Kentucky (1938)

We start at the outset of the American civil war when the Yankee "Dillon" family seize the thoroughbred horses of the Confederate sympathising "Goodwin" family. It's during this operation that young "Peter Goodwin" sees his father gunned down. Spool onwards 70-odd years and the feud is still alive and well. "Peter" (Walter Brennan) is now an old curmudgeon with an amazing eye for the horses, but whose family are a bit down on their luck. When their nemesis "Dillon" family, who control the local bank, refuse to give them a loan to invest in a new cotton plantation; young "John Dillon Jnr." (Richard Greene) decides to help them out by getting his father to honour a bet allow them to give the lately bereaved, and pretty broke, daughter "Sally" a pick of their two-year olds. The skilful eye of uncle "Peter" picks an untried black colt "Blue Grass" and some special training from Greene (who adopts an alias to avoid familial suspicions) turns the horse - and the ladies head - ahead of the Kentucky Derby. This is essentially a good looking reworking of "Romeo and Juliet" with an engaging performance from Oscar winning Brennan and some beautifully shot equine photography to support the otherwise unchallenging, feel good melodrama. It passes the time.