THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST, Disney Americana from 1958, is often lazily lumped in with  the year’s two dozen westerns, although technically it’s an ‘Eastern’. Based on the novel by Conrad Richter, the 83-minutes historical fiction drama for the young set takes place in colonial Pennsylvania in the mid 1760s.

‘Johnny Butler’ (James MacArthur) was captured as a boy by a branch of the Delaware tribe of Native Americans and raised as ‘True-son’. He’s made to return to his white family in order to honor terms of a peace treaty. Adjusting to life with his ‘own people’, True-son/Johnny has much difficulty, torn between positive figures like fair-minded ‘Del Hardy’ (Fess Parker) and indentured servant girl ‘Shenandoe’ (Carol Lynley, 15, debut), with whom he sparks a romance, and negatives such as vengeful Indian haters like ‘Wilsey Owen’ (Wendell Corey) and further raids on the whites by a faction of the tribe.

Nice cast, good-looking locations in California and Tennessee photographed by Ellsworth Fredericks (Sayonara, Wild River) and a commendable tolerance message at the core. But flat direction by Herschel Daugherty and a tame script from Lawrence Edward Watkin don’t provide enough heart, humor or action to spark more than mild interest. I’m sure when first viewing it as a kid (dutifully watching every episode on Disney’s TV series) I probably got a crush on Carol Lynley, and if Davy—I mean Fess—was in it, more the better.

The personable MacArthur, 20, proved himself enough that Disney put him into Third Man On The Mountain, Kidnapped, Swiss Family Robinson and Mosby’s Marauders. For the iconic Fess, it was his last job for Walt, having secured immortality as Davy Crockett, King Of The Wild Frontier, followed by Davy Crockett And The River Pirates, The Great Locomotive Chase, Westward Ho the Wagons! and Old Yeller.

With dependable support from Joanne Dru, Jessica Tandy, John McIntire, Joseph Calleia, Rafael Campos (wacky as ever–he also was in Disney’s more exciting western that year, Tonka), Frank Ferguson, Marian Seldes, Iron Eyes Cody, Kevin Hagen, Eddie Little Sky. 44th place at the box office with a gross of $5,800,000.