This is a documentary short on raising a horse for harness racing. This short film was one in a series that Warner Brothers called The Sports Parade. It's a colorful film with folksy narration and charm provided by Knox Manning who made a living narrating or serving as a commentator or radio announcer in films. As with any short film (of 10 minutes in duration), there isn't nearly enough time to cover this topic in any depth. However, the points about the positioning of the horses' legs during racing were interesting. Harold Medford wrote the script for this and ended up writing for movies and television into the 1970's. The film was also Oscar-nominated as best short subject, and it's a typically pleasant short from a bygone era. ** of 4 stars.
7 Reviews
Almost everything you ever wanted to know about harness horses...
Doylenf30 April 2008
Unless you're a devoted horse racing fan, I doubt whether this will be of more than average interest to the viewer. Some fine points about the difference between "trotters" and "pacers" is interesting, and both kinds of harness horses are depicted doing their thing--sometimes in slow motion to better illustrate the points being made.
The short starts with the birth of a young foal who is standing on his own wobbly feet within thirty-five minutes. The care that trainers have to demonstrate in training the young horse for their ultimate destination on the racetrack is shown, as is their remarkable patience in putting the horses through their paces so that they have the "style, stamina and speed" necessary for the country fair.
Of limited appeal, and the footage is all from a 16mm print of the film in muddy color that is not in the greatest shape for showing on TCM.
The short starts with the birth of a young foal who is standing on his own wobbly feet within thirty-five minutes. The care that trainers have to demonstrate in training the young horse for their ultimate destination on the racetrack is shown, as is their remarkable patience in putting the horses through their paces so that they have the "style, stamina and speed" necessary for the country fair.
Of limited appeal, and the footage is all from a 16mm print of the film in muddy color that is not in the greatest shape for showing on TCM.
If you want to know the difference between a "pacer" and a "trotter" . . .
pixrox127 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
. . . then I guess this 10-minute, 22-second short is the film for you. If, on the other hand, you don't give squat about horses, you might as well skip KINGS OF THE TURF, because there is little of interest here beyond occasionally anthropomorphic equine chatter. A colt is born, but--this being the 1940s, viewers do NOT see it actually sliding out. (At 90 pounds, seeing the logistics of HOW this baby hit the straw could have been interesting.) Narrator Knox Manning had earlier proclaimed the mare was "infanticipating;" KINGS OF THE TURF is chock-full of cutesy 1940s lingo such as that. If Knox mentioned the difference between this colt "Mortimer" (or, more frequently, "Morty")'s "standard breeding," and Triple Crown entrants' "thorough" conceptions, I must have missed it, not being much of a horse person. PETA members may get a tad queasy seeing training weights being nailed to the bottom of Morty's feet here. If I got it straight, Morty was bred to become a harness racing pacer, who must have one foot on the ground at all times, rather than a slower sulky-pulling trotter, whose feet can contact the ground Willy Nilly, as long as they don't "break stride," whatever that means. I still say "Mr. Ed" is more fun!
Fun Short
Michael_Elliott24 February 2009
Kings of the Turf (1941)
*** (out of 4)
Part of Warner's "Sports Parade" series, this Technicolor short received an Oscar-nomination. The short takes a look at how horses are selected and trained for harness racing. We see a new horse being born, taking his first few steps and then the training of the animal until the day comes when he's able to race. If you're a fan of animals or racing in general then you'll probably get some entertainment out of this short, which runs just under ten minutes. There's certainly nothing ground breaking or Earth shattering here but the film remains mildly entertaining throughout its short running time. The best sequence is early on when the horse is being born and we're left outside with the nervous father who is causing all sorts of trouble waiting for the birth of his new son. This here is certainly a very funny sequence as is the horse trying to take its first steps.
*** (out of 4)
Part of Warner's "Sports Parade" series, this Technicolor short received an Oscar-nomination. The short takes a look at how horses are selected and trained for harness racing. We see a new horse being born, taking his first few steps and then the training of the animal until the day comes when he's able to race. If you're a fan of animals or racing in general then you'll probably get some entertainment out of this short, which runs just under ten minutes. There's certainly nothing ground breaking or Earth shattering here but the film remains mildly entertaining throughout its short running time. The best sequence is early on when the horse is being born and we're left outside with the nervous father who is causing all sorts of trouble waiting for the birth of his new son. This here is certainly a very funny sequence as is the horse trying to take its first steps.
