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Mickey Rooney and Liz Taylor in NATIONAL VELVET at The Hi-Pointe Saturday May 10th
“Some day you’ll learn that greatness is only the seizing of opportunity – clutching with your bare hands ’til the knuckles show white!”
MGM, America’s starriest studio during the Second World War, managed to reach perfection in its writing, music, attitude, and above all the acting performances of its young stars in 1944’s NATIONAL VELVET. 12-year old Elizabeth Taylor (as Velvet), Jackie Jenkins (as little brother Donald, with his insect necklace), willowy 19-year old Angela Lansbury (as boy-mad older sister Edwina), and 24-year old Mickey Rooney (as Mi Taylor, the jockey with a past, bubbling with resentment of the world), are all outstanding.
The story is a simple and far-fetched one: Velvet Brown dreams of horses, owning them, training them, winning them. Naturally when the chance comes to win a problem horse in a raffle she has to go for it; from here on in, she’s set on seeing the horse win the Grand National, and eventually for her to win with it.
In a charming support cast are the wonderful Donald Crisp as Velvet’s dad; Anne Revere in a controlled and touching performance as Velvet’s mum (once a champion swimmer in her own right); Arthur Shields as a irritable Irishman, and Arthur Treacher as a snooty race patron. Ann Revere won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role as Velvet’s mother.
NATIONAL VELVET is a true classic, one of those films which you never get bored with and which leaves you with that satisfying lump-in-the-throat feeling every time. Even more so now with the passing of Ms Taylor in 2011 and Mr. Rooney last month.
Lucky St. Louisans will have a chance to see NATIONAL VELVET on the big screen at St. Louis’ fabulous Hi-Pointe Theater this weekend as part of their Classic Film Series. It’s Saturday, May 10th at 10:30am at the Hi-Pointe located at 1005 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, MO 63117. Admission is only $5.
The Hi-Pointe’s site can be found HERE
Enjoy the NATIONAL VELVET Trailer:
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