Tonight's Movie: Wild Stallion (1952) - A Warner Archive DVD Review

WILD STALLION (1952) is an enjoyable 70-minute Western available on DVD from the Warner Archive.

In recent years the Warner Archive has been focusing on releasing beautiful Blu-rays, but film fans should also keep in mind the long list of interesting titles which continue to be available from the Warner Archive via manufactured-on-demand DVDs.

WILD STALLION, a Monogram Pictures Western first released by the Warner Archive in 2013, is the story of Dan Light (future Oscar winner Ben Johnson).

When Dan is a child (played by Orley Lindgren) his parents (John Halloran and Barbara Wooddell) are killed by Indians; a white colt they're raising escapes into the hills.

A kindly horse trapper (Edgar Buchanan) finds Dan burying his parents and takes him to the nearby fort, where he's raised by Major Cullen (Hayden Rorke).

The major's daughter Caroline (Susan Odin) grows into a lovely young lady (future Oscar nominee Martha Hyer); she and Dan love each other, but before Dan can settle down to marriage and a career in the cavalry, there's something he must do: Find and tame the stallion he calls "Top Kick." Until that connection to his past is resolved, Dan is unable to move on with the rest of his life.

The story, written by Western specialist Daniel B. Ullman, is simple, but it's nicely executed and briskly paced, maintaining interest throughout. It's a good mix of action with what might also be termed a "psychological Western," as Dan deals with his lost childhood. It's an enjoyable hour and ten minutes.

The supporting cast includes Hugh Beaumont, I. Stanford Jolley, and Don Haggerty. Classic TV fans might enjoy seeing a trio of well-known TV faces in the cast in Buchanan (PETTICOAT JUNCTION), Rorke (I DREAM OF JEANNIE), and Beaumont (LEAVE IT TO BEAVER).

The film was directed by Lewis D. Collins and shot in Cinecolor by Harry Neumann. I particularly enjoyed that most of the film was shot in two places I've visited, Iverson Ranch and Corriganville.

The fort in the film was originally constructed at Corriganville for John Ford's FORT APACHE (1948); there are photos of the area in a column I wrote on Corriganville last year for Classic Movie Hub.  (Update: And here is a link to a brand-new Classic Movie Hub column on Iverson Ranch!)

The Warner Archive DVD is a nice-looking print; some Cinecolor films can look "off," especially due to the passage of time, but this print looks and sounds good. There are no extras on the DVD.

I also wrote about this film here in 2015. I think it says something positive about this little film that I wanted to go back to it just a few years after my first viewing!

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this DVD. Warner Archive DVDs may be ordered from the Warner Archive Collection Amazon Store or from any online retailers where DVDs are sold.

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