National Velvet (1944)

My Review

Elizabeth Taylor became a big star by playing a 14-year-old girl who wins a horse in a raffle and decides to train him for Britain’s Grand National Steeplechase in “National Velvet.” Director Clarence Brown (“The Yearling” 1946) ensured outstanding production values with a script by Helen Deutsch, adapted from the 1935 novel of the same name by Enid Bagnold.

The cast includes Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Angela Lansbury, Donald Crisp, Anne Revere, Arthur Treacher, Reginald Owen, Jackie Jenkins, and Alec Craig. “National Velvet” was a huge hit at the box office for producer Pandro S. Berman and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two for Best Supporting Actress (Revere) and Best Film Editing.