Old Yeller is a 1957 American drama film produced by Walt Disney. It stars Tommy Kirk, Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, and Beverly Washburn. It is about a boy and a stray dog in post-Civil War Texas. The film is based upon the 1956 Newbery Honor-winning novel of the same name by Fred Gipson. Gipson also co-wrote the screenplay along with William Tunberg. The film's success led to a 1963 sequel, "Savage Sam", which was based on a 1962 book by Gipson.