STALLION ROAD
US, 1947, 97 minutes, Black and white.
Ronald Reagan, Alexis Smith, Zachary Scott, Peggy Knudsen, Patti Brady, Harry Davenport, Frank Puglia.
Directed by James V. Kern.
Stallion Road is based on a novel by Stephen Longstreet who wrote the screenplay. It is a star vehicle for Ronald Reagan, generally a genial, even folksy, presence on screen as he is here as a vet in southern California. His leading lady is Alexis Smith, enjoying a rather relaxed role. Zachary Scott appears as a novelist who visits his old friend on the ranch, falls in love with Alexis Smith, does the decent thing in standing back.
There are various subplots in the life of the vet apart from his relationships. There is an outbreak of anthrax, he is involved in trying to develop some antidote for the disease, contracts it himself, and is injected with his antidote which is successful.
The film is geared to those who love seeing films about horses, the galloping horses, corralled horses, horses on the beach and in the water.
Patti Brady appears as Alexis Smith’s younger sister, Peggy Knudsen is the femme fatale married to the local banker who has set her cap at Reagan. Frank Puglia is sympathetic as a Mexican hand on the farm.
The director is James V. Kern, who made a number of feature films at this stage but spent a long career in television.
1. The appeal of the film? Folksy? Horses and ranches? The life of a vet? Romance?
2. The southern California settings, the ranch, the sea? The musical score? The cast – and their place at Warner Bros as contract artists in this period?
3. The focus on Stephen Purcell, his writing his novel, his dedication, his memories? His visit to the Stallion Road ranch? His long friendship with Larry? The city slicker, adapting to the ranch? Meeting Rory? In love with her? His helping around the farm, getting the doctor for the horses, his social life? His decision to leave, the situation with Rory, his staying? The possibility of marrying her? His doing the decent thing and leaving – and his writing the novel?
4. Larry, the vet, dedication to his work? Daisy and her pursuing him? Her husband and the need for money, the bank? His being called out for Rory’s horse? Meeting Rory and Chris? Becoming friends? Healing the horse? His own horse, the training, Daisy wanting to ride it in the steeplechase? His being at home with Rory, discussions? The fair, the race, the little child running onto the course, Rory falling? Her getting up? Succeeding? Daisy losing? The scenes with Daisy? The discussions with Stephen? The anthrax outbreak, his doing his best to discover the truth, the cattlemen? Rory and her message, her own horse being ill? Stephen’s explanation – insufficient? Her upset with Larry, the break-off? The discovery of the truth? His own illness, her keeping vigil? His work on the vaccine, her decision to inject him? His recovery? A future with Larry?
5. Larry and his scientific investigations, the anthrax situation, his contracting the disease? Possibly dying? Recovery?
6. Chris, a bright young girl? Love for the horse? Love for her sister, friends with Larry? Her grief at the death of the horse? Her interactions with Pelon’s son?
7. Pelon, genial man, his admiration for Larry, his sensible work about the ranch?
8. The fair, community life? The races? Ben Otis as the banker? Daisy leaving him? The farmhands, the cattlemen? The picture of life in southern California on the ranches in the 1940s?
