The Yearling (1946 film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Yearling
Theatrical release poster designed by Douglass Crockwell (November 1946)
Directed by	Clarence Brown
Produced by	Sidney Franklin
Screenplay by	Paul Osborn
Starring	Gregory Peck Jane Wyman Claude Jarman Jr.
Music by	Herbert Stothart arrangement of Frederick Delius's music
Cinematography	Arthur Arling Charles Rosher Leonard Smith
Editing by	Harold F. Kress
Studio	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by	Loew's, Inc.
Release date(s)	December 18, 1946 (1946-12-18)
Running time	128 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3,883,000
Money made	$7,599,000

On set, L-R: Leonard Smith (cinematographer), unknown & Clarence Brown (director)

The Yearling is a classic family movie from 1946. It's a drama directed by Clarence Brown and produced by Sidney Franklin. The film was released in Technicolor by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

The story is based on the 1938 book of the same name by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. The movie stars famous actors like Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, and Claude Jarman Jr.. It tells the heartwarming story of a young boy who adopts a wild deer. This film was later made into a TV movie in 1994.

Story of The Yearling

Meet the Baxter Family

The movie is set in Florida in 1878. We meet the Baxter family: Ezra "Penny" Baxter, his wife Ora, and their son Jody. Penny and Ora are pioneer farmers. Jody is their only child still alive.

Jody has a very close and loving bond with his dad, Penny. His mother, Ora, is often sad. She worries a lot because she has lost other children before. Because of her fears, she finds it hard to show Jody how much she loves him. Jody sometimes feels like his mom doesn't care for him as much.

Jody's Wish for a Pet

Since he has no brothers or sisters, Jody really wants a pet. He dreams of having an animal to play with and take care of. His dad understands how he feels. But his mom, Ora, thinks a pet would just cause problems.

One day, the family finds that a bear named Old Slewfoot has attacked their farm. The bear killed a calf and a young pig. Penny, Jody, and their dogs go after the bear. The bear gets away, and one of their best hunting dogs, Julia, gets hurt. Penny decides to trade his other dog, Perk, for a new gun with their neighbors, the Forresters.

New Friends and a Fawn

Jody meets Fodderwing, the youngest Forrester boy. Fodderwing has many pets, and he and Jody quickly become good friends. Penny trades Perk for a new shotgun.

Later, Penny and Jody are looking for their lost hogs. A rattlesnake bites Penny. He quickly kills the snake with his new gun. To help with the snake's poison, Penny kills a female deer and uses its liver. Jody then asks if he can adopt the deer's baby, a fawn, which is now all alone. Penny agrees, but he warns Jody that the fawn will need to be set free when it grows up.

Naming the Fawn and a Sad Farewell

Jody goes to ask his friend Fodderwing for a name for the fawn. Sadly, Jody learns that Fodderwing has just passed away. However, Fodderwing's brother, Buck, tells Jody that Fodderwing wanted to name a fawn "Flag" because of its white tail.

Jody and his family go to Fodderwing's funeral. Penny gives a heartfelt speech about Fodderwing's kindness. He talks about how good Fodderwing was with animals.

Flag Grows Up

As time passes, Jody and Flag become best friends. They are always together. About a year later, Flag is no longer a small fawn. He has grown into a "yearling," which means he is one year old.

But Flag also starts causing trouble on the farm. He eats the new corn, breaks fences, and walks all over the tobacco plants. Penny gets hurt trying to clear another field to make up for the ruined crops. Penny tells Jody that he can keep Flag if he replants the corn and builds a taller fence.

A Difficult Choice

Jody works very hard, and his mom even helps him with the fence. But during the night, Flag jumps the new fence. He destroys the new corn crop again. Penny tells Jody that he must take Flag into the woods and shoot him.

Jody takes Flag away, but he can't bring himself to kill his beloved pet. He tells Flag to go away and never come back. But Flag returns to the farm and eats the crops once more. Ora, Jody's mother, shoots Flag with a shotgun, wounding him. Penny then tells Jody to end Flag's suffering. To spare his pet from a slow, painful death, Jody follows his father's orders and kills Flag.

Jody Runs Away and Returns Home

Losing Flag is too much for Jody. He is filled with anger and sadness, so he runs away from home. Three days later, a friendly boat captain finds him floating unconscious in a canoe on the river. Jody is rescued and brought back home.

He and Penny quickly make up. Ora is still out looking for him. When she returns, she sees Jody is back. She is filled with joy and relief. Her biggest fear of losing her last child is finally over. She rushes into Jody's room and shows him more love than ever before. She is no longer afraid to show her feelings for him.

Main Actors and Characters

Movie Music

The music for The Yearling was put together by Herbert Stothart. He used music from a composer named Frederick Delius, especially from his piece Appalachia: Variations on an Old Slave Song.

Awards the Film Won

The Yearling was a very successful movie and won several important awards.

Other Versions of the Story

The story of The Yearling has been told in other ways too:

• A radio show called Stars in the Air presented a 30-minute version on February 7, 1952. Gregory Peck, who starred in the movie, was also in this radio show.
• In 1994, a new TV movie called The Yearling was made. It was shown on the CBS television channel in the United States.

Images for kids

• 

  Trailhead of The Yearling Trail.

See also

In Spanish: El despertar (película de 1946) para niños