Pride of the Bluegrass (Warner Bros.) (1939)

aca (Sports Page Story) Blind Horse Hero of New Racing Film Never in the history of motion pictures has there been a production with a more interesting actor in the main role than “Pride Of The Bluegrass,” the Warner Bros. picture coming to the Strand next Friday. For “Pride Of The Bluegrass” not only has a fine cast of human actors headed by two talented juveniles, Edith Fellows and James McCallion, but it also introduces to motion picture audiences an equine actor who is in his own way the greatest horse that has ever lived. This is Elmer Gantry, the 15-year-old blind horse which jumps steeplechase hurdles with complete disregard of the fact that he can’t see what he is asked to jump over. Frankly a vehicle designed to exhibit the talents of this remarkable horse, which has been a star performer for several years at fairs and horse shows, “Pride Of The Bluegrass” too has a finely human story which would provide engrossing entertainment in itself regardless of the identity of its equine performer. The screen play, an original by Vincent Sherman, intertwines the lives and fortunes of the horse and the two kids portrayed by» Edith and Jimmy. The story, so: far as the horse is concerned, contains incidents which are somewhat parallel to, the main events in the life of Elmer Gantry. The chief differences between fiction and actuality are in the experiences and motivations of the humans concerned in the tale and in the fact that while in real life Gantry is a show horse, in the film he is a race horse. The remarkable courage and will of the real horse remain, however, as the dominant theme of the story of the fictional horse. In the screen story, the heroic horse is also stricken blind and, despite this handicap, he responds so well to the training of a human he loves and trusts that he courageously goes out on a Mat 206—30c SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD Edith Fellows poses with Elmer Gantry, the famous blind exhibition horse, between scenes of “Pride Of The Bluegrass” the new Strand Theatre racing picture in which both are featured. (Review) “Pride Of The Bluegrass”’ Inspired By Blind Horse There have been many motion pictures in the past about horses, but there has never before been one so engrossing, so touching and so inspiring as “Pride Of The Bluegrass,” the Warner Bros. production which opened yesterday at the Strand. For the hero of “Pride Of The Bluegrass” is probably the most remarkable horse that ever lived. He is Elmer Gantry, the blind horse which can jump as surely and gracefully over steeplechase hurdles as any well trained hunter with keenest eyesight. The screen play by Vincent Sherman correlates the life of its equine hero to the humans with whom it comes into contact. The cast of human actors is ily increasing fame. In the story, young McCallion is the boy who owned, trained and rode Gantry to fame. Barred from the track when Gantry pulls up and losses the Kentucky Derby, McCallion discovers the horse has gone blind. However, with him on his back, Gantry will not only run with surefooted confidence but will even jump obstacles. It is then that the boy plots with his girl friend, Edith Fellows, to train the horse as a steeplechaser, ship the animal to England and run him in the Aintree Grand National. The production was directed by William McGann with an understanding hand for its senti PUBL Special Agent’s Mascot Appears on Sound Track If you notice the plaintive mewing of a cat throughout the stable scenes of Warner Bros. unique horse racing picture “Pride Of The Bluegrass,” which opens next Friday at the Strand featuring the fifteen-year-old blind horse, Elmer Gantry, know there was nothing the sound mixer or William McGann, the director, could do about it. At the famous Janss horse breeding establishment in Ventura County, Calif., where scenes were made, are stabled many famous horses. These highly nervous beauties have mascots which quiet their nerves. Top Row prances amidst a stall full of bantam chickens. Special Agent can’t get along without a cat which caused all the trouble. Gantry Won’t Be Operated The horse that a nation wants to see may never, himself, have sight. That difficult decision was reached recently by Miss Eleanor Getzendaner, youthful owner of the famous blind jumper, Elmer Gantry, after an examination by Dr. Lawrence Jost, noted eye specialist, revealed that the chance of restoring the 15-yearold animal’s sight by a transplanting operation was at least 100 to one on the side of failure. That was a gamble that Miss Getzendaner refused to take. “The pain and confusion attending such an operation with such a slight chance of success would be far from worth it, although I would give almost anything if Gantry could see,” she said at the Warner Bros. Studio, where the big bay animal was working at the time in “Pride Of The Bluegrass,” which is the current attraction at the Strand. “Such an operation without the reward of seeing again would undoubtedly destroy the confidence I have built up in the animal during the twelve years I have owned him,” she added. (Opening Day Story) Elmer Gantry Racing Film Opens Today Elmer Gantry, the famous blind horse who jumps steeplechase hurdles with all the courage and sureness of a