Reviews

Sarah Cannon was my aunt's sister. I only met her once, at my aunt's funeral. I knew she was a legend but was too young to really appreciate her legacy even though I knew she was truly the queen of country music. I really enjoyed this documentary and it helped fill in some of the areas that I have since learned about the depth and breadth of her career and character. My only regret is that the documentary failed to mention how much she did to include such great black country musicians as Charlie Pride etc. She faced a lot of resistance to her stand on breaking the color barrier but never backed down. Without her leadership and advocacy, it might have been years later before Charlie Pride could have taken the stage at the Ryman Auditorium. I will never forget the few seconds that I had when she introduced herself to me. My first cousin, Dudley West was briefly interviewed in this film. He knew her and her entire family intimately and I was very glad that his insight was included.

As someone who has grown up on a Kentucky horse farm and who has been to racetracks all over the world, it was very gratifying to hear that someone with as much talent as David Milch was going to take on the genre in a T V series. It doesn't hurt that he has experienced some of the highest highs and lowest lows that racing can offer since he has owned a racing stable for over 20 years. Everyone in the thoroughbred racing and breeding world knew that the stories are out there just waiting to be told. Just look at how successful Dick Francis was with his string of best selling racing related mysteries. The problem has always been, how do the stories get told without being terribly corny, like "Secretariat"? The temptation has always been to "dumb down" the dialogue to appeal to a broader group of non racing savvy viewers. Milch has taken a big chance by just going straight ahead without trying to pander to his audience. In the end, there is a chance that people will be turned off by the backstretch patois that only aficionados can translate. I hope that the intensity of the story line and beauty of the settings will draw viewers in as Milch has so successfully done with shows like "Deadwood" and "NYPD Blue". It's especially gratifying to see Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens and upcoming Canadian jockey Chantal Sutherland get a chance to showcase their acting abilities and if I know Milch's style, Stevens will end up with a very intriguing role, at least based on his character in the first two episodes. LUCK has been picked up for a second season as of today 1/31/12) which can only serve to give the show the chance to succeed that it so richly deserves.

Corny? Sure. Dated? A big part of this movie's charm. Of course, the fact that this was Harlow's last movie makes it worth watching for this reason alone but the fascinating repartee between Gable and her throughout the film is hugely entertaining. For racing fans, the scenes of old Hialeah and Saratoga race tracks shows the days when having a bet on a horse race was the only legal way to gamble. In those days, next to baseball, horse racing was the most popular sport in America and the scenes of huge crowds are a testimonial to that fact. In fact, this movie is a chronicle of American sporting history and unlike the recent horse racing films, "Seabiscuit" and "Secretariat", it is able to show the real glory of horse racing and the elite who were able to own and breed these most noble of animals.

As someone who drove past the " Narcotic Farm" almost daily for many years, it was fascinating to find out what really went on there. "The Farm" has been the subject of many local rumors and stories ever since it opened back in the '30's. Many of those have either been confirmed or put to rest with the release of this well made and fascinating documentary. The rise and fall of The Narcotic Farm or "Narco" as it was locally known, makes for some fascinating viewing, not by locals alone but by anyone who may be interested in tracing part of the medical and legal communities' failed efforts to win the "Drug War". The film recounts story after story of addicts who get clean and relapse. To many, "Narco" was their last best chance to break the cycle. Unfortunately, the research community there never came up with an effective treatment program and instead veered off into research directed toward behavior modification through manipulation with narcotics. This eventually led to Congressional hearings and the total shut down of the program.