Black Beauty (1946)

Widower Squire Weldon (Charles Evans). trying to raise his motherless daughter, Anne (Mona Freeman) presents her with a colt, Black Beauty (Highland Dale), in the hope that by disciplining ... See full summary »

Director:

Max Nosseck

Writers:

Anna Sewell (based on a novel by), Lillie Hayward (screenplay),

Stars:

Mona Freeman, Richard Denning, Evelyn Ankers

Cast

Credited cast:
Mona Freeman	...	Anne Wendon
Richard Denning	...	Bill Dixon
Evelyn Ankers	...	Evelyn Carrington
Charles Evans	...	Squire Wendon
J.M. Kerrigan	...	John
Moyna MacGill	...	Mrs. Blake
Terry Kilburn	...	Joe
Tom Dillon	...	Skinner (as Thomas P. Dillon)
Arthur Space	...	Terry
John Burton	...	Dr. White
Olaf Hytten	...	Mr. Gordon
Leyland Hodgson	...	Auctioneer
Clifford Brooke	...	Veterinarian
Highland Dale	...	Black Beauty
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gypsy	...	Black Beauty

Storyline

Widower Squire Weldon (Charles Evans). trying to raise his motherless daughter, Anne (Mona Freeman) presents her with a colt, Black Beauty (Highland Dale), in the hope that by disciplining the horse, she may learn to discipline herself. Passing through Birtwick Farms, Bill Dixon (Richard Denning, a young American, arouses Anne's interest when he expresses his hope of finding a "Very beautiful young colt" when he returns to England in two years. When he returns, however, his attitude brings Anne to the realization that she is still considered a "child."

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Plot Keywords:

colt | discipline | daughter | present | american | 

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Taglines:

THE HEART-WARMING STORY OF A YOUNG GIRL AND HER HORSE...THE DANGERS THEY FACED...THE FUN THEY SHARED...THE LOVE THEY FELT FOR EACH OTHER! (original poster-all caps)

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 August 1946 (USA)

Also Known As:

Musta hurmuri

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (shot in color) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The horse playing Black Beauty, a stallion called Fury, was the highest paid animal star after Lassie the dog.

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Connections

Version of Black Beauty (1978)

User Reviews

Pleasant, but unspectacular family fare.

The title of this movie is misleading. It leads us to assume that we are going to see a film version of the classic novel by Anna Sewell. Not quite. The book and the movie have about two things in common. They both concern a horse and the horse's name in both the book and the movie is Black Beauty. But the similarities end there. This film focuses primarily on a sensually blossoming teenage girl(the impossibly perky Mona Freeman) who takes a romantic interest in the handsome young American(Richard Denning) who visits her father's farm in the English countryside. The pic then mostly concerns the problems the young girl has when she tries to get the man to notice her. Oh yes, our heroine just happens to have a black colt that she just happens to have named Black Beauty, but said horse doesn't figure too much in this version of the story. Don't get me wrong, there are some charming moments. Miss Freeman is an appealing heroine, and Dimitri Tiomkin's lively score helps immensely. The film was originally shot in black and white, but is most commonly available in a computer colorized version. This is one instance in which the colorization process does help because the striking cinematography is much easier to appreciate that way, and is the film's strongest asset.