Wild Stallion

Wild Stallion is directed by Lewis D. Collins and written by Dan Ullman. It stars Ben Johnson, Edgar Buchanan, Martha Hyer, Hayden Rorke and Hugh Beaumont. A Cinecolor production with music by Marlin Skiles and cinematography by Harry Neumann.

Unassuming family friendly Oater, Wild Stallion tells a simple story of a boy who loses his horse but upon entering adulthood seeks the equine out for a reunion. Story is book ended by Indian attacks, the first of which leaves young Dan Light an orphan and without his beloved Colt, and the middle section concentrates on Dan growing into a man, his loves, his yearnings and his dealings with the Cavalry. There's a mature thread in the mix dealing with the ethical treatment of horses, and it all builds to a finale where both man and beast have their heroic moments in the West. Hooray!

Nicely photographed around Simi Valley and Chatsworth and competently performed by the cast, Wild Stallion achieves its goals without fuss and filler. 6/10