Driftwood (1947)

A young child (Natalie Wood) lives in a ghost town with her religious fanatic great grandfather (H.B. Warner). When he dies, she is found wandering in the desert by a doctor (Dean Jagger) who brings her home. It's supposed to be temporary but the child, who has no filter when it comes to telling the truth, begins touching the lives of everyone around her. Directed by Allan Dwan (SLIGHTLY SCARLET), this is a charming tale. I liked the first part of the movie more than the second half when it turns into a predictable melodrama as a medical epidemic endangers the community. Dwan keeps the movie neatly balanced between a social conscience and character development. Natalie Wood doesn't overdo the adorableness that turns me off most child actors, it seems innate with her. The excellent cast includes Walter Brennan, Ruth Warrick, Charlotte Greenwood, Jerome Cowan, Margaret Hamilton and Alan Napier.