The success of "National Velvet" just a few years before brought a slew of movies about horse racing. If it wasn't fictional stories written by Damon Runyon or starring the Bowery Boys, it was real life hero horses with semi-fictional variations of Seabiscuit or Black Beauty or Dan Patch, the off-spring of the equally famous Joe Patch who became even more of a legend. This drama tells more of the owner's story, here played by Dennis O'Keefe.
A scientist by career, he becomes distracted from his promising career when his father bequeaths him the young colt he christens Dan and turns into the biggest champion of his day. This causes issues with his haughty wife (Ruth Warrick) and creates a bond with the sweet Gail Russell.
Charlotte Greenwood is wise and loving as O'Keefe's aunt. Warrick had already played several variations of the cold fishwife, and unlike her daytime role of matriarch Phoebe Tyler, this character lacks humor and the heart that Warrick instilled in the usually pompous queen of "All My Children". She has an amusing opening scene where she is being fitted into a dress with open windows at ground level, and keeps getting interrupted by intruders who stop by to tell her that her old beau, O'Keefe, has returned.
Rather slow moving and unremarkable, this is rather standard late '40s fare that was better served in the same year's " The Red Pony" which had the advantage of color photography. Russell adds some spirit as the sweet but earthy girl who helps bring O'Keefe out of his shadow as the husband of a character identical to Joan Crawford's Harriet Craig, complete with a racist attitude towards some farmhands she encounters much to her disgust. It is moments like that which really make you think, but I really wanted to see more of the horse. After all, he's the titled character, and he is basically supporting.
A scientist by career, he becomes distracted from his promising career when his father bequeaths him the young colt he christens Dan and turns into the biggest champion of his day. This causes issues with his haughty wife (Ruth Warrick) and creates a bond with the sweet Gail Russell.
Charlotte Greenwood is wise and loving as O'Keefe's aunt. Warrick had already played several variations of the cold fishwife, and unlike her daytime role of matriarch Phoebe Tyler, this character lacks humor and the heart that Warrick instilled in the usually pompous queen of "All My Children". She has an amusing opening scene where she is being fitted into a dress with open windows at ground level, and keeps getting interrupted by intruders who stop by to tell her that her old beau, O'Keefe, has returned.
Rather slow moving and unremarkable, this is rather standard late '40s fare that was better served in the same year's " The Red Pony" which had the advantage of color photography. Russell adds some spirit as the sweet but earthy girl who helps bring O'Keefe out of his shadow as the husband of a character identical to Joan Crawford's Harriet Craig, complete with a racist attitude towards some farmhands she encounters much to her disgust. It is moments like that which really make you think, but I really wanted to see more of the horse. After all, he's the titled character, and he is basically supporting.