The Lady's from Kentucky (1939) User Reviews

George plays the horses

[ROCKY-19 · 7/10 · 25 June 2007]

A struggling bookie calls in his last chance, an IOU for half-interest in a 2-year-old thoroughbred. The other half, of course, is owned by the title character, who fights his overly ambitious plans for the colt while quickly falling for his disarming ways. The only real reason to watch "The Lady's From Kentucky" is George Raft. He had about three screen personas in his career, most famously the soft-talking gangster, but this peppy part is the real Raft. He's completely in his element among the gambling joints and horse players. His blithe comfort makes this frivolous romantic comedy an easy watch. Unfortunately, Raft (and the horses) upstage everyone else, at least the white folks. Ellen Drew leaves little impression at all (except amateur emoting in a couple of scenes). Hugh Herbert becomes tiresome, and ZaSu Pitts is instantly and constantly annoying. The horses show far more engaging personalities. In fact, Raft's relationship with the colt is more endearing than the forced romance. There's more humor in personality than in the set-up comedy of the movie, and that can be chalked up to Raft -- whether giving blood for money, crawling under a house after a piglet or cozying up submissively to an old groom. There is little in common here with the running of a real horse farm, but that's business, and business does not fit Hollywood plots. Director Alexander Hall shoots all of the horse scenes well, and the races get brief, zippy coverage. But guaranteed you'll get sick of hearing "Camp Town Races" in almost every scene.

The horses run the race and steal your heart.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 6 July 2022]

When gambler George Raft received 50% ownership of an aging racehorse, he wants to get it to run in the Kentucky Derby but comes up against partner Ellen Drew who doesn't want the horse to run again. Raft won't listen to anyone and lets it run anyway which results in great strain on the aging horse's heart. The horse also has a growing foal, and allows a newborn orphan to nurse off of it as well, a truly adorable scene where the older foal intrudes. I fell in love with the horses more than I did the romance but growing between Raft and Drew, something that animals always do in the movies unintentionally.

In the supporting cast there's Hugh Herbert moving away from the wacky personality that he had in all those Warner Brothers musicals, Zasu Pitts (with a southern accent), the soft voiced but tough maid (Louise Beavers), wise Lew Payton as a veteran stable hand and Jimmy Bristow as he adorable little black boy anxiously awaiting the arrival of the newborn horse. Definitely something that forced racing fans will enjoy, I found it just a simple and loving little valentine to the love of horses whether they are racing animals or not. Competent direction by Alexander Hall, but not particularly exciting.