The Black Stallion (1979)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Carroll Ballard

Writers:

Melissa Mathison (screenplay) &
Jeanne Rosenberg (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 October 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Sport

Plot:

While traveling with his father, young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion that...

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Training | Loss Of Father | Single Mother | Barn

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

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
Doghmi Larbi	...	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

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

USA:G (certificate #25828) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:K-8 | Peru:PT | Sweden:11 | UK:U | West Germany:6 | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Omni Zoetrope

Trivia:

The black model horse seen in Alec's bedroom is a Breyer Animal Creations Foundation Stallion #64, produced for 11 years starting in 1977 and retired in 1987.

Goofs:

Continuity: Cyclone, the gray racehorse, changes from a soft pale gray, to a dappled gray, to a very dark gray with a white tail throughout the match race.

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.

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers (2006) (TV)

Amazing movie

I was so afraid to see this movie. The Black Stallion books defined my life until I was about 14 years old, if not longer (they have always continued in my memory). I read every single book that Mr. Farley wrote, most of them many times over, and I knew every character intimately - how they looked, how they talked, everything about them. And The Black - I know exactly how The Black looked and acted. So - when this movie was announced, 23 years ago, I refused to see it. I could not risk having all of my childhood memories shattered in the course of a 2 hour movie. But recently, in a discussion of favorite movies, a friend mentioned this movie as her favorite. Immediately, I was interested. So, nervously, I rented the movie, and settled in to watch it. My heart started pounding as the opening credits rolled - I was almost breathless waiting for it to start. All I can say is, now that I have seen it, I hate myself for waiting so long. Every detail of the book is captured perfectly, as if Mr. Copolla, Ms. Mathason, et al managed to film all of the images in my head and pour them onto the screen. The cinematography is astonishing, the score is beyond compare as to how well it fits with what is happening on screen. These are the technical details of the film - what is impossible to describe is just how closely this work captures the original book. There is no whiz-bang gadgetry, or special effects, although some young ones may find the shipwreck sequence to be frightening. It is a beautiful story, told masterfully.