The Story of Seabiscuit (1949)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

David Butler

Writer:

John Taintor Foote (writer)

Release Date:

12 November 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Plot:

Horse trainer Shawn O'Hara and his lovely niece, Margaret, come to America to escape the memory of an accident involving Margaret's brother...

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Kentucky | Jockey | Seabiscuit | Horse Trainer

Cast

Shirley Temple	...	Margaret O'Hara / Knowles
Barry Fitzgerald	...	Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer
Lon McCallister	...	Ted Knowles, Jockey
Rosemary DeCamp	...	Mrs. Charles S. Howard
Donald MacBride	...	George Carson, Head Trainer at Milford Farms
Pierre Watkin	...	Charles S. Howard, Seabiscuit's Owner
William Forrest	...	Thomas Milford, Owner Milford Farms
Joe Hernandez	...	Race Commentator
Hal J. Moore	...	Race Commentator (as Hal Moore)
Clem McCarthy	...	Race Commentator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sugarfoot Anderson	...	Walkin' Murphy, Milford's Boy (as 'Sugarfoot' Anderson)
Seabiscuit	...	Himself (archive footage)

Also Known As:

Pride of Kentucky (UK)

Runtime:

98 min | USA:93 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

France:U | Australia:PG | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Burns Ranch, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

In the close-ups, Seabiscuit was played by Sea Sovereign, his son.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Seabiscuit's pre-Charles S. Howard silks are shown as green and white. Before Howard bought him Wheatley Stables owned Seabiscuit. Their silks were golden yellow with purple sleeves and cap.

Quotes:

Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: Ted, I've just had news of a startling nature. George Woolf has signed to ride Heel Fly for the Circle F.
Ted Knowles, Jockey: No kidding?
Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: We're in a pickle. And there's only one way out.
[looking pointedly at Ted]
Ted Knowles, Jockey: That's a bad break. No, sir. Nothing doing. I'm going to be sitting up in the grand stand with my best girl by my side.
Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: Ted. Just a minute. Now, see here, lad. You brought this about. You'd no right to tell George you were definitely riding the Biscuit.
Ted Knowles, Jockey: Now, wait a minute ...
Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: Now, don't attempt to evade the situation. It rests squarely on your strong, young shoulders. Would you let Mr. Howard down? And through Mr. Howard me, your uncle-to-be? And through me, Margaret, the girl you love?
Ted Knowles, Jockey: Look who's talking. Who got me to give up riding? Who talked about food until I was starving to death?
Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: Aw, food is for pigs.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Muscle Up a Little Closer (1957)

Soundtrack:

My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night

A day at the races

"The Story of Seabiscuit", which was shown recently on TCM, is a film that is pleasant to sit through, but inferior to the much better "Seabiscuit" that came out on 2003, based on the magnificent book by Laura Hillenbrand and directed by Gary Ross. This 1949 movie was perhaps a vehicle for an adult Shirley Temple. As directed by David Butler, the film has some good moments.

The best thing in the movie is the irresistible Barry Fitzgerald. As Shawn O'Hara, he comes to America to work with horses at the Milford Farms. He arrives with his niece, Margaret. Shawn knows a lot about horses and he spots Seabiscuit right away. His love for the horse puts him at odds with George, the head trainer. Since Seabiscuit doesn't show anything at the beginning and Shawn's health seems to deteriorate, Shawn and Margaret decide to go on to California to work with the Howards, a couple that appreciate Shawn's advice.

Among the recommendations Shawn tells the Howards, is to buy Seabiscuit from Mr. Milford for the sum of six thousand dollars. After Shawn resumes training the horse, and with the help of Ted Knowles, the jockey, Seabiscuit begins to respond and win. Seabiscuit was a legend in the sport.

The story is conventional, but totally watchable by the presence of Barry Fitzgerald. He steals every scene in which he appears. Shirley Temple is not believable with her Irish accent, but she is a sweet figure in the story. Lon McCallister, playing Ted, is fine. Rosemarie DeCamp is an elegant figure who doesn't get much to do.

The film doesn't attempt to be anything but a semi documentary about Seabiscuit and its trainer and the relationship between them. Horse race fans will have a good time with the film thanks to Mr. Fitzgerald's contribution.