| National Velvet | |
|---|---|
 original film poster |
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| Directed by | Clarence Brown |
| Produced by | Pandro S. Berman |
| Written by | Helen Deutsch Enid Bagnold (book) |
| Starring | Elizabeth Taylor Mickey Rooney Donald Crisp Anne Revere Angela Lansbury Reginald Owen Terry Kilburn |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Running time | 123 min. Clarence Brown ( May 10, 1890 &ndash August 17, 1987) was an American Film director. Pandro Samuel Berman ( March 28, 1905 &ndash July 13, 1996) known as Pandro S Helen Deutsch ( 21 March 1906 - 15 March 1992) was an American Screenwriter, journalist and songwriter Enid Bagnold Lady Jones, CBE ( 27 October 1889 &ndash 31 March 1981) known by her maiden name as Enid Algerine Bagnold Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE (born 27 February 1932) is a two-time Academy Award -winning English-American actress Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr; September 23, 1920) is an American Film Actor and Entertainer whose Donald George Crisp ( July 27, 1882 &ndash May 25, 1974) was an Academy Award winning English film Actor Anne Revere ( June 25 1903 &ndash December 18 1990) was an Academy Award - and Tony Award -winning American Angela Brigid Lansbury, CBE (born October 16, 1925) is an English Golden Globe Award and Tony Award winning Actress Reginald Owen, or John Reginald Owen, ( August 5, 1887 &ndash November 5, 1972) was an English Character actor Terry Kilburn (born November 25 1926) is an English former Child actor. |
| Language | English |
| Followed by | International Velvet. |
| IMDb profile | |
National Velvet is a 1944 film based on the novel by Enid Bagnold, first published in 1935. The year 1944 in film involved some significant events Events July 20 - Since You Went Away is released National Velvet is a Novel by Enid Bagnold (1889 - 1981 first published in 1935 Enid Bagnold Lady Jones, CBE ( 27 October 1889 &ndash 31 March 1981) known by her maiden name as Enid Algerine Bagnold Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It stars a very young Elizabeth Taylor (who had appeared previously in the first film about a collie dog, titled Lassie Come Home, which was released in 1943). Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE (born 27 February 1932) is a two-time Academy Award -winning English-American actress Lassie Come Home ( 1943) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Feature film starring Roddy McDowall and canine actor Pal in a story
In 1978, a sequel entitled International Velvet was made, starring Tatum O'Neal. International Velvet is a 1978 dramatic film It was a sequel to the 1944 classic National Velvet. Tatum Beatrice O'Neal (born November 5, 1963 in Los Angeles California) is an Academy Award -winning American actress best
In 2003, National Velvet was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The National Film Registry is the registry of Films selected by the United States National Film Preservation Board for preservation in the Library of The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress
Contents |
Plot
National Velvet is the story of a girl, Velvet Brown, played by Elizabeth Taylor, who saves a horse from the knacker's yard and trains it for the Grand National steeplechase, aided by her father's hired hand, a young drifter played by Mickey Rooney. The Grand National is the most valuable National Hunt horse race in the world The steeplechase is a form of Horse racing (primarily conducted in the United Kingdom, United States, France, and Ireland) and derives The fictional horse which Velvet Brown trained and rode in the National is called "The Pie". The horse ( Equus caballus) is a hoofed ( Ungulate) Mammal, one of eight living species of the family Equidae. However, when she discovers that the Latvian jockey hired to ride the Pie doesn't believe he can win, she disguises herself as a male jockey and rides the horse to victory herself. Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. In Sport, a jockey is one who rides Horses in Horse racing or steeplechase racing primarily as a profession
Production notes
The following are some aspects about the film production:
- The film rights for the novel were originally bought by RKO Radio Pictures in 1937 but the intended star, Katharine Hepburn, became "box-office poison" after Bringing Up Baby flopped. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12 1907 – June 29 2003 was an American actress of film television and stage Bringing Up Baby is a 1938 Screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
- An eighteen year old Gene Tierney was appearing on broadway and was offered the role by MGM, but when production was delayed, Tierney signed with 20th Century Fox. Gene Tierney ( November 19, 1920 – November 6, 1991) was an American film and stage actress.
- After filming, Elizabeth Taylor intended to keep the horse.
- While the film takes place in 1930s Britain, the Grand National race was filmed at a Los Angeles racetrack. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West This can be evidenced by the power poles visible in the background during the race, which are of a design typical of Los Angeles, not Britain.
Cast
- Elizabeth Taylor as Velvet Brown
- Mickey Rooney as Mi Taylor
- Donald Crisp as Mr. Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE (born 27 February 1932) is a two-time Academy Award -winning English-American actress Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr; September 23, 1920) is an American Film Actor and Entertainer whose Donald George Crisp ( July 27, 1882 &ndash May 25, 1974) was an Academy Award winning English film Actor Herbert Brown
- Anne Revere as Mrs. Anne Revere ( June 25 1903 &ndash December 18 1990) was an Academy Award - and Tony Award -winning American Araminty Brown
- Angela Lansbury as Edwina Brown
- Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins as Donald Brown
- Juanita Quigley as Malvolia "Mally" Brown
- Arthur Treacher as Race Patron
- Reginald Owen as Farmer Ede
- Norma Varden as Miss Sims
- Terry Kilburn as Ted
- Arthur Shields as Mr. Angela Brigid Lansbury, CBE (born October 16, 1925) is an English Golden Globe Award and Tony Award winning Actress Arthur Veary Treacher ( July 23 1894 &ndash December 14 1975) was an English actor born in Brighton, East Sussex Reginald Owen, or John Reginald Owen, ( August 5, 1887 &ndash November 5, 1972) was an English Character actor Norma Varden ( 20 January 1898 - 19 January 1989) was an English actress with a long film career in Hollywood. Terry Kilburn (born November 25 1926) is an English former Child actor. Hallam
- Aubrey Mather as Entry Official
- Alec Craig as Tim
- Eugene Loring as Ivan Taski
Academy Awards
National Velvet won two Oscars in 1945:
Wins:
- Best Supporting Actress - Anne Revere
- Best Film Editing - Robert J. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS The Academy Award for Film Editing was first given for films issued in 1934 Kern
Nominations:
- Best Director - Clarence Brown
- Best Art Direction (color) - (Art Direction) Cedric Gibbons and Urie McCleary; (Interior Decoration) Edwin B. Willis and Mildred Griffiths
- Best Cinematography - Leonard Smith
Other adaptations
- From 1960 to 1962 there was a television series based on the book which aired on NBC. The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing (Best Director is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. Austin Cedric Gibbons, ( March 23 1893 &ndash July 26, 1960) was an Irish American Art director who was one of the most Edwin Booth Willis ( 28 January 1893 &ndash 26 November 1963) was an award-winning motion picture set designer and decorator The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a Cinematographer for work in one particular Motion picture. Leonard Phillip Smith (born September 2, 1960 in New Orleans, Louisiana) was an American football Defensive back who played National Velvet was a 1960 television series starring Lori Martin as Velvet Brown who lives on a dairy farm The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's
- In 2003 a film version was made for television.