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

The racetrack used for the race scene in 1977 was Fort Erie Racetrack. Fans were asked to come to the filming dressed in old-fashioned clothing.

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Goofs

When Alec is being rescued in the lifeboat and calls the horse, he first shouts "Black!" with his mouth moving accordingly, then "Come on!" without any articulation.

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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

Featured in These Amazing Shadows (2011)

User Reviews

Beautiful

I watched this movie tonight for the first time in 15 years and was surprised to realize it could bring tears to my eyes after such a long time - grown up, adult tears. The TV copy was bad with a noisy soundtrack and cloudy images but the beauty of its cinematography seems to be stronger than time, amazingly new and powerful. The island scenes are pure poetry... so delicate is Carroll Ballard's way of catching the rising love between boy and horse - love shining out from innocence. Music is sublime, touching like the most poignant and fragile themes from Erik Satie's.

Many interpretations can be given to "The Black Stallion". To me -who saw it again after losing a friend in tragic circumstances- it is a beautiful and hopeful tale about death. Alec meets the Black -figure of death, wild and unpredictable- the night of his father's passing away and the world falls apart -the boat sinks into flames and cold water. The Black saves Alec, waking up then on a pale morning, alone on a lonely island made of black stone, translucent waters and white, dry sand. Then begins mutual taming between wild animal and young boy. How long will they observe each other, how long does it take for the Black to run gently besides Alec and for Alec to stand by the Black's tall silhouette? It feels like a few hours in this timeless land, but it could be a lifetime.

Then fear is gone, so are individuals - are they not one, running in suspended waters between sky and dust? Desire exists no longer... what do they want, but each other? If the horse is Death then Death is a friend, Death is peace and love and the abolition of time. And dreams are real just like the Black is real against Alec's hands, while in Alec's hands is clutched the unmoving and lifeless figure of a black horse given by his father on the night of his death.

Suddenly comes back the world of men, and horse and boy return to Life, witch is limits and rules and time. Yet when death has been tamed and accepted, frontiers don't matter anymore, and Alec makes peacefully his way into the world, growing along with the beautiful friendship connecting him to his horse. Together, horse and boy, they will prove that boundaries can be broken between man and animal, between dreams and reality.

Moving.

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