National Velvet (1944)

A jaded former jockey helps a young girl prepare a wild but gifted horse for England's Grand National Sweepstakes.

Director:

Clarence Brown

Writers:

Enid Bagnold (novel), Theodore Reeves (screen play)

Stars:

Mickey Rooney, Elizabeth Taylor, Donald Crisp

Won 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mickey Rooney	...	Mi Taylor
Donald Crisp	...	Mr. Brown
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Velvet Brown
Anne Revere	...	Mrs. Brown
Angela Lansbury	...	Edwina Brown
Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins	...	Donald Brown (as Jackie Jenkins)
Juanita Quigley	...	Malvolia Brown
Arthur Treacher	...	Race Patron
Reginald Owen	...	Farmer Ede
Norma Varden	...	Miss Sims
Terry Kilburn	...	Ted
Arthur Shields	...	Mr. Hallam
Aubrey Mather	...	Entry Official
Alec Craig	...	Tim
Eugene Loring	...	I. Taski

Storyline

Mi Taylor (Mickey Rooney) was a young wanderer and opportunist whose father had given him "all the roads in the Kingdom" to travel. One of the roads, and a notation in his father's journal, leads him to the quiet English countryside home of the Brown family. The youngest daughter, Velvet (Dame Elizabeth Taylor), has a passion for horses and when she wins the spirited steed Pie in a town lottery, Mi is encouraged to train the horse for the Grand National - England's greatest racing event.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | horse | england | jockey | teenage girl | 

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Taglines:

Simple Story Of A Boy . . . A Girl . . . And A Horse! Set to the thunder of the Grand National Steeplechase!

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Genres:

Drama | Family | Sport

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 January 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

National Velvet

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite this movie's locale, no attempt was made by the cast to employ English accents. In fact, Anne Revere's Academy Award-winning performance as wise and unflappable Mrs. Brown was so entrancing that neither audiences nor critics pointed out that it was rendered with a pronounced New York accent.

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Goofs

The story takes place in the late-1920s, and the Browns pay the entry fee with "100 gold sovereigns" which ceased to be used as money in England in 1918. However, this is consistent with a detail from the novel, in which Mrs Brown insists the entry fee be paid with the sovereigns she won swimming the English Channel, which occurred prior to 1918.

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Quotes

Velvet Brown: Who's been in my box?
Donald Brown: Me.
Edwina Brown: [correcting him] "I."
Donald Brown: You, too?

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Crazy Credits

A frame, with music, was added to the film at the end: "To families of servicemen and women: Pictures exhibited in this theater are given to the armed forces for showing in combat areas around the world. [signed] War Activities Committee/Motion Picture Industry"

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Connections

Referenced in Lions Love (... and Lies) (1969)

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Soundtracks

Sumer Is Icumen In
(uncredited)
Traditional English folk song

User Reviews

Revisiting a film after 50 years

During the 13 years of schooling I had from Kindergarten through high school, there was only one day that my class took a field trip. When I went to school, you went to school, from 8:30 until 3:30 and filed trips were not taken. But, for some reason I could not recall at this advanced age, we went to see a movie - National Velvet. I do not recall the movie, so, on the eve of my 57th year, I decided to revisit it.

It is a movie about a time that no longer exists. A time when people trusted others and didn't lock their houses. A time when people were given the benefit of the doubt. It was a time when family was the most important thing. This film shows all of that and more. It shows love and trust and caring and the goodness of people.

It would not be a bad thing for every family to view this film once in a while and discuss its message.

It was a treat to see the young Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney at his best, the Academy Award-winning performance of Anne Revere, Angela Lansbury before Murder, She Wrote, and Donald Crisp, who performed for almost sixty years.

What a movie!