Kidskycom
It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.
Lidia Draper
Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
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.
mark.waltz
It ain't no day at the races for the daughter (Ann Dvorak) of a horse owner (Harry Carey) whose prized race horse has just given birth to a friendly colt. Dvorak takes it upon herself to train the horse for the future and in the process, forgets about the spirit of the race, focusing more on profit. Hopefully a visit home with dad and the still affectionate colt's visit with its own mother might bring Dvorak back to reality to see why she got into the sport in the first place.Dvorak's basically nice girl may be the star of the show but it is the performances of Carey as the wise papa and Hattie McDaniel as the lovable cook that stand out, in addition to the cute little pony. McDaniel stands out in light-hearted scenes that focus on the affections with her family, which includes the comedic Willie Best. The film is also a sweet reminder of how much many species of animals love the species of animal known as human beings, and how we sometimes exploit them.
sol
**SPOILER** With the Martin Farm colors or silks back on the racetrack it's only horse the hard running mare "Pepper Mary" ends up getting slammed into the rail during her race and barley surviving being put down when her injured leg ended up badly bruised instead of being broken.It's then that the the Martin Farm's owner Tom Martin, Harry Carey, young daughter Ruth, Ann Dvorak, decided to train "Pepper Mary's" yearling filly "Katydid" to follow in her mother foot, or huff, steps on the racetrack. As you would have expected "Katydid" was gotten into shape by Ann and entered into a maiden claiming race at Santa Anita that she easily won. What wasn't expected was that the victorious "Katydid" was claimed after the race by automobile tycoon Steven Wendel, Smith Ballew, from right under Ann's nose! Pleading to get "Katydid" back from Wendle Ann is given an option to train the two-year old for Wendel's stable for the remainder of her two year old, and into her three year old, campaign! Only under the condition that "Katydid" run only in races that she's certain to win as if certainty is something that's certain in horse racing! Sure shots like Man O' War Gallent Fox and War Admiral ended up losing races that they were sure to win so what makes Wendle think that "Katydid" no matter how good she is will be any different!Touching little racing movie based on the works of Damon Runyon's "All Scarlet" and J. Robert Bern & Norman Huston's "Odds are Even" that shows all the different and colorful characters, human as well as animal, involved in horse racing; That make it not only the Sport of Kings but the sport of the two dollar better as well. Feeling that "Katydid" has what it takes to be a champion Ann has the three year old filly pointed for the biggest race at Santa Anita against colts the "Big Cap" or the $100,000.00 Santa Anita Handicap.**SPOILERS*** It's "Katydid's" owner Steven Wendel who doesn't like to lose who feels that his fast closing filly is over her head in the race and refuses to run "Katydid" that cause Ann to quit her job as his stable's trainer. Ann still determined to run "Katydid" on her own even if she as to horse-nap her from Wendel! It's later that horse mysteriously disappears from her barn as her groom and hot-walker Mr. Brass, Willie Best, was asleep on the job. In the end it's non other then Wendel himself who knew where the filly was, she was horse-napped by his former trainer Gilbert (Hartland Tucker), and got a sudden change of heart that had Ann find out-through the horses groom Brass-where "Katydid" was and entered her, with only minutes remaining, into the big race.The predictable happy ending was only secondary to the reason that Ann entered the under dog, or under horse, "Katydid" into the "Big Cap" in the first place. Like her Dad Tom Martin always thought Ann it's not winning but not being afraid to lose that counts in both being a both great horse trainer as well as great racehorse.
bkoganbing
Making generous use of newsreel footage of racetracks of the era, Racing Lady is the story of a woman entering the man's world of race horse training. The pioneer in this case is Ann Dvorak who comes by her interest naturally being raised by small time owner Harry Carey. It's in her blood.Young and rich sportsman Smith Ballew claims Dvorak's horse, partly to get a winner, but also partly to gain her as a trainer. Dvorak and Ballew go through quite a rough patch before the film ends.Stepping into a role that would normally go to someone like Raymond Walburn is Berton Churchill, a foxy fellow owner and quite the sportsman himself. Churchill is probably best known to today's audience as the stuffy banker/embezzler who was a passenger on John Ford's Stagecoach, but in Racing Lady he goes against type and quite successfully.It's a B film without a terrible lot of production values, but Racing Lady is entertainment enough for those who follow the sport of kings.
boblipton
This one-hour feature from RKO, about how Ann Dvorak wants to revive father Harry Carey's racing stable but winds up following a filly after it's picked up in a claiming race, moves along at too fast a pace to be particularly engrossing. Even the large number of fine actors in supporting roles -- not only Carey, but Berton Churchill, Hattie McDaniel and WIllie Best, can't make this much of a picture. Carey's slow, honest pace of dialogue conflicts with the limits imposed by the short length of the film, and the other supporting actors are given almost no time to work in their roles.A movie only for fans of the actors involved.
