Compagnons d'infortune

Stablemates is a classic family story about a boy, his horse, and his "Pop". It will make you laugh and it will make you cry. Stablemates is a sweet little film that leaves you with an all around good feeling. If you have a soft spot for older movies, you will enjoy this one. Watching this oldie, but goody reminds us that the world isn't such a dreary place after all. It was a lot of fun to watch.

A fairly routine story which telegraphs much of its storyline and is, by and large, an unremarkable horse story. But there is a difference in this one - this one stars Mickey Rooney, one of Hollywood's brightest, most talented stars. And that makes all the difference.

Mickey is a track stableboy who loves the horse he is assigned, so much so that he buys the horse for a song when its owner gives up on it. He teams up with Wallace Beery, who turns out to be an ex-veterinarian but is now an alcoholic hobo. Together they turn the horse into a champion, with a few side stories thrown in for good measure.

Rooney and Beery play well off each other, two pros doing what they do best. Mickey can turn on the tears whenever needed and Beery could play a slob better than anyone. There are some good character acting alongside the pair, but those two make the picture go all by themselves. "Stablemates" is 'B' picture material with top shelf Hollywood actors.

Former horse trainer Tom Terry (Wallace Beery) is a drunk. Stable boy Mickey (Mickey Rooney) aspires to be a jockey. They become friends and go on the road with a horse.

Beery and Rooney are a good pairing. They have good chemistry and comedic timing. This is a fine road story and these are good characters. Margaret Hamilton has a good section. It's fine family entertainment.

This is one film which needs only to be described by its title and the co-stars' names, "'Stablemates' - starring Wallace Beery and Mickey Rooney!" is all you really need to know. Both performers play their regular on-screen personalities; no "acting" stretch is required (or needed). Mr. Rooney is an orphaned teenaged jockey with an ailing racehorse named "Lady Q". Mr. Beery is an alcoholic veterinarian who needs to clean-up. The inevitable happens.

They decide to become father and son, "'til death do us part." But, the relationship is challenged by the bottle and the big race. Rooney gets to show off his trim physique in some shirtless scenes. Marvelous Margaret Hamilton (as Beulah Flanders) has a small, but sweet, supporting role. The industry standard "Quigley Poll" of box office stars had Rooney at #4 and Beery at #12 for the year 1938, and this film was, as Rooney says within, "made to order."

****** Stablemates (10/7/38) Sam Wood ~ Mickey Rooney, Wallace Beery, Margaret Hamilton, Arthur Hohl

I agree with the person who wrote that the title Stablemates starring Mickey Rooney and Wallace Beery is all you need to know about this film, it practically tells you what's going to happen. But the reason is because these two stars with their indelible images at the heights of their respective careers explains all. Beery and Rooney are two of the greatest scene stealers of all time in the movies and director Sam Wood must have felt like a referee since a whole lot of the film is just with these two.

Rooney is an orphan kid who hustles a few dollars at the racetrack and Beery is a drunk whose inebriation belies the fact he knows a great deal about the sport of kings. When Rooney gets a horse from Oscar O'Shea that's about to be shipped to the glue factory for failing to live up to his promise, we learn a great deal about Beery. It seems he was a promising veterinarian and he performs a delicate operation that relieves a small tumor on the horse's hoof. After that its Rooney, Beery and the horse three for one and one for three.

Later on we also find out that Beery is wanted on a manslaughter rap and that's the reason he's kept a low and drunken profile for years. Still the two of them have the horse entered in a big stakes race and will they get to achieve their goal.

Stablemates also has a nice performance from Margaret Hamilton a five time widow with whom the two Stablemates take shelter. She'd kind of like to make Beery number six and Wally with some trepidation is ready to go for it. Can't be worse than jail.

The tracks in the California area provide the authentic atmosphere. A lot of the film was shot on the Bay Meadows track area in Burlington, California.

But Stablemates is first and foremost a star vehicle for two very big stars in every sense of the word.