Loyal Heart (1946) User Reviews

Fleet, Come Home

[boblipton · 6/10 · 21 March 2019]

Percy Marmont owes Beckett Bould a packet of money but can't pay. The winter has been hard on the crofter, and his wife needs to go to hospital. Bould demands payment, or he'll take everything Marmont has.... or his border collie

That's the start of this overly sentimental movie about border collies. I love dogs, and border collies are among the best breeds: intelligent, hard-working.... all the qualities a dog should have, and which are on display here, particularly in the sheepdog contest which Marmont's dog wins under the guidance of Marmont's son, Philip Kay.

It's under the direction of Oswald Mitchell, a director I hold a grudge against; he directed half a dozen of the "Old Mother Riley" movies. There's a sloppiness to this movie's end which I attribute to a director who could take charge of an Arthur Lucan performance and use his own name. But I'm willing to put that aside and admit this is a nice little movie, thanks to the dog.

Fleet Runs Away With It

[malcolmgsw · 4/10 · 22 February 2012]

I have my suspicions that this film was made to cash in on the success of "Courage Of Lassie".Percy Marmont owes a debt to a neighbouring farmer which he is unable to repay.The farmer wants his dog Fleet and he will then cancel the debt.the son takes the dog to the neighbour as a goodwill gesture.However Fleet runs back home.The neighbour has Marmont falsely accused of sheep stealing and eventually everything is sorted out mainly by the son acting as a peacemaker.However it is Fleet who is the real star of the show.He is a clever sheepdog and we have lots of shots of him running over the fells and herding sheep.So if you like this sort of thing you will enjoy this film.I have to say that there is a bit too much of it for my liking and so fast forwarding through the sheepdog trials was the best option.

Nice outdoor locations, uneven acting, naughty dog!

[gavin-83 · 4/10 · 12 March 2017]

Well, this image of the rural north with its Lordships, sheep-stealing and expensive health treatments is most certainly now a historical oddity. As with the other reviewer, I feel the sheepdog "Fleet" steals the show, as well as countless sheep. Percy Marmont is the best actor in the movie on two legs, the rest of the cast are rather wooden although Harry Welchman as Sir Ian is okay.

I watched the film feeling a certain sympathy for the "villain" (if there is such a thing), Burton who feels wronged when "Fleet" steals some of his sheep and takes them to the farm of Armstrong his owner, who owes him money cannot repay but fortunately has his lordship (an old friend and Justice of the Peace) in his corner.

One scene of the sheepdog in a raging torrent left me a little concerned.

Nice lake-land photography but general direction and script left a lot to be desired. Interesting to note that Mrs Armstrong goes for expensive surgery at around the time of the inception of our NHS, unlucky lady. Worth watching if you are interested in social history or British film warts and all.

The Fleet's In

[richardchatten · 2/10 · 23 October 2020]

A complete chance of pace for producer Louis H. Jackson (who usually made morbid 'psychological' subjects) is this blatant copy of 'Lassie Come Home' which isn't even in Technicolor (although that might be a blessing as it spares us the obviously Californian locations of the Hollywood original) and has a continuous score by Percival Mackey that quickly outstays it's welcome.

The refined young lass who puts in a fleeting appearance in jodhpurs was in reality the daughter of leading actor Percy Marmont.