My Friend Flicka *** (1943, Roddy McDowall, Preston Foster, Rita Johnson, James Bell, Jeff Corey, Diana Hale) – Classic Movie Review 3463

Director Harold Schuster’s very pleasing 1943 family feature is based on the novel Mary O’Hara and features a lovely performance by Roddy ­McDowall, aged 15. The Technicolor shots of the Rockies farm lands are another huge asset, in gorgeous  colour cinematography by Dewey Wrigley.

McDowall stars as young Ken McLaughlin who persuades his rancher dad Rob (Preston Foster) to give him a colt who is the product of a mad mare. The father is upset at the boy’s choice at first, but all’s well when Roddy trains the colt into a fine animal.

Also in the cast are Rita Johnson as Nell McLaughlin, James Bell as Gus, Jeff Corey as Tim Murphy, Diana (Patti) Hale as Hildy, Arthur Loft and Jimmy Aubrey.

The screenplay is by Lillie Hayward and Francis Edward Faragoh did the adaptation of the novel.

Flicka is Swedish for ‘girl’.

Sequels: Thunderhead – Son of Flicka (1945) and Green Green Grass of Wyoming (1948).

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3483

Link to Derek Winnert’s home page for more reviews: http://derekwinnert.com/