Shirley Temple in "The Story Of Seabiscuit"

I'm back. Let's see if I can stay awake this time, haha. I've got some Fred Flintstone heavy duty toothpicks on hand, just in case. :) Tonight I concluded my Shirley Temple mini-filmfest by watching "The Story Of Seabiscuit" (1949), in which Shirley plays the niece of Barry Fitzgerald, a highly regarded horse trainer from Ireland who has come to Kentucky to scout thoroughbreds for a wealthy breeder. Fitzgerald actually was Irish, and played variations on the same type of character in dozens of movies. He was always the happy-go-lucky Irishman, wise but full of blarney all the same. He played his own personality and was good at it. As his niece, Shirley Temple must sport an Irish brogue to match him, and she mainly pulls it off (about 70% or so).

Fitzgerald scouts a smaller than usual horse with big knees and gets a feeling about him. This horse has none of the physical attributes of a champion, but he is fast. Fitzgerald sees something more in him. He speaks of himself as being "fey", a word that nowdays would equate with gay or sissified at the very least, but in the movie - and I don't think I've ever heard "fey" in dialogue before - he explains that it means he has a form of second sight. "Fey" is an Irish slang term that means a person can see fairies and imps and other fabled woodland creatures, and can talk to them and understand them.

Barry Fitzgerald is fey in the movie, and the fairies have told him to choose Seabiscuit, a runty horse any sensible trainer would pass over.

As history shows, Seabiscuit became not only a champion but one of the greatest racehorses that ever lived. He ended up being based on the West Coast, in California, and racing at Santa Anita rather than the Kentucky Derby, but he won races and set records throughout the 30s and 40s. In 1938, in a special two-horse match race, promoted for big money, he defeated War Admiral, who had won the Triple Crown the year before.

"The Story Of Seabiscuit" is what you would call a Popcorn Movie, one that serves to give the audience thrills and something to cheer about. It is filmed in Technicolor but has scenes in black and white from the original archival footage of Seabicuit's Santa Anita races.

Shirley Temple plays a similar romantic role to the one she played in last night's "Fort Apache". There, she was the daughter of Henry Fonda seeking to marry Lieutenant John Agar. Here, she is the niece of Barry Fitzgerald, who becomes interested in Seabiscuit's jockey Lon McAllister (who we saw in the first episode of "Tales Of Tomorrow"). Lon wants to marry her but Shirley won't say yes unless he agrees to quit riding. I won't tell you the reason, but the movie is not plot heavy or dramatic anyway.

It is a formula box office picture, rather lightweight, but it is successful on it's own terms. Seabiscuit is awesome, Barry Fitzgerald is charming and perceptive and Shirley Temple is playing Shirley Temple, adult version. I still give it Two Thumbs Up, just because of the excitement of the racing scenes and the well crafted formula of the rest of the film. Seabiscuit gets injured at one point, which provides the all important "will he or won't he make a comeback" plot axis of many a Hollywood sports film.

You might like it yourself if you are a fan of Shirley or just if you like old movies, though it must be said that there are better "Horse Movies" out there, like "Black Stallion" and "Warhorse". But watch it anyway, and I will continue to look for more Shirley Temple movies for your (and my) enjoyment. ///

My goodness, I made it through my review without falling asleep! You have no idea how tired a person can get.........or perhaps you do.  :):)

I will see you in the morning, then, fully refreshed, with a ton of love in the meantime.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo  :):)