Roddy McDowall really hated Flicka because she always kept stepping on his foot. In fact he called her a mean bitch.
My friend Flicka was filmed in Utah when Roddy was about 14 years old. Parts of the film were shot in Duck Creek, Aspen Mirror Lake, Rockville Road, Strawberry Valley, Johnson Canyon, Zion National Park, and Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah.
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation on June 7, 1943, with Roddy McDowall and Rita Johnson reprising their film roles.
Mary O'Hara's popular book first appeared in condensed versions in the Jan-Feb 1941 issue of Story Magazine and in the Aug 1941 issue of Red Book Magazine. A Nov 1941 LAEx news item announced that My Friend Flicka had been purchased specifically as a vehicle for Roddy McDowall in recognition of the critical acclaim he received for his role in Best Picture winner How Green Was My Valley (1941), the John Ford-directed classic about the tribulations of a Welsh mining family. Twentieth Century-Fox was eager to find substantial parts to showcase the talents of juvenile actor Roddy McDowall, who had garnered critical acclaim for his portrayal of young Huw. My Friend Flicka offered just such an opportunity.
On 4 Nov 1948, Claude Jarmon starred in The Hallmark Playhouse's radio broadcast of the story.