Miracle of White Stallions [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

After seeing this film on the cinema many years ago,and recently receiving a dvd from the very stables in Austria, I was delighted to have this dvd of the film. It arriived fairly quickly and I am very pleased with it. Actually it follows the history of the white horses very closely--a dedicated film to be recommended to all the family young and old.

The Spanish Riding School of Vienna has been around for hundreds of years, but was nearly lost in WW2 when the Lipizzaner breeding herd was separated from the stud farm of Piber and moved into Czechoslovakia, and then faced with possible destruction at the hands of the Russians.

Alois Podhajsky, the Director of the school, made a bold request of the Americans, especially General Patton who himself had ridden in the 1912 Olympics, to save the horses. Patton appreciated the tradition of the Spanish Riding School and was able to effect the rescue of the breeding mares along with allied prisoners of war, effectively saving the Lipizzaners and the tradition of the School.

This Disney movie was made in 1963 and has some of the typical Disney characteristics of the time such as blunting the visual depiction of violence and war, but beyond the technical shortcomings, the movie accurately captures the desperate situation facing those who would save a longstanding tradition bound in living beings -- both the horses and the riders -- and how many individuals through both minor and grand gestures worked toward a common cause and saved an institution.

Some Interesting 'Backstage' Information: The main character, Colonel Alois Podhajsky, is a bronze medal winner and famous dressage performer/trainer around the world. He was famous even before his debut with the Lippizzans. In his book, My Horses, My Teachers (highly reccomended for someone who knows something of horses), he recalls his experiences filming the movie. Obviously, Taylor wasn't the horseman that Podhajsky was, so the Colonel actually rode his parts. The horse he needed to ride (the horse he rode in history, Neapolitano Africa, was deceased) was a young stallion, who only recently had taken the place of Maestoso Alea in leading the quadrille and doing the solo during performances. (I can't remember the stallions name, and I don't have my book handy...sorry) He had a 'bad' habit of "singing" whenever another stallion entered the arena, and Podhajsky was unable to break him of it without implementing methods he saw as too harsh for such an intelligent horse. So, the stallion performed, "singing" along with the motions of his body. When Taylor mounted him, the horse started neighing. Podhajsky tried to convince him that the horse was only talking and that he would soon quiet, but was unable to settle the rider. The great scene, in performing for General Patton, was ridden by not only two riders (Podhajsky performing and Taylor doing the walking parts) but two HORSES, the young stallion who still had a black mane, and a old longe horse that they had dug up for Taylor. Kinda interesting! Anyway, this guy is a master!!! I just wish that Neapolitano Africa had been alive to perform the part himself.

In another scene, when the horses are being led from the Riding Hall to the bunker during an air raid, there were firecrackers bursting and all sorts of things near the horses to make the scene appear real. Of course, they also frightened the stallions and they reared and tugged and performed just like they should have, as a result of their fear. Podhajsky says that the "American producers" enjoyed running many takes, and doing lots of rehearsals. As a result of this, the stallions learned after the second shoot that there was nothing to be afraid of, and walked into the next acting pacified and calm.

Unfortunately no extras or "behind the scenes" on this dvd!

A great DVD of the classic film. Shame it can only be obtained from the USA but the service received and the quality is great. Do recommend as a great story.