The Black Stallion

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The Black Stallion

G

Released Oct 17, 1979

1h 58m

Kids & Family

Adventure

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

32 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Alec (Kelly Reno) encounters a magnificent black Arabian horse while traveling aboard a steamship around the coast of North Africa with his father (Hoyt Axton). When a disaster destroys the ship, Alec frees the horse and escapes with it to a nearby island, where they form a close bond. When Alec is rescued, he insists the horse be rescued too, and both return to America. There, Alec and former jockey Henry (Mickey Rooney) work to train the horse, which Alec names The Black, for a race.

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Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

It's thrilling because the romanticism is a matter of style, not sentimentality.

Aug 12, 2022

Full Review

Michael Blowen

Boston Globe

The Black Stallion is a magical fable that basks in shimmering imagery, innocent wonder and the romantic longings that we thought Hollywood had left behind in the '50s.

Apr 28, 2018

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Breathtakingly beautiful, truly magical movie.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 28, 2010

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Despite the engagingly unanticipated complexity, the pacing is still slightly off; there isn’t a wealth of unnecessary moments, but some of them are stretched out and conspicuously unhurried.

Rated: 6/10

Aug 25, 2024

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Tom Huhn

Washington Blade

Visually, the picture is stunning. Few still photographs can match the splendour of shot after shot in this movie. The story and characters are remarkable as well, a delight for viewers of any age.

May 18, 2022

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

A very calming film that trusts its audience

Feb 26, 2020

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Robb M

This is really 2 movies in one. The first part is a magical movie The cinema photography is extraordinary. There is very little dialogue in the first part of the movie and everything is shown through the face of the main child actor and the placement of the camera. It is visually and cinematically a joy to watch. The performance by Hoyt Axton was surprisingly good. The second-half of the movie after the boy and the horse are rescued it's like an excellent Disney movie. Mickey Rooney sucks up all the air in the room in every scene he's acting in but Terry garr gives him a good run for his money. Watch this movie and pay attention the choices made by the director and how he moved his story along without hardly any dialogue it's such a pleasure to watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/23/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Really good family movie here starring Kelly Reno, And Mickey Rooney this was one of Mickey’s later Films but he did an excellent job on it and yes, I will recommend it James Welch, Henderson, Arkansas, November 29, 2023

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/30/23

Full Review

Stacey B

A classic. Great tale of a boy and his wild horse. A movie and book I loved as a child, and still enjoy and an adult.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/15/23

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Haidena

I like that it’s about a horse

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/24

Full Review

Chris W

A timeless classic. All children 7-12 years old should see this movie with their parents.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of the best movies of all time. Glorious cinematography.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

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Carroll Ballard

Director

Kelly Reno

Alec Ramsey

Mickey Rooney

Henry Dailey

Teri Garr

Alec's Mother

Clarence Muse

Snoe

Hoyt Axton

Alec's Father

The Black Stallion: Official Clip - The Sinking Ship

2:18

The Black Stallion: Official Clip - Freeing the Horse

1:50

The Black Stallion: Official Clip - Victory

2:00

The Black Stallion: Official Clip - Sugar Cubes for the Stallion

2:12

The Black Stallion: Official Clip - The Cobra

2:06

The Black Stallion: Official Clip - Riding the Stallion

2:10

The Black Stallion: Official Clip - Boy and Horse

2:13

The Black Stallion: Official Clip - Alec Meets the Stallion

1:14

The Black Stallion: Official Clip - First Time at the Track

2:03

The Black Stallion: Official Clip - Saved by the Stallion

1:52

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Synopsis

Alec (Kelly Reno) encounters a magnificent black Arabian horse while traveling aboard a steamship around the coast of North Africa with his father (Hoyt Axton). When a disaster destroys the ship, Alec frees the horse and escapes with it to a nearby island, where they form a close bond. When Alec is rescued, he insists the horse be rescued too, and both return to America. There, Alec and former jockey Henry (Mickey Rooney) work to train the horse, which Alec names The Black, for a race.

Director: Carroll Ballard
Producer: Fred Roos, Tom Sternberg
Screenwriter: Melissa Mathison, Jeanne Rosenberg, William D. Wittliff
Distributor: MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Omni Zoetrope
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 17, 1979, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 2, 2014
Runtime: 1h 58m
Sound Mix: Surround

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