Gallant Bess

My mother drove me to school, one morning when I was nine. On the way, she mystified me by announcing she'd pick me up early. She wouldn't say why, just smiled and said it'd be a surprise. In my family, you did't skip school for anything less than snow, illness, or death. so this was odd.

I wondered about the surprise thing all morning. At noon, Mom picked me up and drove me home. My favorite lunch was waiting on the table. I thought that was the surprise, but no, she said, something else was yet to come....

After lunch, she planted the two of us in front of the TV and told me, "There's a special movie on, this afternoon. I want you to see it."

It was "Gallant Bess."

I was a horse-crazy little girl with my own horse standing in a corral out back, but I remember being extraordinarily touched by "Gallant Bess." The adults in my life were still talking about WWII as if it'd just happened, so that seemed very close to me, too. I felt for that farm boy who lost his mare, Bess, to the WWII cause, and found her again, in what I was told was based on a true story. By the end, I was so caught up in empathizing with that young man and the horse, the ending seemed scary and amazing and is still clear in my mind's eye.

I suppose, compared to the high-tech, computer-enhanced images of today's films, "Gallant Bess" may seem mild. Those were simpler times. Maybe the acting's not outstanding, but there's a goodly amount of action and suspense.

This film impressed my mother so much that she took me out of school to see it. Once I'd seen it, I understood why. If you like a moving animal story, or if you've got a horse-crazy little kid in your house, y'all should see it, too.

I saw this movie as a young horse crazy girl. It was a tear jerker and heart warmer. A beautiful story of friendship and the loyalty of a magnificent animal and the hardships of war. I get teary eyed just thinking about the story. I hope that someday it will be available on video or DVD. I would love for my son to be able to see it. If you are lucky enough to see it, it is well worth the tissues.

To any Bess fans...

Here is the true story behind how Bess was saved and how the movie came to be...

The movie script was written around the true story of a man named Arthur Parker, born and raised by Joseph Parker on a horse ranch in the late 1800s/early 1900s in Montana. At age 16, Art lied about his age to join the U.S. Navy, and began his long military career, personally knowing Pancho Villas in the Spanish-American War, and serving in World War I. He later earned his wings as one of the Navy's earliest enlisted aviators, and eventually became friends with Charles Lindbergh and helped in the construction of the Spirit of St. Louis. Rivets that he punched by hand while helping in the construction of the aircraft can still be seen in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.

Art was on active duty and was actually in Pearl Harbor on that fateful day in 1941 that signaled American involvement in W.W.II and received a Purple Heart due to injuries sustained during the attack. Towards the end of his career as an active duty serviceman, and after having achieved the highest enlisted rank of Chief Boatswain, Art was stationed in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.

A sugar cane farmer that had befriended Art due to their mutual interest and previous experience in rearing horses contacted Art after a Japanese air raid. A filly and foal had become injured by flying shrapnel from the falling Japanese bombs. Though the foal was terminally infected at this point, the filly was rescued and returned to full health, with only minimal scarring on one rear quarter. Having raised and trained horses on his father's ranch as a child, Art raised and quickly trained "Bess", and she became a pet and unit mascot, sleeping among the sailors in Art's camp, and being treated to morning coffee and other treats, just like the other sailors. She was also quickly trained to flee to a sandbagged cave that the sailors constructed for her for protection when the air raid sirens blared, hence the nick name "Foxhole Flicca" (not her real name).

When Art was ordered to return to the U.S. at the end of his tour, he was denied repeated attempts for permission to transport Bess to the U.S. on government ships until the First Lady, Mrs. Roosevelt, learned of the story, and quickly, a stall and hay were fashioned and stored aboard ships for the horse and master for their trip back stateside.

Upon reaching the States, and the story about her rescue and transport to the U. S. became circulated, Bess and Art were, in circles, celebrities. Art and Bess toured with the U.S.O., with Bess performing stage tricks, such as counting, etc.

Shortly after the U.S.O. tours, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contacted Art in regards to a movie based on his experiences saving Gallant Bess (her true full name). Though the movie bears minimal resemblance to the actual rescue and story, further pictures were planned based on "The Adventures of Gallant Bess", but due to contractual disputes between Art and MGM (the movie "Gallant Bess" did not follow the true story, as had been initially promis ed Art by MGM, though Art did act as an advisor to the movie. Bess did star as herself, and Art did have a cameo role in the movie, calming Bess in a scene where the actor Marshall Thomas, playing the role of Art, couldn't calm Bess during a violent storm, but the character Art played, could.), Art refused to work with MGM.

Bess, with Art as her trainer and master, went on to star in other movies with actors such as Charles Lindbergh (a close family friend by now), Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, and others, and eventually retired in Grass Valley, California, in the late 1950s.

Bess gave birth to Gallant Pat in the early 1960s and was put to sleep at the University of California, Davis, around 1967 due to a brain tumor. Arthur Parker subsequently died of natural causes in 1983, at age 86.

Shortly before graduating high school while on a "date" with my father, my mother entered the barn holding my father's and grandfather's horses. On the floor at the door of the entrance to the barn was a cemented plaque that stated "The Home Of Gallant Bess". Mom asked Dad why they had named one of their horses after the movie, and Dad told Mom the movie was named after Grandpa Art's horse, Gallant Bess.

That's the true story of how Grandpa Art rescued Bess (though I never knew her, Dad, Mom, and Uncle Richard all rode her as kids).

Though the entire story behind Grandpa's adventures sound like the script to an all-too-cliche' movie, the story is all true. Amazing as it is, it's a wonder that MGM forsaw the need to change any part of it to make "Gallant Bess" seem any more spectacular.

If you are lucky enough to ever come across a copy of the movie, my family would greatly appreciate information as to how you got it. We have albums of autographed pictures of Liz Taylor riding Bess, Judy Garland on Grandpa's lap, as a kid, and memorabilia from Charles Lindburgh, and from filming the movie "Gallant Bess", including the original contract signed by MGM agents and Grandpa' Art, though no one has been able to attain a copy of the movie itself.

I have attempted several attempts to find out who now owns the rights to the movie, and from what I understand, TCM (Turner Classic Movies, Ted Turner) owns the rights. I have inquired TCM on several attempts, with full explanation as to my connection to the movie, as to where I might get a copy of the movie for familial archives, but have never even received a courtesy reply.

Again, any comments, further true accounts or corrections to this post may be directed to my email address, MrPex@Prodigy.net. Any help in finding a copy of the movie, or input from anyone involved with the movie or any of the other events would be greatly appreciated and welcomed by me and my family.

Regards,

Chris Parker

This is one of two war movie ( The other was Sargent York)that I remember enjoying as a youth. I love movies with horses. Other movies I enjoyed are My Friend Flicka, Thunderhead(Son of Flicka) and Tonka(Disney movie). There was plenty of action in the film and a lot of sentiment. It has been a long time since I saw this movie. However, I liked it so much, I can close my eyes and mental see the story. I have been searching for a copy of this movie for several years.

This is such a great movie. I had a friend contact Bridgestone, (I think that is the name) a company that sometimes is able to put movies on tape for sale. I guess they get permission although I have no idea how it works. But I heard the company couldn't or wouldn't get Gallant Bess taped. Anyway, it finally aired on January 11 on Turner Classic movies and I taped most of it. I missed the credits. But now I have a copy for my daughter. We loved it. It was the first time I had seen it in 40 some years. I was thrilled. I felt like a kid again. I urge anyone that loves a good old horse story to get Turner Classic Movies to release it. Or at least air it more on TV. It is a cool story for Veterans Day or Memorial Day too. Good luck.