Phar Lap (film)
| Phar Lap | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster from the 1983 Phar Lap film.
|
|
| Directed by | Simon Wincer |
| Produced by | John Sexton |
| Written by | David Williamson |
| Starring |
Tom Burlinson Martin Vaughan Ron Leibman Judy Morris James Steele |
| Music by | Bruce Rowland |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
|
Release date
|
11 August 1983 (Australia) 13 April 1984 (USA) |
|
Running time
|
107 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$5 million |
| Box office | A$9,258,884 (Australia) |
Phar Lap (also released as Phar Lap: Heart of a Nation) is a 1983 film about the racehorse Phar Lap. The film stars Tom Burlinson and was written by famous Australian playwright David Williamson.
Phar Lap, known affectionately as "Bobby" by his strapper Tommy Woodcock (Burlinson), collapses and dies in Woodcock's arms, at Menlo Park in California, in 1932. The news is greeted with great sadness and anger in Australia. The remainder of the film is done as flashback.
Five years earlier, Phar Lap arrives in Australia, purchased unseen from New Zealand. His trainer Harry Telford (Martin Vaughan) and Telford's wife Vi watch as he's lowered onto the wharf by sling. Mrs Telford comments that she "wonders what his (Telford's) American friend (owner David Davis (Leibman)) will think?". Davis is not impressed with the underweight, wart-ridden colt, calling him a cross between a Sheep dog and a Kangaroo, and orders Telford to sell him immediately. Telford protests, saying that the horse's pedigree is exceptional, with Carbine on both sides of his bloodlines. Davis agrees to lease him to Telford for three years, keeping only one third of the winnings, though Telford must pay for his upkeep.
As Phar Lap is brought into the stables, he and Woodcock form a strong bond. When the young strapper complains about how hard Telford works the horse, Telford sacks him. He has to reinstate Woodcock when the horse stops eating.
Phar Lap fails badly in his first few races, but Woodcock educates the horse by holding him back in trackwork, sensing that he likes to come from behind. This pays off at the 1929 AJC Derby run at the Randwick Racecourse, Sydney. The film shows this as Phar Lap's first win although his first was actually the RRC Maiden Juvenile Handicap in the previous racing season. The win saves Phar Lap from being sold and Telford from bankruptcy.
...
Wikipedia