ThiefHott Too much of everything

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

edwagreen ..."When I think about the Moonlight on the Wabash, I'll think about my Indiana home." Remember Jane Froman singing that beautiful song? Well, you can just forget about the tune in this 1944 film. That being said, the musical score playing this song is about the best thing this dud of a film has to offer.Lon McAllister plays the troubled youth who comes to live with his Uncle and Aunt Bolt, played by Walter Brennan and Charlotte Greenwood. Greenwood has one very effective scene in the film when she describes to her nephew why Uncle Bolt is the way he is. It's all about the usual gripe and grudge he has against his former partner, played by Charles Dingle. Remember him 3 years before as Bette Davis's suspicious brother in "The Little Foxes?" Dingle is reduced to having little to do here. The plot in the film is weak and the script is even weaker. Jeanne Crain, in her supposed first mature film, comes off as if she is ready to join Mickey and Judy to create a show in the barn.The film deals with horse racing, something which was close to Walter Brennan's heart when he starred in his supporting Oscar winning performance 6 years before in "Kentucky."The disappointing end with the horse matches the film-one big disappointment. See June Haver, Mrs. Fred MacMurray, as the girl with designs on McCallister as well.

moonspinner55 Starched and scrubbed-clean family film has delinquent, orphaned teenager going to live with his aunt and uncle, ditching school to hang out at the next-door horse ranch and learn how to harness race. Lovely color photography, beautiful autumnal locales, and fine racing sequences bolster this thin drama, which seems to be in favor of cutting classes as long as you have a passion for something else! Dimply Lon McAllister is entirely too polite and green in the lead, though his friendships with neighboring sisters June Haver (the bombshell) and Jeanne Crain (the tomboy) are entertaining, and his devotion to the horses is well-portrayed. Some amusing characters and sequences, but it doesn't have the scope or depth of something like "National Velvet" (released the same year). This Henry Hathaway-directed effort is far more innocuous and minor, but still enjoyable, especially for equestrians. **1/2 from ****

charliet1951 The trivia section states that the racing scenes for this movie were shot in Fremont, Ohio. That may be true for the early scenes, but the final race in which Maudine IV races after going blind were shot in Marion, Ohio at the Marion County Fairgrounds. Although it has changed a lot in recent years, I spent many of my early years playing in the stands at the fairground and even rang the "call to the post" bell that is rung in the movie. My mother told us stories of seeing the stars of the movie at the fairgrounds when they were filming. One of the older guys I used to work with claimed he dated June Haver when they were in town. Even if I didn't believe him, I have no doubt that my mother was telling me the truth.The list of filming locations does credit Marion, as well as several other locations where harness racing was one of the main local pastimesI do enjoy the movie and try to catch it whenever it is on (generally on the FOX movie channel).

wgmcs6 I am old enough to have seen this movie first run. At the time I was blown away by this film because it had every thing in it any city kid would want to be able to do, which mostly was race horses and have a pretty girl interested in the same thing as a friend. Since this film was so important to me I feel compelled to correct an error in the cast listing by IMDb. Currently Jeanne Crain's character is listed as Char Bruce which is correct, but June Haver's character is listed as Cri-Cri Bruce which would make them sisters which they are not! Cri-Cri is the daughter of Godaw Boole, the owner of the horse farm where Char's father is the head trainer, soooooo Cri-Cri's last name should be Boole, not Bruce! I have no idea how this casting error crept into IMDb's data base, but as a movie fan interested in accuracy I'm requesting that IMDb correct this mistake. I know I am right in this because I've seen this film at least 20 times over the years and have read the book that the film is based on (The Phantom Filly).