The “Black Stallion” is a 1979 American adventure drama family film directed by Carroll Ballard. The film is based on Walter Farley’s 1941 novel of the same name and tells the story of a young boy named Alec Ramsay who befriends a wild stallion, called the Black, and the two form a close bond as they learn to trust and depend on each other.
Kelly Reno stars as Alec Ramsay, Mickey Rooney plays Henry Dailey, and Teri Garr as Mrs. Ramsay.
The “Black Stallion” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score and won several other awards including the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film. Mickey Rooney was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
The film adaptation is a relatively faithful adaptation of the novel and follows the same basic storyline as the book, but there are some differences in the details. For example, in the film Alec is shipwrecked with the Black, and in the book Alec finds the Black on an island where he was stranded.
The horse that played the Black Stallion in the movie was a stallion named Cass Ole, who was trained by legendary horse trainer Ralph McCutcheon. Cass Ole was chosen for the role due to his beauty, intelligence, and trainability.
(Like Black Stallion? Then you might like Pete’s Dragon.)
