- Actors: Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp, Angela Lansbury, Anne Revere
- Directors: Clarence Brown
- Format: Colour, Full Screen, Mono, PAL
- Language English
- Classification: U
- Studio: Warner Home Video
- VHS Release Date: 4 Dec 1995
- Run Time: 118 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004CLBO
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 54 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
Classic 1940's family feel-good film, starring a teenage Elizabeth Taylor (Giant; Cleopatra; Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf) as Velvet, a horse-mad young girl who dreams of winning the Grand National on her wild but gifted horse 'Pie'.
Mickey Rooney (The Black Stallion) co-stars as a jaded, former jockey who just might help her achieve her dreams.
Also look out for a young Angela Lansbury (The Manchurian Candidate; Bedknobs and Broomsticks; Tv's - Murder She Wrote) as her older sister.
**
Trivia note; this was followed rather belatedly in 1978 by a sequel, International Velvet starring Tatum O'Neal, with Nanette Newman as Velvet, now all grown-up.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Somehow I never got around to see this movie until I was 40 years old. I guess it was because I was never really an Elizabeth Taylor fan, although I have always enjoyed "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" But I was at the library and I had always heard good things about it and so I checked in out and took it home and watched it and feel in love with it.
The plot line involving Mike (Mickey Rooney) starts off as somewhat melodramatic, the standard story (literarly in this case) of the guy who has to get back on the horse. The twist is that when he does our young heroine has decided she is the only one who can ride the Pie to victory. The twist is the Rooney achieves his victory without winning (anticipating "Rocky" in that regard when you stop and think about it).
The plot line involving Mike (Mickey Rooney) starts off as somewhat melodramatic, the standard story (literarly in this case) of the guy who has to get back on the horse. The twist is that when he does our young heroine has decided she is the only one who can ride the Pie to victory. The twist is the Rooney achieves his victory without winning (anticipating "Rocky" in that regard when you stop and think about it).
The focus of the film is on Taylor and Rooney, but the heart and soul of the film is the relationship between Velvet and her mother. Anne Reeve won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of the mother, and while her scenes with husband Donald Crip are small gems scattered throughout the film (they call each other "Mr. Brown" and "Mrs. Brown" and you can tell how much they love each other every time they do it), it is the scenes with her daughter that bring home the film.
Mrs. Brown uses the money from her swimming the channel to fund Velvet's dream of racing the pie in the Grand National. But for Velvet the payoff is not when she wins the race and becames a front page story, but when she arrives home and immediately runs to her mother and says, "We won, Mother. We won." Her mother already knows. All of England knows. But all that mattered was telling her mother. It is a neat scene and an ellegant payoff to the film, more so than her running off to fetch make Mike.
This 1944 film was directed by Clarence Brown and is based on the novel by Enid Bagnold. Final Warning: And if after you have watched and enjoyed this classic film with your children and you screen the sequel "International Velvet" which only leaves a bad taste in your mouth, you have only yourself to blame.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an epic of a classic if your child loves horses, as most kids wouldn't appreicate this movie now in these times, I love animals and Eliz played a wonderful role in this movie with mickey. I was a young girl at the time and it was a family show that we all watched to-gether. Enjoyed by all, This is what it use to be back then, and everyone shared and played baseball to-gether including neighbors 2 streets away to join in the fun on a Sunday, No robbery's no drugs and trust in each others company that is not here anymore so when you go out make sure you lock up everything as back them we didn't, We should create more family shows so that kids and the younger ones will know what it was like and respect and pride might come back into their lives that they lack now. Worth buying.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I loved this film as a child, to the point that when I watched it again as an adult I could still remember all the dialogue! Highly recommended, especially for anyone who loves horses.
To all the people moaning that they've bought this only to discover that it won't play on their DVD player - read the description before you buy things!! It says quite clearly in several places that it is from North America and will only play on region 1-compatible DVD players so you've only got yourselves to blame if you wasted your money.
To all the people moaning that they've bought this only to discover that it won't play on their DVD player - read the description before you buy things!! It says quite clearly in several places that it is from North America and will only play on region 1-compatible DVD players so you've only got yourselves to blame if you wasted your money.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
National Velvet
Will not play on my DVD player - a bit annoyed really because it was an easter present for my daughter. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ms. C. S. Mccallum
Could not play this DVD on our machine
Bought this is good faith but it would not play on our DVE machine. Waste of my money.
Published on 4 Jun 2009 by Mrs. Maureen Keay
A "must" for horse-lovers & racing fans
This is a wonderful film, especially for all those who have a 10-year-old horse-mad daughter! Elizabeth Taylor`s portrayal of a girl who has an ambition to win the Grand National... Read more
Published on 13 Sep 2008 by J. M. Harman
Horse Race
This review will relate to the DVD which I believe is just the same as VHS.
This film is super rare on Video but does not exist on DVD UK encoding if you own a multi... Read more
This film is super rare on Video but does not exist on DVD UK encoding if you own a multi... Read more
Published on 4 April 2007 by M. G. Hatfield
One of the classics!
This film is thoroughly enjoyable and will entertain the family. Starring a young Liz Taylor who realises her dream by riding her horse The Pie in the Grand National this is an... Read more
Published on 26 Jun 2003 by Jenny Hagan
An outstanding classic
A classic tale of a young girl who enters her horse in the grand national! A must watch for all Horse-lovers.
Published on 20 May 2003
A heart-warming tale of young ambition
National velvet is the heart-warming story of a young girl who realises her dream by riding her horse, The Pie, in the Grand National. Read more
Published on 2 May 2003 by Jenny Hagan
Listmania!
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