My Brother Talks to Horses

Three words: Turner Classic Movies! Uncut and no commericals. Anyway, I saw this lovely movie last night and just loved it. The movie is a definite "animal" movie as the kid not only talks to horses, but dogs, chickens and other animals as well. The whole family is a little eccentric and Spring Byington fits that bill perfectly and was perfectly cast as the head of household and a woman with a truly open mind- ready to at least consider just about any possibility- rather than just shouting "NO" at any unusual idea. I try to be more like that- with the ability to accept change for what it is: inevitable. Her character does however, have the certainty of conviction that all change is for the better- I'm not so sure. Anyway, the movie does have it's sad parts- lessons of loss and recovery- greed and selflessness- all wrapped in a movie that not "too" preachy- there's even a funny chicken scene!

Many films have been made on animal empathy and this is no different. Butch Jenkins was a kid star of the late 40s and had made several films with Margaret O'Brien in that genre. However, here we also get a young Peter Lawford in his pre-Rat Pack days as Butch's older brother. The story is a typical 1940s escapist tale about a kid (Butch Jenkins) who has special empathy with horses, hence, the title. It all comes down to the old theme of having a gift and losing it and then regaining it. We are given a hint of this running in the family when Peter Lawford goes down the street and all the dogs in the town start to follow him. Well, since Jenkins is just a kid, it's up to Lawford to create the romantic interest a yarn like this must have and everything comes out OK in the end. No video, of course, so watch for it on the late show as it does air from time to time. Also, check out the old stock studio character actors, Edward Arnold, Spring Byington, OZ Whitehead, Charlie Ruggles and Jenkin's fellow kid actor, Gary Gray.

I saw this film once as a kid, but couldn't remember the title. I caught it by accident this morning and was pleasantly surprised. It was actually more enjoyable than I remembered.

The story is sweet and not unfamiliar: a family lives in Baltimore at the turn of the century. Papa has passed away so Mama takes in boarders. The elder son (John) is very serious and takes care of his mother and younger brother (Lewie) by working at the bank. Of course, John has a fiancée whose plans for marriage keep getting put on the back burner.

The characters are very colorful: Lewie can communicate with horses. The mother is very innocent and thinks nothing of Lewie's horse chats because she sees supernatural things herself. The boarder (Mr. Puddy) is an inventor working on a beer bottle made from pretzel flour ("Eat a little, drink a little" he says wistfully). During dinner (Mama makes things like Kelp Soup) explosions are heard coming from Mr. Puddy's room. No one mentions it.

The dialogue and characters are reminiscent of "Arsenic and Old Lace", only they seem more natural. In my favorite scene Lewie is getting his back tickled by his mom. They're just having a very natural conversation and every time his mom stops tickling, he says, "More, more". I've played that scene in real life with my mom when I was little and now with my daughter. You don't see scenes like that in movies made today!

Being set in Baltimore, the story ends with a scene at Preakness, but I definitely don't want to give it away. I just want to encourage everyone to watch this film if you never have. It'll make you happy!

"Butch" Jenkins (as Lewie Penrose) is a boy who can communicate with horses. He lives with his brother Peter Lawford (as John) and a group of eccentrics. A trip to the racetrack results in the inevitable: Young Mr. Jenkins talks to the races horses, and accurately picks winners; of course, this attracts the unsavory...

The focus, and pace, of "My Brother Talks to Horses" is very weak. By far, the most appealing characters are the ones played by Jenkins and Ernest Whitman (as Mordecai). However appealing the other elements are (and, stuff like the edible beer bottle is appealing), they distract from, rather than compliment, the film. During the film's downtime, you have to wonder what Rod Serling or Alfred Hitchcock could have done with Jenkins and his horse sense.

*** My Brother Talks to Horses (2/4/47) Fred Zinnemann ~ Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins, Peter Lawford, Ernest Whitman

I read somewhere that the child actor Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins retired at the age of eleven (11) due to his developing a stutter. Sadly, we miss his great acting and timely delivery of his lines. Case in point is his charming portrayal as the young boy Lewie Penrose who has developed the unique ability to talk to horses and thus pick the winners at Pimlico Racetrack in Baltimore Maryland.

This is the type of film that was designed to leave the entire family with a smile on their faces and a kick in their step. It has a good story line of a family struggling to get by but who hold on to big dreams and create some strange inventions such as an edible beer bottle that just needs a bit more tweaking before going to market.

It is a nice little picture that the entire family should enjoy even three quarters of a century after its original release date in 1947.

I give it a solid 7 out of 10 IMDB rating