Thoroughbred (film)

Cinesound Productions
Industry	Film production
Headquarters	Australia
Key people	Ken G. Hall (director)
Products	Films

Thoroughbred is a 1936 Australian drama centered on horse racing, directed by Ken G. Hall and partially inspired by the life of Phar Lap. The lead role was given to Hollywood actress Helen Twelvetrees, who was specifically brought to Australia for this production. The cast also includes Frank Leighton and John Longden.

Plot summary

Joan, a Canadian horse trainer and the adopted daughter of breeder Ma Dawson, acquires a neglected thoroughbred colt named Stormalong. With assistance from Ma’s son Tommy, she nurses the horse back to health, leading Stormalong to achieve multiple race victories. As Stormalong becomes the favourite contender for the Melbourne Cup, a gambling syndicate targets him, attempting to drug the horse and set fire to the stable. Additionally, Tommy is abducted prior to the race.

Despite sustaining a fatal sniper wound, Stormalong manages to win the Melbourne Cup. Tommy escapes captivity and helps law enforcement apprehend the criminals.

Cast

Helen Twelvetrees as Joan
Frank Leighton as Tommy Dawson
John Longden as Bill Peel
Nellie Barnes as Judy Cross
Elaine Hamill
Ronald Whelan
Les Warton
Harold Meade
Edmond Seward as Mr Terry

Production

This project marked Cinesound’s return to filmmaking after a pause in 1935, during which director Ken G. Hall spent several months in Hollywood. While there, he secured contracts with American actress Helen Twelvetrees and writer Edmond Seward for this film. (Originally, Sally Blane and Norman Foster were considered for the roles.) Hall also procured a rear-projection apparatus that was heavily utilized throughout shooting. The initial budget was estimated at £25,000.

Twelvetrees reportedly received a salary of £1,000 per week—the highest in the Australian film sector at that time—although some sources mention £200 weekly. Filmink observed a tendency to cast lesser-known Hollywood actors to enhance local publicity and improve chances of overseas distribution.

Her co-leads included Australian actor Frank Leighton and English performer John Longden, who was living in Australia then. Hall noted that Twelvetrees and Leighton engaged in an affair during filming, which prompted threats from her husband. Studio chief Stuart F. Doyle intervened by arranging for detectives to escort her husband out of the country.

This film was actor Ron Whelan’s debut with Cinesound; he joined as an assistant director and appeared in several productions thereafter. The set was also visited by Australia's Prime Minister Joseph Lyons during filming.

The horse racing sequences were innovatively captured using a cameraman positioned on a sled. The film’s finale bears resemblance to Frank Capra’s 1934 movie Broadway Bill, though Hall claimed no prior knowledge of this similarity, attributing it instead to Seward’s influence.

Release

Despite receiving mixed critiques—particularly regarding its screenplay—the film enjoyed popularity with audiences. Its box office returns were acceptable but did not reach the heights of previous successes; American films generally earned between £3,000 and £25,000 in Australia while costing substantially more to produce compared to local films.

The movie was also released in the United Kingdom but encountered censorship cuts due to scenes portraying animal cruelty, notably involving a stable fire. It failed to perform well at the British box office.

A novelisation based on the screenplay sold out rapidly, moving approximately 1,000 copies daily within three days of release.

Notes

Hall, Ken G. Directed by Ken G. Hall: Autobiography of an Australian Filmmaker, Lansdowne Press, 1977

External links

Thoroughbred featured on Australian Screen Online
Thoroughbred listed at Oz Movies
Copyright correspondence regarding the script available at National Archives of Australia (includes a copy of the shooting script)
Film review published in Variety