Black Beauty ** (1933, Esther Ralston, Alexander Kirkland, Hale Hamilton, Gavin Gordon, Don Alvarado, and George Walsh) – Classic Movie Review 11,817

After two silent versions in 1907 and 1921, director Phil Rosen’s 1933 black and white film Black Beauty is the first sound film of the beloved Anna Sewell children’s classic, written in 1877, about a champion horse mistreated by its new owners and ending up as junk man (George Walsh)’s dray horse till rescued by original owner, widow Leila Lambert (Esther Ralston).

It stars Esther Ralston, Alexander Kirkland, Hale Hamilton, Gavin Gordon, Don Alvarado, and George Walsh.

The 1933 Black Beauty is a rather basic and perfunctory version of the famous horse tale is short, humble and cost-conscious, made by Chadwick Pictures and released by Monogram Pictures. But it is briskly paced, reasonably well acted and not too sentimental. The setting is moved from Victorian Britain to a plantation in Virginia.

It is followed by director Max Nosseck’s 1946 film Black Beauty, the 1971 Black Beauty with Mark Lester, and Caroline Thompson’s 1994 film Black Beauty.

At the time of this film in 1933, Anna Sewell’s 1877 book had sold three million copies, but by 1971, the year of the Mark Lester film, it had achieved more than six million sales.

The cast are Esther Ralston as Leila Lambert, Alexander Kirkland as Henry Cameron, Gavin Gordon as Captain Jordan, Hale Hamilton as Harlan Bledsoe, Don Alvarado as Renaldo, George Walsh as Junk Man, Theodore Lorch as the vet Bledsoe, John Larkin as Eph, Eddie Fetherston as Reporter, Al Bridge as Hack Driver, and Bruce Covington as Doctor.

Black Beauty is directed by Phil Rosen, runs 70 minutes, is made by Chadwick Pictures, is released by Monogram Pictures, is written by Charles A Logue, is shot in black and white by Charles J Stumar, is produced by I E Chadwick.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,817

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