Thunderhead--Son of Flicka

Roddy McDowall.

In the 1940s, the biggest producer of children-and-animal films was MGM--not Disney. The studio knew it had a winning formula when the 1943 adaptation of Eric Knight's children classic, Lassie Come Home, blossomed into a boxoffice hit. An added bonus was that the biggest human star in Lassie was young Roddy McDowall, who had garnered fine reviews for a supporting role in How Green Was My Valley. With no large salaries to pay and low production costs (thanks to a lot of outdoor scenes), the studio had to be cheerfully counting its profits.

A Flicka suncatcher.

While MGM launched a Lassie series built around its canine star, Twentieth Century-Fox cast the likable McDowall in My Friend Flicka (1943), another boy-and-animal movie based on a bestseller. Adapted from Mary O'Hara's novel, Flicka told the story of ten-year-old Ken McLaughlin (McDowell), who lives on a Wyoming ranch with his parents and older brother. Ken, who struggles to gain acceptance in his father's eyes, convinces his parents to let him raise a colt. He picks a spirited sorrel filly that he names Flicka (Swedish for "girl"). With mustang in her bloodline, Flicka has a wild streak that almost results in her death--but Ken nurses her back to health. He and Flicka form a strong bond and Ken's father begins to recognize his son's inner strength.

When My Friend Flicka repeated Lassie Come Home's success, Fox rushed out a Flicka sequel the following year. Thunderhead--Son of Flicka again headlined McDowall, who was becoming a dependable young star. It opens with Ken, who is now 12, learning that Flicka is pregnant. It turns out that Ken paired up Flicka with Appalachia, an expensive race horse owned by a neighbor. Fortunately, when the neighbor finds out, he doesn't file a lawsuit against the McLaughlins. In fact, he lets Ken keep the spunky white colt, which is named Goblin.

Goblin grows into a stubborn horse that tries even Ken's patience. Meanwhile, a wild mustang known as The Albino, makes off with a couple of the McLaughlin mares. That doesn't sit well with Banner, the head horse of the McLaughlin herd. A showdown looms between Banner and The Albino, but where does Goblin--whom Ken's Mom had decided to rename Thunderhead--fit into the horsey hierarchy?

Thunderhead--Son of Flicka is a pretty-looking--but sloppy--sequel, a far cry from its quality predecessor. After bringing back most of Flicka's cast, Thunderhead gives them nothing to do. Heck, even Flicka pretty much disappears from the proceedings after Goblin is born. Despite McDowall's efforts, Ken is less likable this time around--spending the family's hard-earned money on a horse racing scheme and, as mentioned earlier, using Appalachia for free. Preston Foster and Rita Johnson, as Ken's parents, are saddled with inane dialogue ("Ken, be careful"). James Bell, as a ranch hand, comes off best (though I identify him so closely with The Leopard Man that it was hard to trust his character). 

That leaves Goblin--I mean, Thunderhead--to carry the film. He certainly is a handsome stallion and, once he figures out his destiny, shows surprising maturity. In fact, despite the film's flaws, I somehow found its ultimate resolution to be oddly satisfying. That doesn't justify the 70 minutes that led up to it, but at least it's a consolation prize.

MGM finished off Mary O'Hara Flicka trilogy with 1948's Green Grass of Wyoming, which replaced the entire cast from Thunderhead. Peggy Cummins stars as the protagonist, with Charles Coburn as her grandfather and Burl Ives as Gus. Thunderhead, now head of the wild mustang herd, plays a major role in this installment, too. Charles Clarke earned an Academy Award nomination for his cinematography in Green Grass of Wyoming.

The Flicka novels have remained popular over the years. A My Friend Flicka TV series appeared in 1956 and lasted a season. Tim McGraw starred in a 2006 film, simply called Flicka, which was loosely based on O'Hara's novel.

This review is part of the Classic Movie Horseathon hosted by My Love of Old Hollywood. Click here to view the full schedule of equine film reviews.