The Biscuit Eater
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Stuart Heisler
Billy Lee
Cordell Hickman
Richard Lane
Lester Matthews
Helene Millard
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Georgia dog trainer Harvey McNeil fears losing his job when the new owner of the ranch, Mr. Ames, shows more interest in raising horses than canines. Harvey convinces Mr. Ames to delay the auction of the dogs until he can test one of his champions, "Georgia Boy," in the field trials. Mr. Ames agrees, and gives Harvey's little son Lonnie a runt from one of the litters. Lonnie and his friend Text train the dog, whom they name "Promise," for hunting, but the mischievous Promise continues to raid the henhouse and upset Georgia Boy's training. Harvey tells Sermon, Text's father, to get rid of the dog, but the boys retrieve the animal. Lonnie decides that the only way to improve his father's opinion of his dog is to have him win the field trials. Much to everyone's surprise, Promise performs admirably and eventually is the only opponent left against Georgia Boy. When Sermon warns Text that if Georgia Boy does not win, Harvey will lose his job, Lonnie insults Promise into losing his position by calling him a "biscuit eater," a dog too sorry to hunt anything but his own food. Promise runs away, thus making Georgia Boy the winner. Lonnie is broken hearted, but the dog returns that night to his mate, only to be shot by Sermon, who believes that he is a stray. Promise dies in Lonnie's arms, but his lineage continues in his mate's puppies, and both Lonnie and his father emerge as sadder but wiser men.
Director
Stuart Heisler
Cast
Billy Lee
Cordell Hickman
Richard Lane
Lester Matthews
Helene Millard
Snowflake
Tiverton Invader
William Russell
Earl Johnson
Crew
Stuart Anthony
John Cope
Everett Douglas
Hans Dreier
A. E. Freudeman
Lillie Hayward
Earl Hedrick
Frederick Hollander
William Le Baron
Harold Lewis
Jack Moss
William Russell
Leo Tover
Hal Walker
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
That's what we call a dog too sorry to hunt anything 'cept his own food.- Harvey McNeil
I was wrong about that dog all along.- Harvey McNeil
It's easy to see how enough love and faith can outclass a whole kennel of thoroughbreds.- Mr. Ames
Trivia
The first sound movie to be filmed entirely on location, as well as the first sound movie to be filmed in the state of Georgia, USA.
Notes
According to a news item in Hollywood Reporter, this picture, shot on location at Albany, GA, marked former film editor Stuart Heisler's first solo directoral assignment. The film was included in National Board of Review's list of the ten best films of 1940. Modern sources add that Frank Freeman was assistant to the producer. A radio adaptation of James Street's story was broadcast on the series NBC Short Story" on May 2, 1952, and in 1972, Vincent McEveety directed Earl Holliman, Johnny Whitaker and Lew Ayres in a Walt Disney Productions adaptation (see below).
