Lon McCallister and Jeanne Crain |
"If you'd been a boy we'd have been the greatest pals!"
Orphaned "Sparke" Thornton (Lon McCallister), who got into some unspecified trouble in the big city, comes to live on his aunt and uncle's farm in Indiana. His first impulse is to run out the back door but then he discovers there's a stables and track -- and two pretty girls -- next door. His Uncle "Thunder" Bolt (Walter Brennan) himself has only one old and blind filly left, but Sparke contrives to secretly mate this animal with the neighbor's prize stallion, resulting in a possibly champion racing horse. It isn't long before Sparke, with the help of Thunder, "Char" (Jeanne Crain) and the more glamorous "Cri-Cri" (June Haver) -- not to mention stable boy Mo' (Willie Best) and employee Tuppy (George Reed) -- is off to the races!
Charlotte Greenwood with McCallister |
Verdict: Horse lovers will get more of a kick out of this. **1/2.
2 comments:
Good cast. I only remember McCallister opposite Haver in Scudda Hoo. Have never seen him do anything else that I can remember. Jeanne Crain was beautiful but don't recall any standout role I should remember her from.
-Chris
McCallister did too many films with horses so unless one adored the animals they probably didn't get to know him too well. Too ad as he was attractive and talented. Crain's best roles were in "Letter to Three Wives" and playing a black gal in "Pinky," among others. Mankiewicz always derided her talent but I think he was unfair. More likely she just didn't "play ball" with him, if you know what I mean.
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