Savage Sam, except for it's association with Ol' Yeller, would be a completely innocuous but more or less forgotten addition to the Disney film library. The problem with Savage Sam is twofold.
First, it was (and is) marketed as a sequel to Ol' Yeller. How could any film stand up to that kind of comparison? Yes, the book was by the same author and meant to be a tale of a son of Ol' Yeller. But trying to sell that movie as a sequel never had a chance - Fess Parker was doing a TV show and unavailable, the book itself is weak, and the scripting is sluggish.
Secondly, and this true of all movies from that time - the portrayal of the Indians was so biased that it's painful to watch as those Irish stunt men in red paint whoop it up.
Is it watchable? Yes, but view it a a separate entity, not a sequel.
First, it was (and is) marketed as a sequel to Ol' Yeller. How could any film stand up to that kind of comparison? Yes, the book was by the same author and meant to be a tale of a son of Ol' Yeller. But trying to sell that movie as a sequel never had a chance - Fess Parker was doing a TV show and unavailable, the book itself is weak, and the scripting is sluggish.
Secondly, and this true of all movies from that time - the portrayal of the Indians was so biased that it's painful to watch as those Irish stunt men in red paint whoop it up.
Is it watchable? Yes, but view it a a separate entity, not a sequel.