Rusty Saves a Life (1949)

In small town Lawtonville, Illinois, teen-aged Danny Mitchell, his German Shepard Rusty, and Danny's five similarly aged friends have been close companions with aging and wealthy Counsellor Frank Gibson for three years, the seven having dinner together every Sunday. The Counsellor, who sees the five boys as the world in miniature and who espouses an all inclusive view of the world, tells them that he is planning on changing his will to bequeath his house, land and pottery works business to them - hopefully with them collectively and responsibly being able to figure out what to do with it all - instead of his current primary beneficiary, his adult nephew and only living relative, Chicagoan Fred Gibson, who he states doesn't much like him. Despite writing out his new will, the Counsellor passes away before formally discussing his new wishes with his lawyer, Danny's father, Hugh Mitchell, who has no idea of this new written document, and who only has Danny's word as to the Counsellor's true final intentions. However, the Counsellor throws them all for a loop when his executed last will and testament has an unexpected clause that affects both Fred and the boys. Not only because of the will but because of their general differences in nature, Fred and the boys - with all of Lawtonville on the boys' side in spirit - have an adversarial relationship, with each trying to out-maneuver the other. But Fred's dislike of the boys and Lawtonville does not even measure to his dislike of Rusty, and visa versa. The questions become if either side will get everything they want, if either side will come to a better understanding of the other, and what will happen if the Counsellor's unofficial hand written will is found.