''Dark Horse'' is a 1992 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 David Hemmings. The screenplay by Janet Maclean was adapted from an original story by

Tab Hunter Tab Hunter (born Arthur Andrew Kelm; July 11, 1931 – July 8, 2018) was an American actor, singer, film producer, and author. Known for his blond, clean-cut good looks, Hunter starred in more than forty films. He was a Hollywood heartthrob of t ...

, who also co-produced and played a supporting role.

Plot

The plot focuses on new-girl-in-town Allison Mills, a teenager whose mother recently died. When she hangs out with the wrong crowd, she gets into trouble and is sentenced to

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...

at a local stable. There she comes to love spending time with the animals until an automobile accident disables her and her favorite horse Jet. The

wheelchair A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...

-using girl learns to overcome her handicap through the indomitable spirit of the

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million yea ...

, who overcomes the odds and runs again.

Principal cast

* Ed Begley Jr. as Jack Mills *

Mimi Rogers Miriam Rogers (née Spickler; born January 27, 1956) is an American actress. Her notable film roles are '' Gung Ho'' (1986), '' Someone to Watch Over Me'' (1987), ''Desperate Hours'' (1990), and '' Full Body Massage'' (1995). She garnered the gre ...

as Dr. Susan Hadley *

Ari Meyers Ari Meyers (born April 6, 1969) is an American former actress. She played the role of Emma Jane McArdle in the television series '' Kate & Allie'' (1984). Early years Meyers (birth name: Ariadne Meyer) was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Jewi ...

as Allison Mills * Donovan Leitch as J.B. Hadley *

Samantha Eggar Victoria Louise Samantha Marie Elizabeth Therese Eggar (born 5 March 1939) is a retired British-American actress. After beginning her career in Shakespearean theatre she rose to fame for her performance in William Wyler's thriller '' The Collec ...

as Mrs. Curtis *

Natasha Gregson Wagner Natasha Gregson Wagner ( Gregson; born September 29, 1970) is an American actress. She is the daughter of film producer Richard Gregson and actress Natalie Wood. She has appeared in films including '' Lost Highway'' (1997), ''Two Girls and a Guy ...

as Martha *

as Perkins *

Tisha Sterling Patricia Ann "Tisha" Sterling (born December 10, 1944) is a retired American actress. She is the only daughter of actor Robert Sterling and actress Ann Sothern. Life and career Sterling was born in Los Angeles, California. Her parents divorced ...

as Officer Ross

Production notes

This film was the second project brought to the screen (the first being ''

Lust in the Dust ''Lust in the Dust'' is a 1985 Western comedy film starring Tab Hunter, Divine, Cesar Romero, and Lainie Kazan, and directed by Paul Bartel. Plot Dance-hall girl Rosie Velez, lost in the desert, is helped to safety by gunman Abel Wood. In the ...

'') by Glaser/Hunter Productions, owned by Tab Hunter and his

life partner The term significant other (SO) has different uses in psychology and in colloquial language. Colloquially, "significant other" is used as a gender-neutral term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming ...

Allan Glaser. Hunter, an avid horse rider and owner, was inspired for his story by an Arabian horse that was used as a

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...

in the 1979 film ''

The Black Stallion The Black Stallion, known as the Black or Shêtân, is the title character from author Walter Farley's bestselling series about the Arab stallion and his young owner, Alec Ramsay. The series chronicles the story of a Sheikh's prized stallion a ...

''. After breaking his leg, the animal spent a full year recuperating in a sling. Although he never walked properly again, when set loose he could run with no problem. Director Hemmings insisted on shooting in his home base of Sun Valley, Idaho, where he was surrounded by an entourage offering strong support. He drank heavily during filming, and often was barely functional at the end of the day. Producer Allan Glaser tolerated his erratic and boorish behavior only because the dailies were so good. The film was shown at the 1992

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

and received positive reviews. It was released theatrically on July 17, 1992.Film profile at ''Variety''
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References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0104054, title=Dark Horse 1992 films Films about horses 1992 drama films American drama films 1990s English-language films Films directed by David Hemmings 1990s American films Films about disability