Lewis Milestones's production of John Steinbeck's "The Red Pony" brought to the screen

The Red Pony (1949) is a rural drama based on John Steinbeck's short story of the same name. The film was directed by Lewis Milestone and stars Myrna Loy and Robert Mitchum. Others in the cast include Shepperd Strudwick, Louis Calhern, Peter Miles, and Margaret Hamilton. The screenplay was written by Steinbeck with some changes, focusing on the chapters "The Gift" and "The Promise." The cinematography was by Tony Gaudio  (The Adventures of Robin Hood). The film score was written by Aaron Copland.

The plot focuses on Tom Tiflin (Miles) who is given a small pony by his father, Fred Tiflin (Strudwick). Tom learns how to take care of his pony with the help of hired hand Billy Buck (Mitchum), a man that Tom looks up to. They name the pony Gabilan. 

The colorful family also includes Fred's father-in-law (Calhern) who is always telling stories about the old days when he led a wagon train across the country during the pioneer days. Fred finds his stories annoying but his wife, Alice (Loy) finds her father's eccentricities entertaining.

A crisis arises that threatens to destroy Tom's relationship with Billy. Will the two be able to work through the crisis and keep their friendship?

Peter Miles and Robert Mitchum

Lewis Milestone (1895 – 1980) was a Russian-born American film director. He is a two-time Academy Award-winner for Best Director: Two Arabian Knights (1927) and All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). Other notable films directed by Milestone include The Front Page (1931), Of Mice and Men (1939), A Walk in the Sun (1945), Les Miserables (1952), and Ocean’s 11 (1960).

Myrna Loy (1905 - 1993) was an American film, television, and stage actress. Loy was a trained dancer but decided to concentrate on acting, appearing in silent films before becoming a major star with the advent of sound. Perhaps Loy is most famous for playing Nora Charles opposite William Powell in The Thin Man (1934) and its subsequent sequels. Loy and Powell were one of the screen’s most popular acting teams; they appeared in 14 films together. Loy starred opposite the top leading men of the day including Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Tyrone Power, and Cary Grant. Some of her films include Wife vs. Secretary (1936), Libeled Lady (1936), The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Test Pilot (1938), Too Hot to Handle (1938), The Rains Came (1939), Love Crazy  (1941), The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), and Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948). 

Robert Mitchum (1917 - 1997) was an American film actor, director, and singer. His breakthrough came in The Story of G.I. Joe (1945) for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. He later starred in the film noir classic Out of the Past (1947) Crossfire (1947), Rachel and the Stranger (1948), River of No Return (1954) The Night of the Hunter (1955) Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957), Home from the Hill (1960), Cape Fear (1962), and Ryan's Daughter (1970). Mitchum would remain busy until the late-nineties. Mitchum is rated number 23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male stars of classic American cinema.

The Red Pony trivia

• The film shoot took 81 days, which was the longest and costliest for Republic Pictures.
• This was the first color film directed by Lewis Milestone.
• It was made in 1947 before Robert Mitchum became a big star with Out of the Past.
• Beau Bridges plays a boy named Beau; this was his third film appearance at age 7.

To watch the film on YouTube, click on the link below.

Discussion questions:

1. What did you think of Tom Tiflin as played by Peter Miles? Was he believable as a farm boy?
2. Was the relationship between Tom and Billy Buck believable? Why do you think Tom was attracted to Bill?
3. What did you think of the relationship between Alice and Frank?
4. Did you like the character of the grandfather?
5. Was there a theme to this film? If so, what was it?
6. Did The Red Pony remind you of any other films you've seen?

To join the discussion on February 14, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and link to join the discussion on Zoom.

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers—Whisper Her Name

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) directed by Lewis Milestone and produced by Hal B. Wallis, stars Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, and Lizabeth Scott. It also marks the film debut of future star Kirk Douglas.

Stanwyk, Heflin, and Douglas in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers

The movie begins with a flashback to an incident in the life of a 13-year-old Martha Ivers. Feeling trapped by the strict guardianship of her wealthy aunt (Judith Anderson), young Martha attempts to run away. Her attempt is thwarted which causes more friction between Martha and her aunt that she professes to hate. During a thunderstorm that knocks out the electricity in the Ivers mansion, Martha’s aunt is found dead. Will the secrets from the past come back to destroy Martha, who is now a rich and successful businesswoman?

With producer Wallis at the helm, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers was an A+ production. Along with the three stars, we have some great character actors on board including Anderson, Roman Bohnen, and child actor Darryl Hickman. The film also boasts a rich film score composed by Miklas Rozsa (Spellbound, Ben-Hur).

Look for the future director and producer Blake Edwards as the sailor that hitches a ride with Sam Masterson (Heflin).

Lewis Milestone (1895 – 1980) was a Russian-born American film director. He is a two-time Academy Award-winner for Best Director: Two Arabian Knights (1927) and All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). Other notable films directed by Milestone include The Front Page (1931), Of Mice and Men (1939), A Walk in the Sun (1945), Les Miserables (1952), and Ocean’s 11 (1960).

