THE RED PONY
US, 1973, 101 minutes, Colour.
Henry Fonda, Maureen O’ Hara, Ben Johnson, Jack Elam, Clint Howard, Richard Jaeckel, Rance Howard.
Directed by Robert Totten.
The Red Pony is a remake of the classic 1949 film for family audiences. Adapted from the novel by John Steinbeck by the author himself, the film starred Myrna Loy, Robert Mitchum, Louis Calhern and Beau Bridges as the young boy. It was directed by Lewis Milestone (All Quiet on the Western Front).
This film, adapted for television audiences, has a strong leading cast with Henry Fonda and Maureen O’ Hara as the parents of the boy who gets the red pony – which escapes and leads to some tragic results. Veterans Ben Johnson and Jack Elam are at home in the western context. The boy is played by Clint Howard, Ron Howard’s younger brother who appears in all of his films – and the sheriff is played by Rance Howard, Clint and Ron Howard’s father.
The film is a genial story about ranches, children, horses – and captures the spirit of the American west.
1. The status of this Steinbeck classic? The original film? The quality of this remake seen in that light?
2. For what audience was the film made? Younger, older, family, television? The style of the film for the particular audience intended?
3. The beauty of the colour, locations? The music? The authentic atmosphere of California at the turn of the century? An appropriate setting for the plot? Characters? The particular environment?
4. Life in California at the turn of the century: poverty, ranching, the seasons, hard work, homes and barns, stock? The terrain? The bankers and their demanding money? The transition from horses to cars? A transition period, the family trying to cope?
5. How well did the film build up the atmosphere of the way of life of the family? The Taflin household? The ranch itself, the initial sequences with the work, their poverty? School life? The sequence at the hotel, the auction of the pony? The visit of the bank man? The Taylors as the neighbours?
6. The portrait of a family: the opening with Mother looking, Father working on the building? Jody waking up? The type of day that they had? Grandfather and his presence in the house, his talk and his memories? The work of building and Jody's clash with his father? His hatred and the repercussions? Gifts, the pony? Father and his severity with his son, his expectations of him? Mother and her attitude to helping Jody?
7. The change of atmosphere with the hotel sequences? The encounter with Taylor? His talking with Dearie ? Her sad story, his consoling her? The fight with Toby and the arrival of the sheriff? The atmosphere of the frontier? Punctuated with the auction and the buying of the pony?
8. The focus on the pony? Jody's response to the gift, his taking care of it? over the weeks caring for it? The importance of its sickness, Jody’s attitude towards his father and thinking that he was not interested in it? Going off in the night with the pony? The pony's death and the buzzards? His father later stressing that this was a fact and no one was to blame? The impact on Jody, his hatred, attitude towards his father, towards horses?
9. The presence of' the old Indian, Jody thinking he was dead, his explanation of himself, of the land, his staying around the ranch, his going off to die? The significance and meaning for the Indians and their occupation of the land? Their changed way of life? Death?
10. The significance of the challenge of the birth for Jody? His having the pony, know his difficulty? His reaction to the situation to his father's attitude to killing Nelly and saving the pony? The presence of his mother, of his grandfather? His not wanting to bring the mallet? His believing his grandfather, persuading his father, the tense atmosphere of the birth? The pain, the anxiety and suspense, the joy of giving birth? The vividness of the foal being born, trying to stand, go to its mother? The emphasis on animals and horses?
11. How well delineated were the characters in this film? Carl Tiflin, a hard type, a rugged man, an individualist, making ends meet, devotion to his wife, puzzle over his son? The importance of the antagonistic scenes with his father-in-law? Especially the meals? His friendship with Jesse Taylor? The bonds between them, taking him home after the fight? Being prepared to fight for him? The confrontation with the bank man? The character of the mother as a soft influence in the household, her ruggedness, devotion to her father, husband, son? A mediating presened in the family? Jody as a young boy, alone, the comparison with the Taylors' nine children, his dreams at school? his talking about the holidays, imagining himself, riding along the seashore? His attitude towards his father and the demands and expectations, hatred? His response to the pony and his disappointment? His reaction against horses and saying that he was a car man? His love for his grandfather, believing him at the time of crisis? The bond during the birth of the foal? Grandfather as an old pioneer, living in the past? A venerable old man, and of good influence despite his repetitious tales?
12. How well delineated were the family relationships? Which sequences best illustrated the tensions, the love?
13. The importance of the light on father/son relationship and growing up?
14. The influence of the older generation on the younger? Mother and father and grandfather and bonds with Jody? The influence of Jesse Taylor?
15. Themes of' America, pioneering, work, poverty, the American heritage? personal themes, relationships? Growing up?
