Bearing in mind the box-office appeal of Austria as depicted in 'Sissi', 'The von Trapp Family' and his own studio's 'Almost Angels', Uncle Walt Disney, acknowledged king of the feel good/family movie, must have felt he was on to a winner with this one but the film fared badly both critically and commercially.
Capably directed by Arthur Hiller in his only film for Disney, it is loosely based upon the memoirs of Alois Podhajsky, Olympic medallist, one of the greatest dressage riders of all time and director of Vienna's Spanish Riding School whose single-mindedness and determination in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds secured the survival and future breeding of the famed Lippizan breed whilst maintaining the glorious tradition of the haute école that had been established in the Renaissance.
Nebraskan Robert Taylor, back on the big screen after a spell in television, would seem an odd choice to play Podhajsky and is obviously cast with a view to North American distribution but his appealing personality and undoubted star quality enable him to carry it off. He also has the great good fortune to be playing opposite the wondrous Lili Palmer who enriches every film in which she appears and who provides a perfect balance.
Mention must be made of Curt Jurgens who once again plays the role that suits him to a tee, that of the good German who happens to be a Nazi. As cultured General Tellheim his melancholic monologue at the piano whilst playing 'forbidden' Jewish composer Mendelssohn is one of the film's highlights. Great support as always from Eddie Albert and as a bonus the classy Brigitte Horney is perfectly cast as an Austrian aristocrat. Charles Regnier is the dyed-in-the wool 'I am only obeying orders' Nazi, the refugees are portrayed as thieves and scavengers and apart from the one-dimensional General Patton of John Larch, most of the American soldiers are good natured hicks.
The final scene of the performing Lippizaners in the arena of the Spanish Riding School after ten years in exile is of course magnificent, with Taylor, Palmer, Horney and James Franciscus looking not a day older than they did in 1945!
There are those who proudly declare that they have no interest in equine activity and they have my deepest sympathy whilst those of us who have seen these noble creatures in action owe Podhajsky an immeasurable debt.
