The Black Stallion (1979)

A boy encounters a horse and bonds with him, later training him to race.

Director:

Carroll Ballard

Writers:

Melissa Mathison (screenplay), Jeanne Rosenberg (screenplay)

Stars:

Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney, Teri Garr

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kelly Reno	...	Alec Ramsey
Mickey Rooney	...	Henry Dailey
Teri Garr	...	Alec's Mother
Clarence Muse	...	Snoe
Hoyt Axton	...	Alec's Father
Michael Higgins	...	Neville
Ed McNamara	...	Jake
Larbi Doghmi	...	Arab (as Dogmi Larbi)
John Burton	...	Jockey #1
John Buchanan	...	Jockey #2
Kristen Vigard	...	Becky
Fausto Tozzi	...	Rescue Captain
John Karlsen	...	Archeologist (as John Karlson)
Leopoldo Trieste	...	Priest
Frank Cousins	...	African Chieftain

Storyline

While traveling with his father, young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion who is brought on board and stabled in the ship he is sailing on. When it tragically sinks both he and the horse survive only to be stranded on a desert island. He befriends it, so when finally rescued, both return to his home where they soon meet Henry Dailey, a once-successful trainer. Together they begin training the stallion to race against the fastest horses in the world.

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Plot Keywords:

black horse | horse | boy horse relationship | shipwreck | castaway | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Sport

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

None of the equine doubles liked being in the water, so horses were brought in from the lagoons of Camargue in France for the underwater shots of the Black swimming in the sea. Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel recalled in an interview that the swimming horses "had pot bellies and incredibly ugly faces." But when they "came into the water and started swimming, they looked unbelievably graceful. They were the ugliest animals you've ever seen, but underwater...they were like Nijinsky." The crew nicknamed these horses Pete and Repete because of the numerous takes required to get the appropriate underwater footage.

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Goofs

The blanket can be seen in Mother's hand while she is thanking horse after she has already put it on Alex.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Alec Ramsey: Dad... you know what I saw? It's the most fantastic thing... come look!
Mr. Ramsey: [to the other poker players] My son.
Mr. Ramsey: Hey! Look, son, I'll tell you, I'm really busy, but... I'll tell you what I do need. I need some good luck.

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Alternate Versions

The 1994 VHS and 1997 DVD releases plaster the 1976 United Artists logo with the 1987 United Artists logo.

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Connections

Referenced in Hangin' with Hoyt on the Set of 'Gremlins' (2014)

User Reviews

Beautiful beyond words

This movie is a feast for the eyes with an ending that has you on the edge of your seat. It is really two movies in one. The first movie is all about a boy and a horse shipwreaked on an island and how they learn to survive by helping each other. The second movie is about how Alex saves the horse and gives it a purpose in the world with the help of Mickey Rooney. The photography and story are very strong and help make this movie a visual delight with a minimum of dialog. Isn't that what movies are all about?

Details

Official Sites:

Black Stallion, Inc. MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English Arabic Italian

Release Date:

17 October 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Black Stallion

Filming Locations:

Liberty Theater - 1203 Commercial Street, Astoria, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,700,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$37,799,643

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$37,799,643

Company Credits

Production Co:

Omni Zoetrope

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1