The Galloping Major
The Galloping Major (1951)
Tagline: "The galloping laugh hit!""
Starring: Basil Radford, Jimmy Hanely, Janette Scott, A. E. Matthews, Rene Ray
Featured Racecourse: Aintree, Alexandra Park
Director: Henry Cornelius
Producer: Monja Danischewsky
Writers: Monja Danischewsky, Henry Cornelius, Basil Radford
Release Date: May 1951
Runtime: 82 mins (B&W)
IMDB Synopsis: A syndicate is set up by a horse lover to buy a particular racehorse, but they accidentally buy the wrong horse. The horse is useless on the flat, so they decide to enter him as a jumper.
Where to Buy: Amazon
Personal Review
Major Arthur Hill is a pet shop owner and a horse racing aficionado who lives in the fictional London Borough of Lambs Green. He manages to settle a debt he owes by winning a large sum of money on a horse called Montana Miss and he falls in love with the horse and wants to own it. He creates a racing syndicate with the help of the residents of Lambs Green and sets about trying to buy the horse after it wins a seller. However he ends up buying the wrong horse, Fathers Folly, who has limited ability on the flat but who shows a liking for jumping. The syndicate set about training the horse themselves with the ultimate aim of running him in the Grand National.
A lighthearted sports comedy production by Cornelius and Danischewsky which was made two years after their hit success Passport to Pimlico. The documentary sections at the beginning and mid-way through the film are very entertaining and you get a good feel for life in London following World War Two (the street and bus garage scenes were apparently filmed in Holloway). I particularly like the acting and demeanor of Basil Radford who plays Major Arthur Hill in the film and was saddened to learn that he died the following year on set of a sudden heart attack. The role of Harold Temple played by Hugh Griffith was fairly weak and I much prefer him in other films, such as The Bargee (1967). A. E. Matthews who played the cantankerous Sir Robert Medleigh was extremely funny with some classic one liners (see quotes below) and it was great to see cameo roles from some of my all time favourite actors; Charles Hawtrey, Kenneth Moore and Sid James.
The majority of racing scenes were filmed at Alexandra Park racecourse (1868-1970) also known as "Ally Pally" which used to be situated right in front of Alexandra Palace in Muswell Hill. The course was also called the "Frying Pan" due to it's unique design with a straight run in and a pear shaped loop at one end - in some races the horses used to start at the finish line, run up the straight around the oval and back down the straight - similar to longer races at Salisbury and Hamilton today but with much tighter bends (see pictures below). The final scenes used real footage from one of the Aintree Grand Nationals around the time with thrills and spills a plenty - luckily the race has been made a lot safer these days! The Grand National footage was interspersed with comical footage of Major Hill on board The Galloping Major which fondly reminded me of the Harry Enfield jockey sketches.
I found this an entertaining movie with a good cast and great filming locations, especially Ally Pally, but the story line was quite weak and had a totally unbelievable ending. (Rating 6/10)
Favourite Quotes
Sir Robert Medleigh: "Pity, good chap, won the Grand Military medal, '23 I think, his father's horse. What's he doing now?"
Club Member: "Keeps a pet shop I believe in Lambs Green."
Sir Robert Medleigh: "Well that's about right, funny family, keep anything. Do you know what his father did? Kept a French women in Dieppe."
Sir Robert Medleigh: "I'm not a rich man but I might as well enjoy all I've got, no one to leave it to, excepting my daughter, but she does Morris dancing, can't stand her."
MOVIE STILLS
