Miracle of the White Stallions

BEHIND THE SCENES & TRIVIA: This Disney Studios production was first released to theatres on March 29, 1963. It later aired on Walt Disney's `Wonderful World of Color' on NBC television as a two part episode on October 17 and 24, 1965. It re-aired on November 11 and 18, 1973. For the television airing it was re-edited and renamed "Flight of the White Stallions". The screenplay was the first Disney project for 29 year old A.J. Carothers, base on the book "The Dancing White Horses of Vienna", by Colonel Alais Podhajsky. In fact, Mr. Disney sent Carothers on travel to Vienna to meet the Colonel and visit the school for research. Walt believed in having a good story as the base of a film, so much so that some writers were allowed to produce or direct their screenplays. The first director hired for this film wanted to bring in a writer to change the script that Walt Disney had already approved. As a result a new director was hired, Arthur Hiller. The writer Carothers stayed on several years with Disney to write other screenplays including "Emil and the Detectives", "The Happiest Millionaire", and "Never a Dull Moment". The first writer, from England, had been removed from the project when his draft included a characterization of American G.I.'s as "gum-chewing soldiers" according to Harry Tytle's biography. Walt and his wife had also traveled to Vienna and had a luncheon at the Spanish Riding School while being treated to a performance of the horses.The solid background musical score is by long-time Disney studio composer Paul Smith, who won an Academy Award ® for his work on Pinocchio. Smith worked for the studio from 1934 to 1962, writing the music for most of the Disney True-Life Adventures and many of their short cartoons. He was nominated for his compositions for Cinderella, Song of the South, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Saludos Amigos, and The Three Caballeros. The famous composing duo, the Sherman Brothers, were asked by Walt Disney to create a German style song for the production, and so "Just Say `Auf Widersehen' " was born. The film is 117 minutes in length in the theatrical edit version. Released on VHS in 1987, and DVD in 2004.STORY: During World War II, the Colonel Podhajsky (Robert Taylor) and his famous Spanish Riding School featuring white Lipizzaner horses in Vienna are threatened as the Nazis are moving in. The Colonel smuggles the stallions into St. Martin. The mares of the breed are in Czechoslovakia, and the Colonel fears their fate with the swiftly approaching Russians. The Colonel hatches a bold plan to appeal to U.S. General Patton, who is known a s horseman, to help rescue the horse and protect the future breeding. Great supporting cast including Eddie Albert.

Was good at one time I hope.

Wifes favorite movie

Based on true story. Horses are beautiful, their story could have been tragic. Classic!

Back in the days when Disney made movies that carried a true storyline, this is a forgotten gem. Who would have ever thought of Robert Taylor being in a Disney film....but here he is! A true story about World War Two and the efforts to save and preserve a group of spectacular stallions from disappearance through the hands of Nazi Germany. Every now and then Disney Studios reached out into history to tell us about something that mattered and really happened. Its worth it to see the stallions perform if nothing else. Worth the money and teaches a valuable lesson.

When I saw this in the movie theater as a kid, I thought there was a lot more scenes of the horses. However, I was a horse nut then so I might have imagined it. When I bought the DVD I was still imagining but realized it was more of a Disney movie than a horse movie. Nonetheless, there are beautiful scenes of the old architecture in Vienna and other towns, especially the Spanish Riding School. Plus the story is from the days of Walt when a tighter rein (whoops, no pun intended) was kept on language, no one getting killed but enough gun sounds to keep the kids interested. A very good way for kids and adults to have a family night with some history about the war and also learning a little bit about a breed of horse that is dwindling in numbers.

Based on actual events where many tried to save the horses as the magnificent animals they are o avoid them being misused by the German military. Gen Patton took action using the US Army to rescue and save them from the Russians as as well as the Germans.

