Cheesy, yes. Glorious landscapes, yes. Incredible horses, yes.
Looking at the credits I see a rider, Marsha Fitzalan (sp?) listed twice. Was she the rider that portrayed Oneal?
Is it on Netflix yet?? I’d loooove to watch it again. So good.
I just watched it on tv. It’s 2°f here, so in other words, movie time. 
I love the final jumping course. Water, banks, up hill, down hill and then the regular jumps.
In true cheesy form, I can’t figure out how Aunt Velvet is so young when she won the Grand National like in the 1920’s? But I still like the movie
I have it on DVD, I found it in a four movie set along with National Velvet, Seabiscuit (The one with Shirley Temple), and Black Beauty, got it for $3.21 at Sam’s Club.
Definitely cheesy, but not as bad as some of the other horse movies I’ve seen, like The Derby Stallion for instance…I can never get the time I wasted watching that movie back.
My favorite trainer taught Tatum O’Neal to ride for that movie. She says Tatum was a very quick study. There’s a documentary on the making of the movie which is on YouTube.
I remember when they filmed some of it at Ledyard Farm. It’s a beautiful estate that I was lucky enough to ride through many times when I was younger. Thanks for the info. about the documentary. Quite often, those are more interesting than the film itself.
Wow, Bristol Bay, I am so glad you posted that link. Thanks to you and to Gestalt for the thread! (Just got a call from my hon in the middle of watching the video but so far the most thrilling part for me was the clip with William Steinkraus!) There was mention of Richard Meade so I am looking forward to hopefully seeing him in the next installment.
The movie was on TV not long ago, after National Velvet, I think, and yes it’s cheesy but those are two of the few movies that I cry at.
She may have been a quick study for learning to post but she also kept complaining and the horse she was on and Lord Lonsdale was just a saint. At the time of the filming, he was Fifi Coles mount as he was going back down the ranks.
Filming was fun because it was during the lunch break for the Ledyard Horse Trials. So, in a way, it really was an international horse trials you are seeing.
[QUOTE=gottagrey;7883426]
In true cheesy form, I can’t figure out how Aunt Velvet is so young when she won the Grand National like in the 1920’s? But I still like the movie :)[/QUOTE]
I had a problem with the 40 year old gelding Pie being retired from stud. In National Velvet he was 9 year old gelding. Didn’t know you could undo that procedure
[QUOTE=Paks;7884111]
I had a problem with the 40 year old gelding Pie being retired from stud. In National Velvet he was 9 year old gelding. Didn’t know you could undo that procedure[/QUOTE]
Yes, and it also bothered me that in International Velvet, the original Pie was portrayed as a bay. In the original book, he was called “Pie” because he was a piebald!
Oh, for goodness sake you guys, none of it was real…You all and your fact checking…Politics need to be fact checked not movies !!
[QUOTE=stolen virtue;7884177]
Oh, for goodness sake you guys, none of it was real…You all and your fact checking…Politics need to be fact checked not movies !![/QUOTE]
Is it fact checking if you simply have a functional memory and like to see some consistency?
[QUOTE=Paks;7884111]
I had a problem with the 40 year old gelding Pie being retired from stud. In National Velvet he was 9 year old gelding. Didn’t know you could undo that procedure[/QUOTE]
AND he was a chestnut! And a GELDING!!!
I like all the footage of Mike Plumb, Bruce Davidson, Maryann Tauski etc. in the cross country at Ledyard!
[QUOTE=flashwhitelock;7884012]
Filming was fun because it was during the lunch break for the Ledyard Horse Trials. So, in a way, it really was an international horse trials you are seeing.[/QUOTE]
Did the ongoing horse trials use some of the course that was in the movie?
Wellspotted, I think Steinkraus was the ultimate horseman. It seemed obvious that Oneal didn’t ride very well. The rider that was used for her was simply outstanding.
I really need to find the CD. I was there, in the pouring rain, for the cross country. They were filming, I had a huge plastic rain cape on. OMG how many years ago??!!!
I got the VHS and couldn’t force myself to watch more than the beginning even though I wanted to see the event. I don’t remember why I thought it was so bad then. Heaven only knows what happened to the VHS. Maybe I can stand the cheesy better now.
[QUOTE=Horseychick87;7883805]
I have it on DVD, I found it in a four movie set along with National Velvet, Seabiscuit (The one with Shirley Temple), and Black Beauty, got it for $3.21 at Sam’s Club.
Definitely cheesy, but not as bad as some of the other horse movies I’ve seen, like The Derby Stallion for instance…I can never get the time I wasted watching that movie back.[/QUOTE]
Oh, I found the winner for cheesiest, dumbest horse movie. It makes “The Derby Stallion” look like Citizen Kane. It’s called “Wildfire: The Arabian Heart”, and I would bet cash they filmed the ‘fair’ scenes at the amusement park by sneaking their cameras inside backpacks and buying regular tickets. Our second-grade production of “The Easter Rabbit” had better acting.
I have always loved this movie and am the first to admit that it is totally cheesy. I loved the music, the setting, and the storyline. There are some cringe worthy parts, but if you love horses, riding, and competition you need to watch it at least once in your lifetime.
[QUOTE=Paks;7884216]
Is it fact checking if you simply have a functional memory and like to see some consistency?[/QUOTE]
Ok the fact that the “pie” was a chestnut should be enough to put facts to bed…
The continuity issues from the original book are way above and beyond what is reasonable, but as a standalone horse movie it’s pretty good. The general footage, and the portrayal of eventing and what it meant to be part of a national team were decent for its era. Definitely worth watching on a stormy day for any horse person.
