After recently viewing the Academy Award-nominated The Yearling, it would appear that Hollywood had a fascination with heart-tugging tales portraying the bonds between young children and their animal companions. It was only a couple of years prior in 1944 that MGM had made the Technicolor sports drama National Velvet as brought to life by director Clarence Brown (Anna Karenina). This spirited feature was based on the 1935 book of the same name by Enid Bagnold, and it featured an adolescent Elizabeth Taylor (Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?) in one of her earliest breakout performances. While this was a coming-of-age tale about a girl and her horse, this family film was a hit amongst audiences of all ages at both the box office and in the awards race, ultimately securing five Academy Award nominations. Even when viewed through a modern lens, the film holds up as a story with an admirable message and weighty themes that are tackled with a deft touch. The film is over 75 years old and still provides ample thrills and touching moments.
Our story begins with the arrival of Michael “Mi” Taylor (Mickey Rooney, Breakfast At Tiffany’s) to the small town of Sewels in Sussex, England. Mi is a former jockey who abandoned his career after a catastrophic accident destroyed the love of horses he once had. Without a bit of money to his name, he has traveled to this town after finding the name and address of a woman amongst his late father’s possessions. As he makes his way into the town, he crosses the path of 12-year-old Velvet Brown (Elizabeth Taylor), a girl crazy about horses who is marveling over a rambunctious gelding who is soon to come into her possession through a series of circumstances. Conveniently, Mi is in town to see her mother, Mrs. Brown (Anne Revere, A Place In The Sun), and eventually gets hired on by her father (Donald Crisp, Jezebel) at the behest of his wife. There is some mystery behind the relationship between Mrs. Brown and Mi’s father, but Mi soon becomes very close with the family.
One of the most admirable aspects of this story is how it positions the women from a position of power. There are some of the tropes that seep through, but overall there are some notable messages about not letting your limitations hold you back. For instance, Mrs. Brown is a respected woman in her town for swimming the English Channel as a younger woman when most said it was next to impossible. She has proven people wrong in the past which makes her uniquely suited to understand and support Velvet when she wants to train her dream horse, Pie, to race in the Grand National. One of the best scenes in the film is the discussion she has with Velvet about not giving up when people tried to make her doubt herself. This is very likely the scene that won Revere the award for Best Supporting Actress. It makes narrative sense when, facing her own obstacles near the finale, Velvet decides to race Pie herself in defiance of every rule. No one has the bond with Pie that she has, and she feels she needs to be the person to take him on this journey.
While the majority of this film is the drama that arises within the family and in town, Brown directs this tale to a thrilling conclusion that will have you gripping your seat. The race at the Grand Nation features thirty hurdle jumps which these real-life horses take to varying degrees of success. We are not really sure if we want to know how these scenes were filmed, but in the moment you will not be able to take your eyes off the screen. This is not the real conclusion, though. As is displayed consistently throughout the feature, the humanity of the journey is more important than the action-packed thrills. The movie tackles complex themes surrounding the value of doing something for monetary gain versus doing it for the sake of accomplishment. The nuance of these details could have easily been overlooked if it were not for the impressive performances from the entire ensemble. Taylor showed signs of what a magnificent performer she would become, but all of the older actors featured here deliver the right touch of emotion to this tale. National Velvet is a really engaging family film which tackles complex themes and emotions while never sacrificing entertainment value.
Video Quality
Warner Archive presents National Velvet with a spectacular new 1080p master transfer sourced from a 4K scan of the original Technicolor negatives. Warner Archive has continuously knocked it out of the park lately with eye-popping Technicolor films debuting on Blu-Ray, and we could not be happier about it. The level of detail and clarity is stunning with the appropriate amount of natural film grain intact. The film features some fabulous colors within the landscapes and lighting that pop off the screen with an immense vibrancy. The black levels are incredibly deep with an impressive stability throughout. The film appears to be entirely free of dirt and damage, which makes this classic tale feel that much more engrossing.There does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such issues. This presentation serves as a 5-star effort from Warner Archive.
Audio Quality
Warner Archive has delivered a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio presentation that is simply wonderful. Dialogue is the driving force of this film, and it comes through clearly from beginning to end. The track balances vocals with the environmental sounds with magnificent clarity. Even in the most active moments such as the intense race scene near the end, there are no moments where the track ever appears as if it will fail to maintain its stability. When it comes to the music in this feature, the track is in rare form with its handling of the different core elements. The buoyant score from Herbert Stothart feels almost like another character in the film and it comes through flawlessly with remarkable fidelity. Warner Archive has provided a flawless audio presentation that does not exhibit any glaring signs of age-related wear-and-tear. The disc also comes with optional English (SDH) subtitles.
Special Features
- Theatrical Trailer: The nearly three-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
National Velvet is a rousing drama that showcases what it means to not give up in the face of adversity. The performances from young Elizabeth Taylor and the rest of the talented ensemble really brings an immense amount of depth to the material to create something really special. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a top-tier A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. If you want a thrilling and emotional film suitable for the entire family, this one is well worth your time. Recommended
National Velvet can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