It is a true story. The "Spanish Riding School" in Vienna, Austria is a true treasure. The only place where the pure art of Dressage riding remains in all its purity. It is also the only place where the historic leaps ("Airs Above The Ground) once used on the battlefield are still performed in their purity.The man (one of the greatest horsemen ever) Alois Podjhasky who was director of the School for 30 years was also involved in the production. Robert Taylor, the actor who plays him in the film, was terrified of the stallions. They put him on one of the experienced older school horses. Unfortunately, the stallion neighed. Taylor leaped off in terror. And they finally sent for one of the stallions who had, long before, been retired from the school. So, when you see the scenes of the Lipizanners actually in performance it it is the great Podjhasky that is riding, not Mr. Taylor! This is really a great opportunity to see the stallions at their best!

This was my favourite Disney movie as a girl! Thank you so much for making it available !!!

Me vinieron muchos recuerdos de esra Pelicula la recomiendo para toda la familia

Einfach sehenswert! Leider nur auf Englisch was mich nicht unbedingt stört aber schon schade da es Teil der österreichischen Geschichte ist wäre es doch gut auch ne deutsche Fassung hinzu zu fügen!

comprendo que no haya tenido mucho exito porque la pelicula para ser de Disney es muy pobre, siendo la historia real tan impresionante, por otra parte no me habia dado cuenta que la version dvd no era PAL asi que tuve que recurrir a un informatico que me la consiguio transformar

The Spanish Riding School of Vienna has been around for hundreds of years, but was nearly lost in WW2 when the Lipizzaner breeding herd was separated from the stud farm of Piber and moved into Czechoslovakia, and then faced with possible destruction at the hands of the Russians.Alois Podhajsky, the Director of the school, made a bold request of the Americans, especially General Patton who himself had ridden in the 1912 Olympics, to save the horses. Patton appreciated the tradition of the Spanish Riding School and was able to effect the rescue of the breeding mares along with allied prisoners of war, effectively saving the Lipizzaners and the tradition of the School.This Disney movie was made in 1963 and has some of the typical Disney characteristics of the time such as blunting the visual depiction of violence and war, but beyond the technical shortcomings, the movie accurately captures the desperate situation facing those who would save a longstanding tradition bound in living beings -- both the horses and the riders -- and how many individuals through both minor and grand gestures worked toward a common cause and saved an institution.Some Interesting 'Backstage' Information: The main character, Colonel Alois Podhajsky, is a bronze medal winner and famous dressage performer/trainer around the world. He was famous even before his debut with the Lippizzans. In his book, My Horses, My Teachers (highly reccomended for someone who knows something of horses), he recalls his experiences filming the movie. Obviously, Taylor wasn't the horseman that Podhajsky was, so the Colonel actually rode his parts. The horse he needed to ride (the horse he rode in history, Neapolitano Africa, was deceased) was a young stallion, who only recently had taken the place of Maestoso Alea in leading the quadrille and doing the solo during performances. (I can't remember the stallions name, and I don't have my book handy...sorry) He had a 'bad' habit of "singing" whenever another stallion entered the arena, and Podhajsky was unable to break him of it without implementing methods he saw as too harsh for such an intelligent horse. So, the stallion performed, "singing" along with the motions of his body. When Taylor mounted him, the horse started neighing. Podhajsky tried to convince him that the horse was only talking and that he would soon quiet, but was unable to settle the rider. The great scene, in performing for General Patton, was ridden by not only two riders (Podhajsky performing and Taylor doing the walking parts) but two HORSES, the young stallion who still had a black mane, and a old longe horse that they had dug up for Taylor. Kinda interesting! Anyway, this guy is a master!!! I just wish that Neapolitano Africa had been alive to perform the part himself.In another scene, when the horses are being led from the Riding Hall to the bunker during an air raid, there were firecrackers bursting and all sorts of things near the horses to make the scene appear real. Of course, they also frightened the stallions and they reared and tugged and performed just like they should have, as a result of their fear. Podhajsky says that the "American producers" enjoyed running many takes, and doing lots of rehearsals. As a result of this, the stallions learned after the second shoot that there was nothing to be afraid of, and walked into the next acting pacified and calm.Unfortunately no extras or "behind the scenes" on this dvd!