinematic brilliance, you won’t find much here. But if you’re looking for a nostalgic romp with characters you remember from your childhood, then Savage Sam is a good pick.

Savage Sam is available to rent or own on several streaming platforms or on DVD.