This is How Movies Should Be Made

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

William Powell was on the last stage of his film career when he made this colorful but odd adventure tale with western overtones and comic moments about a young boy (Tommy Ivo) suddenly orphaned and adopted by the aging Powell and his seemingly younger wife (Rosemary DeCamp). While having a picnic near the waterfall that has become mystic for its legends, Ivo discovers a hidden cave with a treasure, and greed takes over his new-found family. Some shady characters try to get their hands on Ivo and the treasure, and finally, a revelation comes along that ties Powell and Ivo together. The lovely Julie Adams and Charles Drake receive high billing but are totally wasted as a young couple who are friends of Powell and DeCamp's. Slow pacing and long periods of nothing but chat make this an occasional bore with a sudden house fire seemingly the end of the film, yet continuing with more bizarre plot twists. This is attractive to look at but structurally weak. Powell gives his all with an energetic performance, and Ivo is a likable kid. Ultimately, however, the film fails with too much plot and some truly ridiculous storyline elements that never ring true.

This is a decent family film, though I was surprised to read one review that gave the film a 10! GONE WITH THE WIND or CITIZEN KANE this certainly isn't!! Instead, it's a somewhat difficult to believe but nice film that is a good one to show the youngsters--especially since it affirms a lot of important values, such as honesty, the importance of money, etc. However, the story is a tad old fashioned and may seem preachy to some--probably since the story is based on an old Robert Lewis Stevenson story ("The Treasure of Franchard").The reason I saw this movie is pretty simple--it starred William Powell and I have always enjoyed his laid-back approach to acting. Powell played a somewhat older but rather funny and endearing guy who adopts an orphan. Much of the story involves their relationship and these moments in the film when they interact are pretty charming.As for the plot, it seems to have a little of EVERYTHING!! A child being kidnapped away from his kin by an evil relative, a lost treasure, a big fire, great heroism, financial swindles, etc. In fact, in some ways there is too much in the film--straining the film's credibility a bit! In addition, since it is based on an older story, there is just a bit too much irony to be real as well. This was an acceptable plot device in the 19th century (Dickens used it a lot in GREAT EXPECTATIONS), but how the film is all neatly wrapped up at the end is a bit hard to take on one level, though on another it's great for those who want a super-happy ending.Overall, the film is an amiable time-passer. Not great stuff by any stretch, but still it's worth a peek.

I strongly disagree with the reviewers who said they were disappointed in this film. I realize that there are some Dickensian-type coincidences that may go over the top a bit, but considering the original story was by Robert Louis Stevenson, that is acceptable to me.The main thing for me is the warm loving relationship between William Powell and the boy, and also the one between William Powell and his wife. They are such good-hearted people and interestingly eccentric, too, it really makes you wish that more people were like them. I also loved the scenic quality of the area; is it Northern California? So unspoiled, apparently safe, and a nice place to live. I was so happy for the boy, who had suffered in his early life, that he got to move in with such fine people and in such a lovely home. William Powell is always worth watching, no matter the role. I only discovered this film in recent years, after having known only his urbane persona since I was a child 40+ years ago. Therefore, it was a delightful surprise to see him as this lovable codger sort. A nice role for his latter years, I thought. Even better than the amusing "Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid" a few years earlier.

This film has drama and real life lessons within it. There is bonding between the adopted father and the son that is missing in many of todays families. The suspense in one scene as the boy dives into the water is so dramatic you almost sit on the edge of your seat cheering him on. One can tell this film was made before the fanatic censorships of today, as the boy is then clad only in his wet undergarment and tends to show more of himself physically than is allowed in todays television. Yet that innocence and nostalgia of the film overall gives it the #3 best movie of that year by many critics. I own this film as I watched it once on AMC and they only bring it out of the vault once every two years or so... I highly recommend this film!