National Velvet is widely regarded as a children's classic, with its strongest appeal to preteenaged girls. Not according to imdb.com, however. Their user ratings have the film grading higher with men than with women, while those over 45 give the film higher scores than any other age demographic.

Like many classic family films, National Velvet is a movie that grandparents may enjoy more than their grandchildren. And why not, since they can better appreciate the high production values and nostalgic atmosphere.

They will recognize Elizabeth Taylor in her star-making performance, still a rosy-cheeked child bursting with energy and happiness. They will easily forgive the film's excess of sweetness and sentimentality, which sugar-coats the hardships that similar families must have faced. They may even believe that a twelve year old girl could beat professional jockeys in the nation's biggest race without having any real experience, when it is more likely that she would have fallen and been trampled.

But while the story has its lapses of credibility, it is after all a story, and one that delivers a healthy dose of values. Trust, honesty, and earnest ambition are rewarded. Some may doubt that Mrs. Brown's hundred pounds prize money could sit untouched in an attic trunk for two decades. But the spirit of her generosity in funding her daughter's dream is still moving.

'Mother' supporting roles are often a sign that a former leading actress is aging and her career is in decline. But this performance was different. Anne Revere made her character wise as well as generous, and she was rewarded with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

National Velvet is similar to Life With Father, in that both have Elizabeth Taylor, and both have a father who mistakenly feels that he is head of the household. While Life With Father was a comedy, to some extent so is National Velvet. The comic roles of the supporting child actors, and the subtle maneuvering of the mother to get her way, is common to both films.

Unlike William Powell, Donald Crisp doesn't exaggerate his part. He lays down the law only to see it evaporate, but is amused more often than frustrated at this outcome. Crisp had been a more stern patriarch in How Green Was My Valley (1941), for which he had won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

For those who know Angela Lansbury only as the middle-aged sleuth in "Murder She Wrote", she may be almost unrecognizable in National Velvet. Still a teenager, she plays the headstrong older sister of Elizabeth Taylor. Unluckily, her role fades as the story progresses.

Mickey Rooney has one of the best roles of his career, as the young drifter who must learn loyalty and responsibility. He lacks the mugging of his Andy Hardy outings, letting Taylor's energy dominate their mutual scenes.

National Velvet was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Director (Clarence Brown), Best Color Cinematography (Leonard Smith) and Best Interior Decoration. It won in the categories of Best Editing (Robert J. Kern) and Best Supporting Actress (Revere).

National Velvet was adapted into a short-lived television series in 1960, starring Lori Martin. The film was followed decades later by a poorly received sequel featuring Tatum O'Neal, International Velvet (1978). (75/100)

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Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8