welltrained and sure-sighted hunter, is the chief actor in “Pride Of The Bluegrass,” the Warner Bros. racing picture opening today at the Strand Theatre. There is also a fine cast of human performers, headed by Edith Fellows, James McCallion, Granville Bates, DeWolf Hopper and Frankie Burke. The picture, from an original screen play by Vincent Sherman and directed by William McGann, is not based upon the life of Gantry but it is about a fictional horse a great deal like the noted blind jumper. In real life, Gantry exhibits his talents mainly at fairs and horse shows. In the picture he is a race horse, first a flat racer and then a_steeplechaser, who is stricken blind and yet learns to respond so bravely and_ confidently to the voiced commands of his rider that he wins the world’s greatest steeplechase, the Grand National at Aintree, England. Interwoven with the story of the horse, there is also a moving tale about the humans whose lives touch his, particularly the story of the kid jockey and trainer played by young McCallion. Riding Gantry in the Kentucky Derby as the horse goes blind, Jimmy is banned from racing. But he trains him so that between them they can win a double vindication at the Aintree Grand National Steeplechase in England. Jimmy is the rider while Edith is his assistant. Edith Fellows on Set Has Seven Attendants It takes seven big girls to keep one little girl in front of a motion picture camera. In the background while race track and, guided solely by headed by two accomplished juvmental values as well as a lively “And with that loss of confidence peel oe eae +s instinct and the voice of his rider, _ enile players, Edith Fellows and whip for its exciting racing would go the many real pleas“Pride Of The Bl = aes wins one of the world’s greatest James McCallion, and it also insequences, ures he now enjoys.” vik oe =e dee ake races, the Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree, England. Jimmy is the horse’s rider while Edith is his assistant in training Gantry. Aside from the two youngsters, the cast of the picture also includes Granville Bates, Aldrich Bowker, Arthur Loft, DeWolf Hopper, Frankie Burke, Sam McDaniels and _ Bernice Pilot. The production was directed by William McGann. cludes Granville Bates, Aldrich Bowker and DeWolf Hopper. It is naturally, however, the courageous and intelligent horse which captures the major share of the audience’s interest for there is no trickery involved in the almost uncanny skill with which the blind animal displays on the screen the accomplishments which have for several years of exhibition at fairs and horse shows gained him a stead ay: Cast Midge Griner....Edith Fellows Danny Lowman Sam MeDaniels : ; : Nee ~ 40% James McCallion — Beverly .............. Bernice Pilot de by lightning, killing WARNER BROS. aie Col. Bob Griner Secretary to Board of Stewards ack, but Danny (James Pictures, Ine, Presents 9% Granville Bates Domino Jones Walter Fenner Owner to Show Gantry At Two World’s Fairs Miss Eleanor Getzendaner, owner of the famous blind jumping horse Elmer Gantry, featured in the Warner Bros. picture “Pride Of The Bluegrass,” which opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre, is arranging to exhibit him at the San Francisco and New York world fairs, SYNOPSIS The night that Mack Lowman’s mare foals the barn McCallion), his seventeenyear old son, escapes with the All of the cares and attentions that horsemanship knows are lavished on him. He has his own groom, Norman Finnell, who is with him almost every minute. And Gantry has a pal, a 17-yearold gray named Suicide, trained by Miss Getzendaner as a broad jumper. Suicide and Gantry always occupy adjoining stalls and paddocks and travel in the same car while en route from meets in various horse shows, Official Billing “PRIDE OF THE BLUEGRASS” Strand Theatre, were: Her guardian-grandmother. Her make-up woman. Her wardrobe woman. Her hairdresser. Her governess. Her personal maid. And the regular studio teacher, as required by the California education laws. Judge. -......5.2:.: Aldrich Bowker — Sheriff Adams : ; 3 Dave Miller.......... Arthur Loft Raymond Brown oe ee with 100% J0er Be ees DeWolf Hopper Lord Shropshire : 7g : Willie Hobson..Frankie Burke Lawrence Grant fee Poke HW: ner es ens EDITH FELLOWS — JAMES McCALLION 10% = ais me opm Tozere and pile Gurion . ae A ris and nd Stranger..Edgar Edwards Gantry the Great Pe ae : : 5 20 Mack Lowman......John Butler By Himself Ghee ee Aes ea GANTRY, THE BLIND HORSE 197% = Y fh a ~y a blow and pulls up and loses. e e A Production Stat Through misunderstandings Directed by Willi: McGanr 15% nis Pm as : i Danny is banned for a year. Pe ye ee eee ee irected by..William McGann Dialogue Director To recoup his and Gantry’s . ‘~ a Origa oe ee Harry Seymour honor he enters the Aintree Original Sereen Play by Vincent Sherman 3% Phos eka Film Editor......Frank DeWar Grand National Steeplechase. : ae : ‘Ted McCord, A.S.C. Gowns by........ Howard Shoup In such a setting the film an ‘ . races to an exciting close. A Warner Bros. Picture 3% Art Director, Stanley Fleischer Sound by.......... Lincoln Lyons Page Two Country of origin U. S. A. Copyright 1939 Vitagraph, Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright is waived to magazines and newspapers.