Stormy, the Thoroughbred (1954) User Reviews

a movie not a documentary

[askmaryalice · 8/10 · 8 February 2013]

Even though the facts of this story have been edited to suit a story line , the movie did present the wonderful game of polo to a large audience that had never even heard of the game let alone see a match played.. Woody D was a great horse paired with a great player. I have tried for years to locate DVD or tape of the old Disney movies such as Stormy and Little Bay Lady. The people are gone, the horses are gone- the like of which we will never be see again. Now it seems the video record of them is also gone. Bay Lady is a reined bridle horse not a "reiner" the mess now seen in horse shows.- too bad you can't see what has been lost.

Disney's true life stories, this one a Stormy short.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 2 April 2023]

Animal activists protesting the use of horses to entertain humans can skip this one. They'll whiney throughout at the pleasant narration of George Fenneman describing the various ways horses are utilized in society and the many uses they serve. The TV airing of the docudrama later seen on "The Wonderful World of Disney" is a bit of publicity as Walt comes out and shows the use of horses in his own park, indicating how they are utilized and indicates how much they can pull. He gets a wee chuckle preparing to go sweep out the stable, indicating that he's "just a regular guy" in spite being able to run a multi-million dollar empire. Well, million at the time he filmed his bit.

For lovers of horses just interested in learning about the wonderful, majestic animal and not getting upset over presumed exploitation will find it interesting and educational to learn about the various breeds of horses, full and crossed, including the various names they use. There could be weeks of info on horse history and other important details, but a lot is pressed into the short 45 minutes which added on necessary shopping time for many a mom and dad after dropping the kiddies off. Adding on cartoons, previews and the feature could necessitate a good three hours, so the series of these extra long shorts are good memories for children of decades past, finding them years later. Fans of polo and other sports related events will also be interested. Stormy, by the way, is the unofficial star, getting the focus while other horses just make cameos.

I have a question

[mjc-9 · 10 November 2003]

The way this movie was presented makes one think it is a true story as the players are real life. However, it is a far cry from the truth. His own story was remarkable - why distort it? Carl Crawford bought the young horse in Texas (he was double registered as a Thoroughbred and also as a Quarter Horse) and was the sole trainer. He was the only stallion ever allowed to play in the Internationals on Long Island. There was not one word of mention of Carl Crawford. Bob Skene has nothing to do with the training. Woody D (Stormy) was a fully finished (trained) horse the first time Bob Skene ever set foot on him.