Black Beauty (1971 film)
| Black Beauty | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | James Hill |
| Produced by |
Peter L. Andrews Artur Brauner Malcolm B. Heyworth Executive producer: Peter Hahne Tony Tenser Harry Alan Towers (uncredited) |
| Written by |
Anna Sewell (novel) Wolf Mankowitz (screenplay) James Hill (additional dialogue) |
| Starring |
Walter Slezak Mark Lester Patrick Mower John Nettleton |
| Music by |
Lionel Bart John Cameron |
| Cinematography | Chris Menges |
| Edited by |
Ann Chegwidden Pablo González del Amo |
| Distributed by |
Tigon British Film Productions (UK Release) Paramount Pictures (USA Release) |
|
Release date
|
April 1971 |
|
Running time
|
106 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Black Beauty is a 1971 British drama film, based on the Anna Sewell novel of the same name. This movie is the fourth feature film adaptation of Anna Sewell's story. The movie was directed by James Hill. Lionel Bart provided the rousing score.
The film's cast includes Walter Slezak, Mark Lester, Uschi Glas, Patrick Mower and John Nettleton.
Black Beauty is a stallion who, as a foal in England c 1856, is befriended by a boy named Joe (the film was actually made in Ireland). He is stolen by a brutal squire, who also takes over Joe's family farm. After the squire is killed, he is acquired by gypsies, who then sell him to a Spanish circus.
In the circus, he learns many tricks before being given to Sir William, an arrogant British military man; and then is passed to Sir William's daughter Anne. Anne's fiancé is Lt Gervaise, a half French half English hussar officer whom Sir William accuses of being a coward and unworthy of his daughter's hand. When Gervaise volunteers for overseas active military service to prove his bravery his fiancé gives him Black Beauty as his steed.
Black Beauty then travels to the Northwest Frontier (scenes were shot in Spain) Gervaise is killed in battle (possibly based on the Russian presence in India and Afghanistan c1860), and the horse becomes known as a war horse through his bravery and willingness to charge.
Because of his bravery he is shipped back to England, but is then sold by Gervaise's comrade in arms, now a penniless and alcoholic army officer. The horse is used for hauling coal by another heartless owner, but acquires pneumonia. At his most sick, he is rescued by a friendly old woman who runs a farm for retired horses and her employee, some time after 1870. The employee turns out to be the boy named Joe whom Black Beauty knew when he was a foal, while the woman was Anna Sewell (author of the original Black Beauty book).
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Wikipedia