Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- earnest
- suspenseful
- sentimental
- family movie night
- classic film afternoon
What critics said
The film was regarded as a conventional but appealing Lassie vehicle whose central canine performer remained its main attraction, though its overall reception was weak.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film combines prospecting, gold, wilderness pursuit, and a loyal dog protagonist within an approved family-oriented MGM production.
Lassie deduces Lin's crime, survives poisoning, and pursues him toward the climactic confrontation.
Jonathan leaves Shep with fatherless Tommy specifically to cheer him after his father's death.
Jonathan's gold strike creates the central conflict when Lin refuses to share the wealth and engineers his death.
Films like The Painted Hills, and why
Lassie Come Home
family western adventure centered on a loyal dog and a child, with straightforward moral conflict
Old Yeller
classic family adventure pairing a boy with a devoted animal companion amid wilderness danger
The Apple Dumpling Gang
child-friendly western adventure involving frontier peril, gold, and a clear struggle between loyalty and greed
Movie Details
- Director
- Harold F. Kress
- Release Date
- 1951-05-04
- Runtime
- 68 min
- Rating
- 4.2 / 10 (28)
Cast
- Gary Gray
- Paul Kelly
- Bruce Cowling
- Art Smith
- Ann Doran
- Chief Yowlachie
- Andrea Virginia Lester
- Brown Jug Reynolds
- Mitchell Lewis
- Charles Watts
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, FlixFling, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Troma NOW
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Painted Hills about?
- A devoted collie risks everything to protect a grieving boy and expose the greedy partner who murdered his guardian in a family-friendly frontier adventure.
- What is The Painted Hills like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Painted Hills as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Painted Hills violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Painted Hills as mild.
- What did critics think of The Painted Hills?
- The film was regarded as a conventional but appealing Lassie vehicle whose central canine performer remained its main attraction, though its overall reception was weak.
- Which films are like The Painted Hills?
- Films with a similar feel include Lassie Come Home, Old Yeller, and The Apple Dumpling Gang.
- How long is The Painted Hills?
- The Painted Hills runs 68 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Painted Hills?
- In United States, The Painted Hills streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, FlixFling, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Troma NOW.
