This is a movie I bet you'll either love or hate--depending on if you adore horse films. I don't want to seem like a heartless jerk, but I am not a fan of this sort of film and found this slow going--and a waste of Zachary Scott.
I assume Ronald Reagan must have loved this assignment from Warner Brothers--after all, he was an avid horseman and must have loved a film where they pay him to ride about. However, it was NOT a plum assignment for Alexis Smith, as two other actresses already refused the role--presumably because this was such a light-weight film. Why they also chose to cast Zachary Scott as Reagan's friend and rival in love, however, really perplexed me. Scott was in his element as a sleazy jerk--a role he played very well in Hollywood. But here, in what is ostensibly a family film, he and his oily good looks just seemed oddly out of place--especially in such a prosaic character.
The film begins with Scott coming to the countryside to visit his old school chum, Reagan. Reagan is now a renowned horse doctor and expert on infectious diseases and Scott, well, knows nothing about this and just seems a bit lost. When Alexis Smith shows up, both men are smitten---but soon it's obvious she wants Reagan. But, when disaster strikes Smith's ranch and Reagan is too busy putting down a serious cattle infection, her love quickly fizzles...and Smith grabs Scott on the rebound. Is there any hope for our fickle would-be lovers? Does anyone care? This is a ho-hum film that will delight horse lovers but bore others to death--and I am in the latter group. Despite some good acting by Reagan, the script is simply limp and he and the rest of the cast are beside themselves trying to get something out of the script...ANYTHING. Ordinary and a bit dull.
I assume Ronald Reagan must have loved this assignment from Warner Brothers--after all, he was an avid horseman and must have loved a film where they pay him to ride about. However, it was NOT a plum assignment for Alexis Smith, as two other actresses already refused the role--presumably because this was such a light-weight film. Why they also chose to cast Zachary Scott as Reagan's friend and rival in love, however, really perplexed me. Scott was in his element as a sleazy jerk--a role he played very well in Hollywood. But here, in what is ostensibly a family film, he and his oily good looks just seemed oddly out of place--especially in such a prosaic character.
The film begins with Scott coming to the countryside to visit his old school chum, Reagan. Reagan is now a renowned horse doctor and expert on infectious diseases and Scott, well, knows nothing about this and just seems a bit lost. When Alexis Smith shows up, both men are smitten---but soon it's obvious she wants Reagan. But, when disaster strikes Smith's ranch and Reagan is too busy putting down a serious cattle infection, her love quickly fizzles...and Smith grabs Scott on the rebound. Is there any hope for our fickle would-be lovers? Does anyone care? This is a ho-hum film that will delight horse lovers but bore others to death--and I am in the latter group. Despite some good acting by Reagan, the script is simply limp and he and the rest of the cast are beside themselves trying to get something out of the script...ANYTHING. Ordinary and a bit dull.