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Post by Claire on May 31, 2011 11:00:36 GMT 1
As suggested by susan.
For starters I nominate Misty, National Velvet and the Follyfoot series, altho technically not a complete adaptation as some of the books were written after the series.
Oh yes and Flambards too, that was pretty good.
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2011 20:06:33 GMT 1
Black beauty
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Post by fizz on May 31, 2011 21:40:49 GMT 1
My Friend Flicka & the related books. Smokey quite a good film I thought.
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Post by Claire on May 31, 2011 21:44:54 GMT 1
But which one....there were loads! ;D
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Post by susanb on Jun 1, 2011 5:38:26 GMT 1
Some of my favorites have already been nominated!
A few more to add:
The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit, based on Eric Hatch's The Year of the Horse
Miracle of the White Stallions (also called Flight of the White Stallions) based on Alois Podhajsky's The Dancing White Horses of Vienna
Wild Hearts Can't be Broken, based on A Girl and Five Brave Horses by Sonora Carter
Seabiscuit, based on Laura Hildenbrand's book of the same name
The Racing Game series based on Dick Francis' Sid Halley books (Odds Against, Whip Hand)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 1, 2011 6:52:00 GMT 1
But which one....there were loads! ;D I have the DVDs of the TV series Black Beauty with that lovely music from the 70s.
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Post by fizz on Jun 1, 2011 9:20:17 GMT 1
The Racing Game has to rate among one of the worst. Miscast Judy Dench & wooden script. Best bit is Lord Oaksey riding Cornishman. In his autobiography Mince Pie for Starters he says what a lousy film it was but how much he enjoyed riding the famous eventer. It's a shame it was so bad as I think it put people, possibly Francis himself, from having the books adapted, think they would make good TV dramas myself.
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Post by haffyfan on Jun 1, 2011 11:39:55 GMT 1
Does international Velvet not count? I seem to recall Claire saying the book was after the film, same with Man from Snowy river, I think, although the ballad was pre film of course.
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Post by foxglove on Jun 1, 2011 15:20:18 GMT 1
The Horse Whisperer is an ok adaptation of an ok book. The film of Sea Biscuit was a bit schmalzy for my taste; the book was grittier.
I recall enjoying The Black Stallion film- the silly thing I remember is that they made his rivals Cyclone a grey and Sun Raider a chestnut, which I thought more logical than in the book when the colours were the other way round!
The 70s Black Beauty and Follyfoot were a bit before my time; never seen Flambards either. This is the sort of thing LoveFilm (online DVD rental service) is good for catching up on.
Not a huge fan of either the book or film of National Velvet- sorry!
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Post by susanb on Jun 1, 2011 15:59:06 GMT 1
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Post by Claire on Jun 2, 2011 13:49:24 GMT 1
Yes susan, the one with Judi Dench in was Dead Cert, and as far as I know the Sid Halley series was also called The Racing Game over here. There was also another series of 3 of his books starring Ian Macshane. Strangely enough I havent seen any of them before, even tho I like the novels. Coincidentally I did pick up a video of Bloodsport in a charity shop the other day for a few pence. This link may help clear up the confusions: www.imdb.com/name/nm0290139/Re. some of the other suggestions, haffy you are correct International Velvet the book was written as a novelisation of the film by Bryan Forbes who was the director and I think scriptwriter of the film. One of the few examples of the book being better than the film. So anyhow we cant count that one. Nor can we really count the Black Beauty TV series as it didnt bear any resemblance to the book apart from being set in the same era and featuring a black horse!
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Post by fizz on Jun 7, 2011 9:51:50 GMT 1
Oh Susan I think that series must have been on when I was a poor undergraduate with out a TV. It completely passed me by! Be interesting to see them though, were they good?
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Post by shadowhawke on Jun 7, 2011 19:56:49 GMT 1
They never showed the Black Beauty series here in the states that I know of.... I think its on RTV now, Sunday afternoons or something like that. I haven't caught it to see if its the same one. Movies based on books....... Hildago The guy did write a book about the ride.... Ruffian I bleive was based on the book The Flicka tv series was pretty good I am drawing a blank right now.
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Post by darkhorse on Jun 7, 2011 20:19:13 GMT 1
Champions, the film about Aldaniti and Bob Champion was good. I don't know if it was based on a biographical book he'd written or not.
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Post by Claire on Jun 7, 2011 21:37:10 GMT 1
Champions was based on an autobiographical book he wrote called Champions Story. Good film.