Barbara Stanwyck (1907 – 1990) was an American film star who got her acting start with a supporting role on Broadway in a play called The Noose (1926). The next year she had the lead in another Broadway production, Burlesque which was a huge hit. She eventually made it to Hollywood where her success was not immediate. Director Frank Capra saw something in Stanwyck and he educated her in filmmaking and film acting and the rest is history. Stanwyck was nominated four times for the Best Actress Oscar—Stella Dallas (1937), Ball of Fire (1941), Double Indemnity (1945), Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)—and remains one of the most beloved movie stars from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Van Heflin (1908 – 1971) was an American actor who performed on the radio, stage, and screen. Heflin played mostly character parts, but during the 1940s he had a run as a leading man. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Johnny Eager (1942). Heflin starred in Presenting Lily Mars (1943) with Judy Garland, Till the Clouds Roll By (1946), and Possessed (1947) with Joan Crawford. He starred opposite Lana Turner in Green Dolphin Street (1947) which was M-G-M’s biggest hit of the year. He served in World War II as a combat cameraman in the Ninth Air Force in Europe. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers was Heflin’s first film role after returning from war. He starred in two other pictures with Stanwyck: B.F.’s Daughter (1948) and East Side, West Side (1949). Helflin’s last role was as the bomber in Airport (1970).

Lizabeth Scott (1922 – 2015) was an American actress dubbed “The Threat” because she had a similar husky voice and screen persona as Lauren Bacall. Scott was understudy to Tallulah Bankhead in The Skin of Our Teeth but never got the opportunity to replace Bankhead’s run of the play. When Bankhead was replaced by Miriam Hopkins, Scott did go on for one night and received good reviews. It wasn’t long for Hollywood to take notice and producer Wallis signed her to a contract. She made her film debut as Ivy Hotchkiss in You Came Along (1945) with Robert Cummings. The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) was Scott’s second feature. She went on to star in Dead Reckoning (1947) with Humphrey Bogart, I Walk Alone (1947) with Burt Lancaster, and Dark City (1950) with Charlton Heston in his film debut. She had a falling out with producer Wallis after starring in Loving You (1957) with Elvis Presley and another Wallis contract player, Wendell Corey. She basically retired from film after Loving You but appeared on television sporadically during the 1950s and 1960s.

Director Milestone with Douglas, Heflin, and Stanwyck taking a break on the set

Questions for discussion:
1. Noir or not? Does this fit into what you consider a film noir?
2. Is there a femme fatale in this film? If yes, who is it?
3. Does this film remind you of another famous film noir?
4. Was the ending a surprise or did you expect it?
5. What did you think of the performances? Did one performance stand out to you?

Join us for a discussion of this film on Zoom, May 12 at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. The invitation with links is below.

Below is the movie on YouTube. Please use this link; there are many prints of this film on YouTube, but this one is the best by a mile.



Below is the Zoom invitation.

Stephen Reginald is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Discussion of "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers"
Time: May 12, 2020 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79269322150?pwd=c1dWVnFoS1hpMjFMTnNOeFVGRjN3Zz09

Meeting ID: 792 6932 2150
Password: 6G66Uq

Book Review: Hollywood Enigma: Dana Andrews

Hollywood Enigma: Dana Andrews by Carl Rollyson
The University Press of Mississippi, 2012

Dana Andrews was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars during the mid-1940s to early 1950s. A basically decent man, Andrews struggled with alcoholism for decades. His addiction affected his film career; other stars got roles that should have gone to him.

Carl Rollyson’s biography is comprehensive and fascinating. Rollyson obviously respects his subject, however, he is objective when it comes to some of the unattractive and disturbing incidents in Andrews’s life.

Andrews was born in Collins, Mississippi in 1904. His father, a Baptist minister, moved the family to Huntsville, Texas to accept a pastorate there. Somewhat rebellious, Andrews’s pursuit of an acting career was shunned by his strict parents. A talented singer, Andrews also studied opera. As soon as he was able, he moved to California to pursue his dream of acting success. He eventually became a regular performer at the famed Pasadena Playhouse where he met second wife, Mary Todd.

Andrews as Fred Derry in The Best Years of Our Lives,
perhaps his finest screen performance

Hollywood eventually came calling and Andrews was signed by legendary independent filmmaker Samuel Goldwyn in 1938. After some small and supporting roles in films like the Ox-Box Incident, Andrews hit pay dirt as Lieutenant Mark McPherson in Laura, playing opposite Gene Tierney. A critical and financial success, Dana Andrews was now a full-fledged movie star. Success, and all the trappings that came with it, was tough for Andrews to handle. His drinking started to get in the way of his career and personal life. Amazingly, for the years he was a major star, his drinking rarely affected his on-screen work.

Andrews worked with major directors like John Ford, Otto Preminger, Fritz Lang, William Wyler, and Lewis Milestone. If it weren’t for his drinking, Andrews may have starred in the classic films Gentlemen’s Agreement and Twelve O’Clock High, both going to Gregory Peck. He finally conquered his demons late in life and was able to enjoy acting on the stage with his wife. A family man at heart, Andrews loved his wife and family passionately, if not perfectly. Apart from learning a lot about Andrews the man and actor, the reader comes away with an understanding of what the life of a movie star was like under the studio system. As you might imagine, it wasn’t as glamorous as we were led to believe. Rollyson’s work is respectful and objective, painting a rich portrait of one of Hollywood’s most beloved  movie stars.

Hollywood Enigma: Dana Andrews is available at Amazon.com and bookstores everywhere.

Rollyson is a professor of journalism at Baruch College, CUNY. He is the author of more than thirty books, including the forthcoming American Isis: The Life and Death of Sylvia Plath and biographies of Marilyn Monroe, Lillian Hellman, Martha Gelhorn, Norman Mailer, Rebecca West, and Susan Sontag. He is the advisory editor of the Hollywood Legends Series.

Take a look at the Dana Andrews blogathon posts to learn more about the actor and his most famous movie roles by clicking here.