|
National
Velvet
|
Movie
| Book
| Author
| Director
& cast
|
Book: National Velvet (1935)
Movie: National Velvet (1944)
Premise
movie:
"Although National Velvet was the first starring role
for 11-year-old Elizabeth Taylor, the early part of the film belongs
to Mickey Rooney in the showier role of Mike Taylor, a headstrong
English ex-jockey. Soured on life by a serious accident, Mike plans
to steal from the country family that has taken him in, but his
resolve is weakened by the kindness of young Velvet (Taylor). The
two find a common bond in their love of horses. Velvet wins
an "unbreakable" horse in a raffle, and enters the animal in the
Grand National Sweepstakes. Though Mike is unable to ride the horse,
he aids Velvet in her plan to disguise herself as a jockey; she wins
the race...but the story isn't over quite yet. Costarring as
Velvet's mother is Anne Revere, who won a Best Supporting Actress
Oscar for her performance Based on the novel by Enid
Bagnold, National Velvet has been a child classic for over 50 years."
from:
http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html
?v_id=34594
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Premise
book:
"The timeless story of spirited Velvet Brown and her
beloved horse has thrilled generations of readers. And now the
republication of this classic story in a fresh, up-to-date package
will charm confirmed fans while captivating new ones. Fourteen-year-old Velvet is determined to turn her untamed horse into a champion
and personally ride him to victory in the world's greatest
steeplechase, the Grand National."
from:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-
/0899663591/104-3762916-4746367?v=glance
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Author:
"Enid Bagnold, the daughter of the Commander of the Royal
Engineers, was born in Rochester, Kent in 1889. Her early childhood
was spent in Jamaica but was educated in England and Switzerland.
In 1908 Bagnold began attending Walter Sicket's School of Art. She
developed a talent for etching and while in London became friends
with Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, Katherine Mansfield and John Middleton
Murry. On the outbreak of the First World War Bagnold joined the Voluntary
Aid Detachments (VADs) and worked as a nurse at the Royal Herbert
Hospital, Woolwich. Her account of this experience, Diary Without
Dates (1917) was so critical of hospital administration that the
military authorities arranged for her dismissal. Determined to help
the war effort, Bagnold went to France and worked as a volunteer
driver. Later she wrote about this in The Happy Foreigner (1920).
In 1920 Bagnold married the head of Reuters News Agency, Sir
Roderick Jones. Bagnold continued to write and in 1924 published the
highly acclaimed novel, The Difficulty of Getting Married. This was
followed by the commercially successful, National Velvet (1935).
Other novels included The Squire (1937) and The Loved and Envied
(1951). Bagnold also wrote several popular plays including Lottie Dundass
(1943), The Chalk Garden (1951), The Chinese Prime Minister (1964),
and a Matter of Gravity (1975). Enid Bagnold died in 1981. "
from:
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Wbagnold.htm
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Director:
Clarence Brown
Cast:
Mickey Rooney (Mi Taylor), Donald Crisp (Mr. Brown), Elizabeth
Taylor (Velvet Brown), Anne Revere (Mrs. Brown), Angela Lansbury
(Edwina Brown), Jackie Jenkins (Donald Brown), Juanita Quigley
(Malvolia Brown), Arthur Treacher (Race Patron) and others.
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