''Pride of the Blue Grass'' is a 1939 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by William C. McGann and written by

Vincent Sherman Vincent Sherman (born Abraham Orovitz, July 16, 1906 – June 18, 2006) was an American director and actor who worked in Hollywood. His movies include ''Mr. Skeffington'' (1944), ''Nora Prentiss'' (1947), and '' The Young Philadelphians'' (1959). ...

. The film stars

Edith Fellows Edith Marilyn Fellows (May 20, 1923 – June 26, 2011) was an American actress who became a child star in the 1930s. Best known for playing orphans and street urchins, Fellows was an expressive actress with a good singing voice. She made her ...

, James McCallion,

Granville Bates Granville Bates (January 7, 1882 – July 8, 1940) was an American character actor and bit player, appearing in over ninety films. Biography Bates was born in Chicago in 1882 to Granville Bates, Sr., a developer and builder, and Adaline Bates ...

Aldrich Bowker Aldrich Bowker (January 1, 1875 – March 21, 1947) was an American stage and film actor. Biography Bowker was born in Ashby, Massachusetts. He graduated from Fitchburg High School. His debut came in Boston in a stage adaptation of ''The Ch ...

, Arthur Loft and

William Hopper William DeWolf Hopper Jr. (January 26, 1915 – March 6, 1970) was an American stage, film, and television actor. The only child of actor DeWolf Hopper and actress and Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper, he appeared in predominantly minor r ...

. The film was based on an actual 15-year-old blind horse, Elmer Gantry, who was co-billed as a star and played himself. Gantry was bought and trained as a show horse by wrangler Eleanor Getzendaner but became blind at the age of 13 following two years of experiencing periodic ophthalmia, after which she patiently trained him to jump. The film was released by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

on October 7, 1939.

Plot

When his father, a disreputable trainer of thoroughbred horses, is killed in a barn fire, young Danny Lowman is able to save the colt Gantry the Great. He gives the new colt to his friend Midge Griner, whose father Colonel Griner owns a stable. Years pass as Danny moves west and grows up. Frustrated in an attempt to become a jockey, Danny is accused of illegally activities similar to his late father's and faces jail until Midge vouches for him, persuading her dad to give Danny a job. He is reunited with the colt, which has been violently abused by trainer Dave Miller. The horse responds to Danny's presence in the saddle and begins winning races, saving the Griner stable, which had fallen on hard times. But its narrow defeat in the Kentucky Derby casts suspicion on Danny's effort. Later realizing that the horse has gone blind, possibly from Miller's harsh treatment, Danny and Midge still enter Gantry Jr. in a Grand National steeplechase race in England, where they are victorious and save the family farm.

Cast

as Midge Griner *James McCallion as Danny Lowman *

as Col. Bob Griner *

as Judge * Arthur Loft as Dave Miller *

as Joe *

Frankie Burke Frankie Burke (June 6, 1915 – April 7, 1983) was a Hollywood actor, best known for his appearance as a member of The East Side Kids. Early life Burke was born Frankie Vaselle and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. His name was changed whe ...

as Willie Hobson *Frederic Tozere as First Stranger *Edgar Edwards as Second Stranger *John Butler as Mack Lowman * Sam McDaniel as Domino Jones * Bernice Pilot as Beverly *Walter Fenner as Secretary to Board of Stewards *Raymond Brown as Sheriff Adams *

Lawrence Grant Percy Reginald Lawrence-Grant (30 October 1870 in Bournemouth, Hampshire, England – 19 February 1952 in Santa Barbara, California, USA) was an English actor known for supporting roles in films such as ''The Living Ghost'', '' I'll Tell ...

as Lord Shropshire

References

External links

* 1939 films Warner Bros. films American drama films 1939 drama films Films directed by William C. McGann American black-and-white films American horse racing films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films English-language drama films {{1930s-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links