Kentucky Pride

This article is about the silent film. For the bourbon whiskey, see Kentucky Bourbon Distillers.
Kentucky Pride
Directed by John Ford
Produced by William Fox
Written by Dorothy Yost
Elizabeth Pickett (titles)
Starring Henry B. Walthall
Gertrude Astor
Peaches Jackson
Cinematography George Schneiderman
Distributed by Fox Film Corporation
Release dates
  • September 6, 1925 (1925-09-06)
Running time
 70 minutes
Country United States
Language Silent

Kentucky Pride is a 1925 American silent drama film from Fox Film about the life of a horse breeder and racer, directed by the famed film director John Ford and starring Henry B. Walthall (who had previously played the Little Colonel in D. W. Griffith's controversial 1915 film The Birth of a Nation).[1] It is among Ford's lesser-known works, but has been praised for sweetness and charm and its beautiful depiction of the life of horses and the relationship between the protagonist and his daughter.[2] Several well-known thoroughbred racehorses appear in the film, including the legendary Man o' War.[1][3]

Plot

The plot concerns Beaumont, a horse breeder with a penchant for gambling, who is down on his luck.[1] After losing at poker and being forced to give up several of his horses to cover his losses, Beaumont bets it all and loses again when his horse, Virginia's Future, suddenly falls and breaks a leg while leading the pack in a critical race.[1][2] Beaumont's selfish wife tells the horse's trainer, Mike Donovan, to kill the injured horse, and abandons Beaumont for Greve Carter, a well-to-do neighbor. Beaumont also loses his relationship with Virginia,[1] his daughter from his previous marriage. Beaumont and Donovan manage to save Virginia's Future, and she births a colt[1] (or a filly[2]) named Confederacy, but his financial troubles force him to sell off both the colt and the mare. Confederacy is mistreated by his new owner, a foreign junk dealer, and Virginia's Future is forced into hard labor as a pack horse. But when Confederacy is later entered to run in the Futurity, ridden by Mike Donovan's son Danny,[1][2] Beaumont gathers everything he can and bets it all again. This time he wins. He is reunited with his daughter and buys back the colt, giving it a good life in the pasture.[1][2]

Critical reviews

The New York Times failed to review the film at the time of its release.[2] In later critical commentary, Joseph McBride said the film has "unexpected sweetness and charm", and Shigehiko Hasumi praised it for its beautiful depiction of the life of horses and the relationship between the protagonist and his daughter.[2] Scott Eyman said "Kentucky Pride remains a shameless – shamelessly effective – film".[2]

Film archive

A print of the film exists at the Museum of Modern Art film archive.[3][4]

Cast

The cast included the following actors

Several notable horses appeared in the film, including[3]

Other credits

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Wollstein, Hans J., "Kentucky Pride (1925)", Rovi, New York Times web site. Accessed January 9, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hasumi, Shigehiko, Touching the Glossy Coat of a Horse – John Ford's Kentucky Pride", International Federation of Film Critics web site, 2009. Accessed January 9, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "Kentucky Pride" at Silentera.com.
  4. ↑ "Kentucky Pride". American Silent Feature Film Survival Database. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
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