Lion and the Horse, The (1952)

Lion and the Horse, The (1952)

Comments 1 comment

“I’d of risked my neck to claim that horse for my own.”

Synopsis:
When a cowboy (Steve Cochran) falls in love with a wild stallion he names Wildfire, he hopes to buy the horse but instead is forced to kidnap Wildfire from a cruel rodeo owner (Ray Teal) and hide out on a ranch owned by the avuncular grandfather (R.H. Macy) of a horse-loving girl (Sherry Jackson).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Cowboys
  • Horses
  • Rodeos
  • Westerns

Review:
This kid-friendly western delivers exactly what its title promises: a dramatic showdown between an (escaped) lion and a horse. While these final scenes may be a bit brutal for younger kids, the storyline until then seems perfectly geared towards children who dream of horses. Cochran is given a wonderfully generous role to play, as a man who would do anything to prevent a magnificent creature like Wildfire from abuse and subjugation.

It’s also refreshing to see a girl in the central kid-role (Jackson is likeable and appropriately feisty):

… and there’s a fun musical interlude involving a cowhand learning to play the ukulele by record player:

However, this isn’t must-see viewing for anyone other than Cochran fans, or those who may somehow fondly remember it from their own childhood.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Steve Cochran as Ben Kirby
  • Fine cinematography

Must See?
No. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book, which makes sense. I’m not sure how many people these days know about this title!

Links:

One thought on “Lion and the Horse, The (1952)”

  1. First viewing. Not must-see.

    Ah, the beloved, well-worn tale of ‘a man and his horse’ (almost as popular as ‘a boy and his horse’).

    I’m in agreement with the view expressed above: this is a very “kid-friendly” western. In spite of its few moments of a brutal showdown near the end, animal-loving, pre-adolescent ff-wanna-bes should be comfortable-enough watching along with their ff-elders. The story picks up momentum nicely as it moves along.

    Tossing off his bad-boy image for a change, Cochran is surprisingly effective and natural; Jackson offers delightful camaraderie.

    It’s a little-known / little-talked-about film. Maybe not of major interest but it’s respectable.

Leave a Reply