History Literature / OldYeller

* ARealManIsAKiller: Downplayed somewhat, but being able to "man up" and shoot Yeller to protect the others is portrayed as Travis's introduction to adult responsibility.

-->--from the opening credits of Disney's [[TheFilmOfTheBook Film of the Book]]

''Old Yeller'' is a 1956 novel by Fred Gipson about a boy and a stray dog in post-[[UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar Civil War]] Texas, later adapted into a live-action Creator/{{Disney}} film in 1957.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/68fff008_84d6_46be_9632_c807eb96cc48.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:Notice the lack of wolves...]]

->''"Old Yeller was a hunter,''\\
''a rearin', tearin' hunter.''\\
''In any chase, he knew just how to run!''\\
''And when he got in trouble,''\\
''he always found it double,''\\
''and that's when Old Yeller had fun!"''

''Old Yeller'' is a 1956 novel by Fred Gipson about a boy and a stray dog in post-[[UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar Civil War]] Texas, later made into a live-action Creator/{{Disney}} film in 1957.

* AllDogsArePurebred: In both the book and film, Travis finds a random stray who happens to be a purebred dog. In the book Yeller is an Original Mountain Cur while in the film he is a Mastador (half Mastiff, half Labrador Retriever).

!!'''Warning, spoilers are ahead, but [[AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame most people]] already [[ItWasHisSled know what they are]].'''

* GoLookAtTheDistraction: Mom asks Arliss to get her a horned toad, so he won't be present while she's dressing the injury that a boar gave to Old Yeller.

* ObliviousToLove: Lisbeth Searcy has an obviously crush on Travis, who either doesn't notice or doesn't care.

[[caption-width-right:300:[[HarsherInHindsight Notice the lack of wolves...]]]]

!!'''Warning, spoilers are ahead, but [[AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame most people]] [[ItWasHisSled already know what they are]].'''

!! The novel and highly faithful Disney film contain examples of:

* DownerEnding: Old Yeller dies after Travis is forced to shoot him for contracting rabies. Though the very end is [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet]] as the family adopts Old Yeller's puppy son.

!!'''Warning, this page has spoilers, but [[AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame most people]] already [[ItWasHisSled know]] what they are.'''

* AllDogsArePurebred: In both the book and film, Travis finds a random stray who happens to be a purebred dog. In the book Yeller is an Original Mountain Cur while in the film he is a Labrador Retriever.

* SavageWolves: The DownerEnding is brought about by a rabid wolf whom Yeller fights and drives away from the family, contracting rabies himself.

* BelievingTheirOwnLies: Arliss eventually starts believing he really ''is'' the clever hunter he boasted of being, which gets him in serious trouble when he tries to catch a bear cub.

* DownerEnding: The one Disney movie to have one of these (even if it is live-action).[[note]]Yes, it happens in the book as well, but still.[[/note]] Though the very end is [[BittersweetEnding bittersweet]] as the family adopts Old Yeller's puppy son.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Little Arliss.

* {{Disneyfication}}: A minor example. In the film version, it's confirmed that Yeller has contracted rabies and putting him down is sad but necessary as the only safe and humane thing to do for both dog and family. In the book Travis puts him down immediately, knowing rabies is inevitable, but suffering the pang of destroying the dog before he has visibly sickened.

%%
%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
%%

''Old Yeller'' is a 1956 novel by Fred Gipson about a boy and a stray dog in post-UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar Texas, later made into a live-action Creator/{{Disney}} film in 1957.

15-year-old Travis Coates has enough responsibility taking care of his mother, little brother Arliss, and the family farm while his father goes away on a cattle drive. Then the wilderness blows a stray "yeller" dog into his life whom he initially takes a strong dislike to... until Old Yeller saves Arliss from a MamaBear (kids shouldn't play with bear cubs). The two become inseparable partners, hunting and facing the dangers of TheWildWest together. Then a rabid wolf comes along...

!!'''Warning, this page has Spoilers, but [[AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame most people]] already [[ItWasHisSled know]] what they are.'''

%% * BearsAreBadNews

%%* ABoyAndHisX: A boy and his dog. %% Explain what their relationship looks like and what effect it has on them. %%
%%* BrattyHalfPint: Arliss at times.

