"Endearing" is perhaps the most apt word to describe The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, a very agreeable little Disney picture that skates along quite merrily on charm and personality. As with many of the studio's other live action films of the period, it has a tendency to get slightly sticky at times; however, Bullwhip has the good sense to just dip its toe in the gooey sweetness and decide that a little wade, rather than a full-fledged plunge into the depths, is all that it needs. Lowell S. Hawley's screenplay, based on a book by Sid Fleischman, lays out a fairly familiar family-movie story, but it includes a few little twists that add fun to the proceedings, and he keeps the focus on the characters and their relationships, rather than indulging in sidetrips that may present the opportunity for comedy but have little to do with the story. There's slapstick, of course, but far less than one would expect and generally well handled by director James Neilson; things are kept just enough in hand so that they don't derail the film. The cast is admirable, with Roddy McDowall everything a British butler should be and Suzanne Pleshette totally winning. Kudos also to Bryan Russell, who plays the young boy with a minimum of cutesiness.