Ride a Wild Pony is a 1975 American-Australian family adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions, directed by Don Chaffey and based on the novel A Sporting Proposition (1973) by James Aldridge.[4][5]
| Ride a Wild Pony | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Don Chaffey |
| Written by | Rosemary Anne Sisson |
| Based on | A Sporting Proposition by James Aldridge |
| Produced by | Jerome Courtland |
| Starring | Robert Bettles Eva Griffith Michael Craig |
| Cinematography | Jack Cardiff |
| Edited by | Mike Campbell |
| Music by | John Addison |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Distribution (US)[1] British Empire Films (Australia) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Countries | United States Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | AU$1 million[3] |
Plot
editSet in a small Australian town during the interwar period, the film follows the battle between two children, Scott, a poor farm boy, and Josie, the handicapped daughter of a wealthy ranch owner, for ownership of a horse that both children love.[6] Scott requires a horse to ride seven miles to school and his father buys an unbroken pony, which Scott names Taff. Josie yearns to ride again but, having been afflicted with polio two years before, must settle for using a cart and pony. Scott's pony disappears, while a pony is eventually selected for Josie from her father's herd. When Scott sees the horse, which Josie named Bo, performing in the pony and cart competition at the township fair, he recognizes it as his horse and attempts to take it away.[7] The ensuing quarrel affects both the children as well as dividing the town.[8] The children eventually become friends and, while the ownership issue is legally resolved, they agree on a way of sharing the pony between them.[6]
Cast
edit- Robert Bettles as Scott Pirie
- Eva Griffith as Josie Ellison
- Michael Craig as James Ellison
- John Meillon as Charles Quayle
- Andrew McFarlane as Doone Boyd
- Alfred Bell as Angus Pirie
- Roy Haddrick as J.C. Strapp
- Peter Gwynne as Sgt. Collins
- Melissa Jaffer as Mrs. Pirie
- Lorraine Bayly as Mrs. Ellison
- Wendy Playfair as Mrs. Quayle
- Kate Clarkson as Jeannie Quayle
- Jessica Noad as Miss Elsie
- Neva Carr Glyn as Miss Gwen
- Julieanne Newbould as Cathy Castle
- Gerry Duggan as Train Engineer
- Elizabeth Alexander as Miss Hildebrand (teacher)
- Aileen Britton as Susannah
- Wynn Roberts as McGinnis
- Kevin Manser
- John Fegan
- Martin Vaughan
Production
editAlthough based on an Australian story, the film was originally intended to be rewritten to fit an American setting, but the producer, Jerome Courtland, determined that an Australian background would not detract from the film's potential for success in the US. As a result, the film was not only set in Australia, but employed a largely Australian-based cast.[9]
Shooting began in October 1974 and mostly took place in the small town of Chiltern, Victoria.[10] There was also some filming in the small country town of Bingara, New South Wales, where some of the cast and crew, including John Meillon, stayed at the Imperial Hotel for around 3 months.[3] Several different Welsh mountain ponies were used in the film's production.[11]
Reception
editThe film opened on Christmas Day, 1975[2] at the Fine Arts theatre in Los Angeles and grossed $9,000 in its first week.[12]
In 1976, The New York Times criticized the film as a "fundamentally uneventful and somewhat padded story",[8] but a review for the film's video release in 1987 wrote that the film "was well acted, by adults, youngsters and pony...a film that children – and their parents – should certainly enjoy".[13] Also in 1976, The Blade wrote that the film "combines an intelligent script, a generally excellent cast, and good production values in a film with broad appeal".[6] The Daily Collegian also praised the film, saying that it contained "a refreshing amount of realism, and an emotional subtelty that is unusual for a Disney film".[14]
The film was released on VHS in April 1987.[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/55622
- ^ a b Ride a Wild Pony at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- ^ a b Andrew Pike and Ross Cooper, Australian Film 1900–1977: A Guide to Feature Film Production, Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998, p 296
- ^ "Ride a Wild Pony (1976)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
- ^ "Tale of a pony transforms a town". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 5 February 1975. p. 10. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ a b c Dresser, Norman (16 April 1976). "'Ride a Wild Pony' Is Appealing to All". Toldedo Blade. p. 16. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ Waxse, Bennett F. (April 21, 1976). "Justice Triumphs in 'Wild Pony'". The Milwaukee Journal. p. 72. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ a b "Screen: Newest Disney:'Ride a Wild Pony' at the Neighborhoods". The New York Times. July 17, 1976. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
- ^ "Insight with a boy and his pony". The Sydney Morning Herald. December 22, 1976. p. 16. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ Bone, Pamela (May 15, 1986). "Chiltern lives again – just for television". The Age. p. 37. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ Bennett, Colin (January 5, 1976). "No prizes if you can guess whodunnit". The Age. p. 2. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ "50 Top-Grossing Films". Variety. January 14, 1976. p. 9.
- ^ Rothstein, Mervyn (April 12, 1987). "Home Video: Children – Ride a Wild Pony". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ Charles, Larry (April 30, 1976). "Kids' film won't bore older folks". The Daily Collegian. p. 6. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ Mervyn Rothstein (April 12, 1987). "Home Video: Children". New York Times. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015.
External links
edit- Official website
- Ride a Wild Pony at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- Ride a Wild Pony at IMDb
- Ride a Wild Pony at the TCM Movie Database
- Ride a Wild Pony at AllMovie
- Ride a Wild Pony at Oz Movies