The Trial of Old Drum

***The Trial of Old Drum*** is a made-for-television film directed by Sean McNamara and produced by Porchlight Entertainment in association with Animal Planet, and the first in a series of television films for the latter. It premiered on June 9, 2000.

## Plot

In the summer of 1955, Charlie Burden resides in Missouri in a small farming community with his widowed father Charles and spends his time exploring and playing with his dog Old Drum, whom his late mother had trained to serve as his friend and protector, and friends Dorothy "Dee" Ducksworth and Wayne Snelling, and finding ways to make money while also getting into conflict with his Uncle Lon, who has a hatred for Drum. During the week of the summer cookout, Charlie attempts to befriend local bully Donny Long, while Charles expresses romantic interest in Ann, the local newspaperwoman, which Charlie notices.

Drum proves himself as a protector when he saves Charlie from a rattlesnake and later drowning in the creek. The pair and Charles soon join local farmers, including Lon, in hunting for wild dogs reported to be killing sheep on neighboring farms, but lose the trail. The feral dogs later turn up and attack Charlie and Drum. Drum fights and kills three of the dogs, saving Charlie and howling to alert Charles, who brings both of them back to be treated for their injuries. Drum pulls through, and word of his heroism spreads in the newspapers. The pair are joined for dinner by Ann, along with Uncle Lon and his wife, Aunt Katie. Lon expresses his anger and hatred towards Charles' parenting skills. Drum sneaks out that night. Charlie finds him on Lon's property next to a freshly killed sheep the next day. Lon quickly accuses Drum of killing it but is turned into a laughingstock when Charlie spreads the whole thing as a joke and when Ann takes a picture of him with Drum in the newspaper, making him out to be friendly towards the dog.

Lon reports to the Sheriff to have Drum destroyed when another one of his sheep is killed. Charlie initially tries to run away with Drum and hide in a cabin by the creek to keep him from being taken away but is found by Ann the next day and brought home. Drum, who is tied in the front yard, escapes and runs off, and Charles and Charlie begin searching for him after hearing gunshots. The next day, Drum is found lying by the creek with a gunshot wound and taken to the hospital for treatment. Charles assumes Lon to be the one who shot Drum, but Lon denies it. Drum is left to recover in the hospital but is then taken into custody by the Sheriff and impounded when Lon reports him.

Charles meets with George Graham Vest to represent him in a trial held against Drum in a countersuit against Lon, which puts a strain on his relationship with Ann. Lon is represented by Thomas Crinton in an attempt to have Drum destroyed. Despite Lon's claims, both Dee and Wayne reveal evidence to why Drum could not be responsible for the sheep killings: Dee reveals that Drum had snuck out of the house to meet with her dog Missie, with whom he has fathered puppies, but admits that Drum had to cut through Lon's property to do so; Wayne states he saw Lon killing one of his own sheep and that Lon threatened him to keep quiet, thus explaining why Mayor Meyers was not notified of the deaths; and Charlie admits under oath that Drum was not with him the whole day like he said. In a closing argument, Vest gives a eulogy explaining the love and loyalty of dogs to their owners, which convinces the jury to declare Drum innocent.

Vest is later elected to the U.S. Senate and his speech becomes a famous symbol of friendship, while Charles eventually marries Ann. A statue of Old Drum is built in front of the courthouse, with Vest's now famous speech embedded under it.

## Cast

* Ron Perlman as Charles Burden, Sr.
* Bobby Ednar as Charlie Burden, Jr. (young)
	+ Randy Travis as Charlie Buren (narrator)
* Alexis O'Keefe as Ann
* John Schuck as Uncle Lon
* Dick Martin as Mayor Meyers
* Troy Evans as the Sheriff
* David Graf as Judge Henry
* Kathy Garver as Aunt Katey
* Henry Polic II as Doc Thompson
* Alia Shawkat as Dorothy "Dee" Ducksworth
* Aaron Fors as Donnie Long
* Curt Youngberg as Wayne Snelling

## Historical accuracy

* The movie presents the events as taking place in the summer of 1955 and trying to save Old Drum from being euthanized. In reality, the actual trial took place in September 1870, and was part of a suit by Burden against Hornsby for killing the dog. Graham Vest's speech remains relatively the same.
* The movie portrays Old Drum as a Golden Retriever and the only dog living with Charlie. In reality, he was a foxhound and the leader of a group of hunting dogs owned by Burden.
* Leo Hornsby was presented as Charles Burden's brother, as in real life; however, while the real Hornsby referred to Old Drum as the best hunting dog he had ever seen and regularly hunted with Burden, the film presents him as being on bad terms with both his brother and Old Drum.
* In real life, Old Drum was shot and later found dead on Hornsby's land after being dragged and left by the side of the creek. The film presents the events in much the same way, except with Drum having survived the shot. But while the film implies it to be Hornsby who shot Drum, in reality it was Hornsby's nephew and hired hand Samuel Ferguson who shot at the dog under Hornsby's orders.