Black Beauty (1971)

Director:

James Hill

Writers:

Anna Sewell (novel)
Wolf Mankowitz (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

April 1971 (UK)

Genre:

Family | Drama

Tagline:

The Immortal Classic - Filmed in Ireland and Spain

Plot:

When farm Evan's mare has a fine son, he promises the black stallion to his son Joe. The youngster enjoy growing up as playmates...

Plot Keywords:

Stallion | Black Stallion | Abuse | Animal | Journey

Cast

Mark Lester	...	Joe Evans
Walter Slezak	...	Hackenschmidt
Peter Lee Lawrence	...	Gervaise
Uschi Glas	...	Marie Hackenschmidt (as Ursula Glas)
Patrick Mower	...	Sam Greener
John Nettleton	...	Sir William
Maria Rohm	...	Lady Anne
Eddie Golden	...	Evans
Clive Geraghty	...	Roger
John Hoey	...	Muldoon (as Johnny Hoey)
Patrick Gardiner	...	O'Flaherty
Brian McGrath	...	Mark Beauchamp
Ronan Smith	...	Farmboy
John Franklyn	...	Coalman
Margaret Lacey	...	Anna Sewell
Fernando Bilbao	...	Mungo
Vicente Rola	...	Flying Fred
José Nieto	...	Lorent, rival circus owner
Eucilio Rodríguez	...	Horse dealer
Daniel Martín	...	Lieutenant
Luis Induni	...	Sergeant
Ricardo Palacios	...	Russian general
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
José Canalejas	...	Gate Sergant [Spanish prints] (uncredited)
Cris Huerta	...	The Commissioner [Spanish prints] (uncredited)
Ott	...	Black Beauty (uncredited)

Directed by
James Hill

Writing credits
Anna Sewell		(novel)
Wolf Mankowitz		(screenplay)
James Hill		(additional dialogue)
Artur Brauner		German version (as Art Bernd)
Pedro Samu		Spanish version

Produced by
Peter L. Andrews	....	producer
Artur Brauner	....	producer
Peter Hahne	....	executive producer
Malcolm Heyworth	....	producer (as Malcolm B. Heyworth)
Tony Tenser	....	executive producer
Primitivo Álvaro	....	producer: Spanish prints
Harry Alan Towers	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Fernando Arribas		(director of photography: Spanish prints)
Chris Menges		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ann Chegwidden
Pablo G. del Amo

Production Design by
Adolfo Cofiño

Art Direction by
Hazel Peiser

Costume Design by
Maruja Galindo
Claudia Hahne-Herberg

Makeup Department
Stella Bowen	....	makeup artist
Jeanette Freeman	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Ron Jackson	....	production manager
Primitivo Álvaro	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stuart Freeman	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Paul Carr	....	sound mixer
Max Galinsky	....	sound
Christopher Lancaster	....	dubbing editor (as Chris Lancaster)
Vernon Messenger	....	dubbing editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Hans Bürmann	....	camera operator: second unit [Spanish prints]
Patrick Carey	....	camera operator: second unit
Godfrey A. Godar	....	camera operator (as Godfrey Godar)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eileen Long	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Lionel Bart	....	composer: theme music
John Cameron	....	composer: additional music
John Cameron	....	music arranger
John Cameron	....	musical director

Other crew
Isabel Mulá	....	continuity (as Isabel Mula)
Bill Westley	....	location manager
Robert Davenport	....	horse trainer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Tigon British Film Productions
• Chilton Films
• CCC Filmkunst (European prints)
• Emiliano Piedra (European prints) (as Emiliano Piedra P.C.)

Distributors

• Cinerama Filmgesellschaft MBH (1971) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Tigon British Film Productions (1971) (UK) (theatrical)
• Fabulous Films (1999) (UK) (VHS)
• Odeon Entertainment (2012) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Pictures
• Prism Leisure Corporation (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

UK | Spain

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:G | Finland:S (cut) | Finland:K-12 (uncut) | West Germany:6 | UK:PG | Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Tigon British Film Productions

Trivia:

Top billed Mark Lester only worked three weeks.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet: A Home from Home (#2.5)" (1986)

Not From the Horse's Mouth

Back when there were no computers, long hours when there was often "nothing on" television worth watching (still true, by the way) made you search the library to look for some interesting books to read. My mother had Anna Sewell's "Black Beauty" on the shelf, but it didn't appeal to someone more interested in Tolkien and Twain. Horses were fun to ride, but could you do that in a book? Teenage boredom finally forced open the pages of "Black Beauty", and the horse was out of the barn. The story was immediately captivating because Ms. Sewell creates a wonderful animal character, and tells the story from the horse's point-of-view.

And, you believed it.

Now, you don't. In this adaptation, the all-important personality of the horse "Black Beauty" is almost non-existent, and the story is altered extensively - it really only vaguely resembles the original novel. Paramount filmmakers might have tried a "narration" to evoke some of the original's "first person" narrative, but they didn't. The animal's personality could still come through (as it does with "Lassie" and other animals), but it doesn't. So, we are left with a human protagonist, cute Mark Lester (as Joe Evans), who doesn't seem all that engaged in the role, and doesn't horse around for long. Chris Menges' photography is quite nice, though.

***** Black Beauty (4/71) James Hill ~ Mark Lester, Patrick Mower, Uschi Glas, Peter Lee Lawrence