Also The Silver Brumby aka The Silver Stallion with Russell Crowe is pretty good altho fairly loosely based on the book.
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vera
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Post by vera on Jun 10, 2011 0:09:01 GMT 1
Misty of Chincoteague, Phar Lap, The Silver Brumby, Black Beautythe one written and directed by Caroline Thomas stsrring Sean Bean, Andrew Knott and David Thewlis
Black Beauty, the one with Sean Bean, Andrew Knott and David Thewlis, The Silver Brumby, Hearts Cannot be Broken, Phar Lap, Hidalgo. By the way I am fairly sure Elyne Mitchell's The Man from Snowy River pre-dated the film. Banjo Paterson'd poem certainly did!
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Post by susanb on Jun 10, 2011 1:21:28 GMT 1
fizz...I loved the Racing Game/Sid Halley series. I have to say though, I've got some strong nostalgia attached to it. I saw it as a teenager....checking the credits at the end of the show I noticed that it was based on the books of an author I'd never heard of before....Dick Francis. I raced to the library after school the next day and found they had shelves and shelves of his books....everything he'd written to date. I was in heaven!!!
Claire....I'd love to know what you think of Bloodsport when you get a chance to watch it. I haven't seen any of the Ian McShane shows/movies.
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Post by Claire on Jun 10, 2011 10:21:08 GMT 1
Was Pharlap based on a book?
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Post by susanb on Jun 10, 2011 14:41:22 GMT 1
Claire, I checked imdb, and it doesn't look like it....the writer is listed as David Williamson, "popular Australian playwright".
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Post by jinglerebel on Jun 12, 2011 2:03:09 GMT 1
Ride a Wild Pony I don't think has been mentioned, a Disney film.
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Post by shadowhawke on Jun 12, 2011 4:42:32 GMT 1
Oh that reminds me of the other Disney one......
About he girl and boy fighting over a pony in Australia.
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Post by Claire on Jun 13, 2011 12:07:54 GMT 1
Claire....I'd love to know what you think of Bloodsport when you get a chance to watch it. I haven't seen any of the Ian McShane shows/movies. Well Susan finally got round to watching this and I wouldn't bother rushing out to find a copy. Its typical cheesy 1980s made for TV movie fare. Ian Macshane would never have been my choice for a Francis hero anyhow and he is far too smarmy in this. It's years since I read the book so I dont know how close to the plot it followed. The highlights were the stunning Canadian scenery and a bloody good stunt rider/s. My friend just found some more Dick Francis films at a car boot sale the other day so I am hoping they are the Sid Halley series you mentioned and not more Ian Macshane ones!
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Post by haffyfan on Jun 13, 2011 20:39:20 GMT 1
Would that be Bow and Taff you mean susan? (thats what my sister called it anyhow - she watched it constantly from about the age of three to about eight!)
James Aldridge a sporting proposition is proper title I think although i think Disney renamed it
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Post by shadowhawke on Jun 13, 2011 21:34:20 GMT 1
Yeah they did haffy.... I forget what they called. Book was ok, movie wasn't all that good either.
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Post by jinglerebel on Jun 14, 2011 2:21:56 GMT 1
err ... That is Ride a Wild Pony ;D
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Post by shadowhawke on Jun 14, 2011 3:48:50 GMT 1
Then what's the one with the kid from Oliver?
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Post by Claire on Jun 14, 2011 10:08:42 GMT 1
Then what's the one with the kid from Oliver? That ones Run Wild Run Free from David Rook's The White Colt, well made film but very sad.
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Post by Claire on Jun 21, 2011 11:02:36 GMT 1
A couple more which I don't think have been mentioned yet: Justin Morgan had a Horse, Pit Pony, The Horsemasters. Weren't there also films made about San Domingo and Brighty (Marguerite Henry's books) - has anyone seen them & if so were they any good? Found a good link which lists horse films in order of decade: www.theequinest.com/horse-movies/If you have any more suggestions post soon as I will be doing the poll shortly.
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Post by garej on Jun 21, 2011 15:44:43 GMT 1
I have found out there is a tv adaptation of I Can Jump Puddles, by Alan Marshall. It's only available as Region 4 DVD, and like many other things, despite being an BBC production not available in the UK.
I know of two others, but I think the TV/Film adaptation came before the book.
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Post by shadowhawke on Jun 21, 2011 22:07:13 GMT 1
The San Domingo and Brighty movies are ok.
I have a VHS copy of Brighty......
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