%%* ComingOfAgeStory

* DisappearedDad: Not dead, but gone on a cattle drive until the end of the story. This means Travis is [[PromotionToParent the man of the house]] until he returns.
* {{Disneyfication}}: A minor example. In the film version, it's confirmed that Yeller has contracted rabies and putting him down is sad but necessary as the only safe and humane thing to do for both dog and family. In the original book Travis makes the decision to put him down immediately, leaving the possibility that Yeller might not have caught the wolf's rabies forever uncertain and likely to cause more anguish for both Travis and the reader alike.

%%* TheFilmOfTheBook

%%* TheHeroDies: Old Yeller himself at the end.

%%* IAmSong: "''Here, Yeller... Come back, Yeller... Best doggone dog in the West...''"
* HopeSpot: In the movie, he isn't shot right away, in the hope that he won't turn rabid. He is merely caged in the corncrib as a safeguard. As the weeks pass, Yeller shows no signs of rabies, and it seems as though he might have been lucky after all. But only a few days before they intend to release him, guess what happens.
%%* MercyKill: Wow, is every trope about ''Old Yeller'' about the ending?

%%* PromotionToParent: Travis.
* ARealManIsAKiller: Downplayed somewhat, but still present. Being able to "man up" and shoot his faithful companion Old Yeller to protect others from being infected by rabies is portrayed as Travis's introduction to the realities of adult responsibility.
%%* ReplacementGoldfish: Savage Sam.

%%* ShootTheDog: TropeNamer present and accounted for, sir!
%%* TheSoCalledCoward: Old Yeller.

* ZombieInfectee: This is why they need to ShootTheDog, substituting "rabies" (or "hydrophobia" as it was called in both book and movie) for "zombie".

* DarkerAndEdgier: Meta example. You thought "that" infamous scene in ''Disney/{{Bambi}}'' was bad? Wait'll you see this movie...[[note]]Where a similar scene is used as the ending, even if it did happen in the book.[[/note]]

* ABoyAndHisX: A boy and his dog.
* BrattyHalfPint: Arliss at times.

* ComingOfAgeStory
* CubCuesProtectiveParent[=/=]BearsAreBadNews: Arliss plays around with and tries to catch a bear cub, resulting is a rather displeased mother bear showing up. This bear might have killed Arliss had not Yeller been there to fight the bear off.

* TheFilmOfTheBook

* TheHeroDies: Old Yeller himself at the end.

* IAmSong: "''Here, Yeller... Come back, Yeller... Best doggone dog in the West...''"

* ManlyTears: A meta-example: the film's ending is often cited as an example of a time when it's entirely permissible for a grown man to cry.
* MercyKill: Wow, is every trope about ''Old Yeller'' about the ending?

* PromotionToParent: Travis.

* ReplacementGoldfish: Savage Sam.

* ShootTheDog: TropeNamer present and accounted for, sir!
* TheSoCalledCoward: Old Yeller.

* DogDiesAtTheEnd: Travis ends up having to shoot Old Yeller due to rabies.
* DeathByNewberyMedal

* DogDiesAtTheEnd

* DarkerAndEdgier: Meta example. You thought "that" infamous scene in Disney/{{Bambi}} was bad? Wait'll you see this movie...[[note]]Where a similar scene is used as the ending, even if it did happen in the book.[[/note]]

* FaceHeelTurn: Old Yeller, thanks to the rabies he contacts.

''Old Yeller'' is a 1956 novel by Fred Gipson about a boy and a stray dog in post-UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar Texas, later made into a Walt Disney film in 1957.

[[quoteright:246:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/old_yeller_2134.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:246:[[HarsherInHindsight Notice the lack of wolves...]]]]

''Old Yeller'' is a 1956 book by Fred Gipson about a boy and a stray dog in post-UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar Texas, later made into a Walt Disney film in 1957. 15-year-old Travis Coates has enough responsibility taking care of his mother, little brother Arliss, and the family farm while his father goes away on a cattle drive. Then the wilderness blows a stray "yeller" dog into his life whom he initially takes a strong dislike to... until Old Yeller saves Arliss from a MamaBear (kids shouldn't play with bear cubs). The two become inseparable partners, hunting and facing the dangers of TheWildWest together. Then a rabid wolf comes along...

* AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame: Old Yeller doesn't make it to the end of the film.

* DownerEnding: The one Disney movie to have one of these (even if it is live-action).[[note]]Yes, it happens in the book as well, but still.[[/note]]