Memorable, crazy movie

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

A jaded former jockey (Mickey Rooney) helps a young girl (Elizabeth Taylor) prepare a wild but gifted horse for England's Grand National Sweepstakes.An 18-year-old Gene Tierney, who was then appearing on Broadway, was offered the role of Velvet Brown in 1939. Production was delayed, however, so Tierney returned to Broadway. Much of the film was shot in Pebble Beach, California, with the most-scenic views on the Pebble Beach Golf Links (with golf holes visible in the background).Elizabeth Taylor was cast in Tierney's place, and it is interesting to note in retrospect that Taylor is by far the bigger star (with all due respect to Tierney). Allegedly, Taylor was given "The Pie" as a birthday gift after filming was over. Good for her. Her spirit and optimism really made this film. Although not necessarily my kind of movie, she played her role perfectly.

Velvet Brown (Elizabeth Taylor) lives in the small town of Sewels in Sussex, England with her parents, two sisters and a little brother. She's horse obsessed. She befriends poor drifter Mi Taylor (Mickey Rooney) who has come to town after finding Mrs. Brown's address among his late father's belongings. They run across an escaped horse and Velvet names him Pie. Mrs. Brown takes Mi in and gets him a job. His father coached Mrs. Brown for her English Channel swim but she doesn't tell him at first. Mi was once a jockey but he hates horses now after an incident. He notices the height that Pie can jump. After yet another escape attempt, Mr. Edes is forced to pay and puts up Pie for raffle. Velvet wins and ends up riding him. This is a fun sentimental family movie. Liz Taylor is wide-eyed, plucky and adorable. Mickey Rooney is compelling. The horse race is exciting and action-packed even though it is an obvious double on the horse. It's such an old-fashioned heart-warming thrilling underdog movie.

National Velvet Owning a horse is basically comprised of feeding one end and cleaning up the other. However, the relationship between pony and person in this drama is much more involved than shoveling equine scat.After winning a lively colt in a raffle, the equally spirited Velvet (Elizabeth Taylor) begins breaking-in her beast for a national steeplechase.With a former jockey Mi (Mickey Rooney), Velvet and her steed, dubbed The Pi, perfect their steeple leaping performance.But when the jockey hired to ride The Pi at the Grand National backs out, it's up to Mi to put away his past and get back in the saddle - or is it?With Sussex, England serving as the pastoral setting of this girl-meets-horse tale, National Velvet is as much a visual treat as a narrative one.Unfortunately, when your horse can jump over fences and ditches, your corral has to be, like, 20-feet tall. (Green Light)vidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

when i was growing up, little girls always seemed to have a thing for horses. when i was in a lot of girl's rooms i usually saw horses on the shelves along with dolls. i reasoned that horses were kind of a girl thing. considering a friend of mine has a daughter that just talked her boyfriend of limited income into shelling out for a thousand dollar horse for her birthday last month, i'd have to say it still seems to be.i dunno. ever since i saw 'Equus', i've never looked at horse stories in quite the same way. but i try not to let the sordidness of 'Equus' taint my enjoyment of something benign and innocent like this. funny. Richard Burton was in the film version of 'Equus'.'National Velvet' is a great film for kids if not a little basic and narrow in it's intended message. success and winning are everything. can't say i totally agree, but a little triumph in life gives us satisfaction and helps us to feel human. there is a lot of pontification here but nothing of any real spiritual value. the mother herself even states she often has faith in winning horses and money over the troubles caused by her fellow mankind. understandable, but a little cold.the best thing by far in this movie is the performance by Elizabeth Taylor. this is quite a performance for a young person. it's hardly surprising she became a great interpreter of stage and of Shakespeare. Taylor was truly a remarkable actress if not a little messed up as person.Taylor's performance in this movie is a important focal point for this film because of it's message of female and child empowerment. i think that's the true message of success for me with this film. it attempts to inspire all to win. but it's strongest message really goes out to young woman and girls and hopes to empower them with life and capability.