Hoof hearted---5/10.
highclark27 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Hoof hearted---5/10.
If you love to watch horses trot and prance around a racetrack in slow motion, or if you're someone who enjoys listening to a constant rambling narrative provided by Knox Manning, then you'll feel ripped off that this film is only ten minutes long.
'Kings of the Turf' is only one in a series of shorts (The Sports Parade) that showcase different animals and their varying characteristics through humor and education while inside their own or man made environments. In this short film, 'The Sports Parade' is out at the racetrack.
The shorts were the brainchild of Del Frazier and they predate 'Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom' by twenty years. Although I'm not sure as to where the shorts were originally shown, whether in movie theaters before a feature film or as instructional movies inside the pre pubescent classrooms of America, they seem to have found a home these days on Turner Classic Movies. I'd like to imagine that these shorts were originally shown in the movie theaters. And that before a film like 'Citizen Kane' or 'Rebecca' could get started, people inside the movie theater would have to watch a horse giving birth or run in slow motion, sort of like what the 'Fandango Ticket Puppets' provide as pre-movie entertainment for today's moviegoers.
After watching Frazier's 'Kings of the Turf', I can't wait to see some of the other movies in the series, most notably, 'The Diary of a Racing Pigeon'.
If you were to screen this movie for a paying crowd, I wouldn't bet a dime on too many people to show.
5/10. Clark Richards
If you love to watch horses trot and prance around a racetrack in slow motion, or if you're someone who enjoys listening to a constant rambling narrative provided by Knox Manning, then you'll feel ripped off that this film is only ten minutes long.
'Kings of the Turf' is only one in a series of shorts (The Sports Parade) that showcase different animals and their varying characteristics through humor and education while inside their own or man made environments. In this short film, 'The Sports Parade' is out at the racetrack.
The shorts were the brainchild of Del Frazier and they predate 'Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom' by twenty years. Although I'm not sure as to where the shorts were originally shown, whether in movie theaters before a feature film or as instructional movies inside the pre pubescent classrooms of America, they seem to have found a home these days on Turner Classic Movies. I'd like to imagine that these shorts were originally shown in the movie theaters. And that before a film like 'Citizen Kane' or 'Rebecca' could get started, people inside the movie theater would have to watch a horse giving birth or run in slow motion, sort of like what the 'Fandango Ticket Puppets' provide as pre-movie entertainment for today's moviegoers.
After watching Frazier's 'Kings of the Turf', I can't wait to see some of the other movies in the series, most notably, 'The Diary of a Racing Pigeon'.
If you were to screen this movie for a paying crowd, I wouldn't bet a dime on too many people to show.
5/10. Clark Richards
Marty sure did Change looks
cinbar-020067 October 2020
The film was very entertaining and cute but with some major flaws as far as I'm concerned. I happen to be a horse person and own horses. I felt like they assumed it wouldn't be noticed that they used a different horse for every new stage of life scene with Morty. Starting with the gray foal (baby horse) being born with no white markings whatsoever. Then the breaking of the "Bay" yearling with one white sock,a star and a snip.The #3 horse (Morty) in the race also had different markings. Even when identifying the Draft horse breeds in the pre race exhibition, he misidentified a Belgian! I guess for an audience that doesn't know anything about horses it wasn't a big deal but I just feel that they should have more respect for the horse world and horse enthusiast when making a movie about horses! For this reason alone I was surprised it was nominated for an Emmy
Harness Racers
boblipton12 February 2024
Knox Manning narrates this Oscar-nominated short subject about the birth, youth, and training of a high-bred harness-racing horse called Mortimer.
There's a lot of anthropomorphism in Manning's monologue. I'm not a fan of horse racing, but I know several fans of harness racing, and they act like they're personal friends with the subjects of their bets.
Like many of the Oscar-nominated Warner shorts before the the Second World War, the beauty of the Technicolor visuals is paramount. The browns and the velvety blacks are particularly prominent in the pretty good print that plays on Turner Classic Movies.
There's a lot of anthropomorphism in Manning's monologue. I'm not a fan of horse racing, but I know several fans of harness racing, and they act like they're personal friends with the subjects of their bets.
Like many of the Oscar-nominated Warner shorts before the the Second World War, the beauty of the Technicolor visuals is paramount. The browns and the velvety blacks are particularly prominent in the pretty good print that plays on Turner Classic Movies.
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