1973
Universal Production for TV
Adapted from the
John Steinbeck novel "The Red Pony"
Starring
Maureen
O'Hara, Henry Fonda
and
Ben Johnson
Winner of the
Coveted Peabody Award
Frederick Brogger
and James Franciscus Productions
in Association with
Robert Allen
Also starring:
Jack Elam, Julian
Rivero, & Clint Howard as Jody
With
Lieux Druser
Warrne Douglas
Victor Sen Yung
Woodrow Chambliss
Sally Carter Ihant
Heather Totten
Yvonne Wood
Link Wyler
Roy Jensen as Toby
Produced by
Frederick
Brogger
Teleplay by: Robert
Totten & Ron Bishop
Directed by Robert
Totten
"A classic novel comes to life.
A special gift from father to son - a powerful lesson in life that
helps
a boy become a man. A heartfelt story." It saddens me that
so few people have been able to see it. It was first aired in
1973,
winning the coveted Peabody Award. When I began collecting
Maureen's
movies I just chanced to catch this one (and of course taped it) when
the
Disney Channel aired it a few years back. I feel that this role
show-cases
Maureen in her finest hour on the screen. The great stage and
film
actress Shirley Booth saw it and quickly got the message to Maureen
that
her performance in the scene where she talks to her son Jody about love
and respect was one of the greatest she had ever seen. I feel in
very good company, because that was immediately my favorite also.
Take this fine cast of high caliber players and add a "perfect"
soundtrack
and you have a winner.
A struggling farmer, Henry Fonda, as Carl
Tiflin,
is a very strict and demanding parent to his only child, a son, named
Jody.
His wife, Ruth Tiflin, played by Maureen O'Hara, tries to maintain
harmony
between the men in her life. With veteran actor Jack Elam as
Maureen's
father, and Ben Johnson, as a friend and neighbor, the family circle
soon
embraces the that special gift to Jody from his father, a red
pony.
Lots of lessons to be learned by all in this familiar story by
Steinbeck,
but the tenderness and sensitivity of each character as they work
through
their own private conflicts comes together so beautifully and is a true
compliment to the writers and the actors.
In this film Maureen is as always,
most
believable
not only as a loving mother and wife, but at the age of 53, that almost
startling beauty of her youth was now refined and seasoned. In
the
plain and drab dress of a poor farmer's wife, her beauty from within
and
her acting ability was at it's zenith.
I would like very much to learn who
now owns
the
rights to this film so we could campaign to get it released on
video.
The theatrical movie, of course, is available on video. But this
one...this
is the one we need to see. So, if anyone out there has any
information
on this film...please let me know. Meantime I'll begin my
research
and see what I can come up with.
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