Beverly Washburn shares memories of making ‘Old Yeller’
As a kid actress, Beverly Washburn was renowned for her ability to cry on cue.
In 1957, TV Guide magazine described Washburn in 1957 as the “13-year-old who has bawled buckets on ‘The Loretta Young Show.’ ”
But Washburn, a 22-year Southern Nevada resident, is best known for a movie that has wrung tears from millions of dog-loving baby boomers: “Old Yeller.”
The Disney classic marks its 60th anniversary Christmas Day. But Washburn, now 74, will lead an early celebration Wednesday at the Winchester Cultural Center, when she’ll introduce a free showing of the movie and share recollections of making it.
‘I bawled like a baby’
It’s hardly the first time Washburn has recalled the making of “Old Yeller.” She was a guest when TCM’s 2016 Classic Film Festival — themed “Moving Pictures” — screened the movie at Hollywood’s legendary Grauman’s Chinese Theatre; actress, writer, director and TCM fixture Illeana Douglas interviewed her about its production.
The spark for the Winchester screening: Washburn’s part-time job at Touro University Nevada’s College of Osteopathic Medicine as a standardized acting patient (SAP for short), who role-plays with medical students to help them improve their patient interactions.
One of Washburn’s fellow SAPs, Jay Nagle, also is a senior programming assistant at Winchester; he suggested “Old Yeller” would be a perfect fit for the center’s free film series.
“I’ve had grown men tell me ‘I can’t watch that movie,’ ” Washburn notes, because of the title canine’s tragic fate.
Nagle shares that reaction, recalling how “ ‘Old Yeller’ devastated me in third or fourth grade,” when he and fellow students watched the movie in his school “cafetorium and I bawled like a baby in front of all the boys. I’ve been in therapy ever since,” he jokes.
‘Grateful they chose me’
One of Washburn’s favorite “Old Yeller” memories involves a puppy that, in the movie, played the title character’s offspring.
“They wanted the puppy to look exactly like Old Yeller,” notes Washburn, who walked into makeup one day to see “this little puppy sitting in a makeup chair” while “they were powdering him down.”
Although Washburn had to audition for her “Old Yeller” role, Lisbeth Searcy, “I was so grateful they chose me, because they could have used one of the Mousketeers.”
During the “Old Yeller” shoot on the Disney lot in Burbank, California, Washburn attended school alongside members of “The Mickey Mouse Club’s” Mouseketeers — including Sharon Baird, whom Washburn describes as “my best friend.”
Washburn and “Old Yeller” co-star Tommy Kirk (a Disney favorite in everything from “The Hardy Boys” to “The Shaggy Dog”) have remained close through the years; they’re the sole survivors of “Old Yeller’s” cast.
‘He was a great dog’
As for Old Yeller himself, he was “an actual rescue dog” named Spike who was adopted by trainers Frank and Rudd Weatherwax, whose canine claims to fame included Lassie. Or, more precisely, multiple Lassies, each of whom had an on-camera specialty.
Because Spike was a rescue dog, however, “he did everything,” Washburn explains. “He was a great dog.”
Washburn still has an affinity for real-life rescue dogs; her at-home menagerie includes two dogs and two cats she’s adopted.
As for her favorite reel-life canine, “it’s amazing to me it still lives on,” Washburn says of “Old Yeller,” calling it “probably one of my favorites. It’s certainly the one I’m most known for.”
Contact Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272. Follow @CarolSCling on Twitter.
Preview
Who: Beverly Washburn
What: 60th anniversary of “Old Yeller”
When: 1 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive
Admission: Free (clarkcountynv.gov/parks/Pages/winchester-cultural-center.aspx
A slew of ‘Hollywood Memories’
“Old Yeller” is far from Beverly Washburn’s only notable credit. Her co-stars have included James Stewart and Charlton Heston in “The Greatest Show on Earth,” Bing Crosby in “Here Comes the Groom,” Alan Ladd in “Shane,” Kirk Douglas in “The Juggler” and Lon Chaney Jr. in the cult horror favorite “Spider Baby.”
Danny Kaye sang “Thumbelina” to her in “Hans Christian Andersen,” and she’s shared the screen with legendary heroes from the Lone Ranger (alias Clayton Moore) to Superman (played by George Reeves). Fans of the original “Star Trek” TV series, meanwhile, know her as Lt. Arlene Galway in “The Deadly Years.”
These days, Washburn signs autographs on the fan convention circuit and performs live radio drama re-creations with such fellow former child stars as “Leave It to Beaver’s” Tony Dow (they dated during their Hollywood teen years), with whom Washburn has also performed A.R. Gurney’s stage duet “Love Letters.” She and Dow also have a movie project lined up — as soon as someone finances it.
Washburn has shared her recollections in two memoirs, “Reel Tears” and an expanded sequel, “Reel Tears: Take Two.” She also writes a monthly column, “Hollywood Memories,” for a local publication, Vegas Voice.
