User Reviews

Stirring outdoor drama builds up a healthy sweat and wears its animal rights advocacy on its sleeve. Robert Culp doesn't shrink from the ugliness of alcohol addiction in his portrayal of the drunken veterinarian Orwell, who's too despondent to recognize that the brutalized stallion in his care holds the key to his redemption. The rancher's daughter who loves him, attractively played by Jena Engstrom, is aware of it though as she fights to tame the wild horse and Orwell's wild demons. The big roundup scene weds newly filmed moments to stock footage. The marriage works because the plucky fast riding of Culp, Engstrom and Randy Boone makes their running inserts blend smoothly into the old master shots.

In this Virginian story Randy Boone finds a spirited animal trapped in a swamp and sick with fever. He brings the horse to veterinarian Robert Culp whose skill is unrivaled but would rather be drinking than practicing his profession.

Culp recognizes it as a thoroughbred, but he wants nothing to do with the animal once it's better. At Shiloh his owner Don Barry claims. Barry is the one who brutalized the horse ansd turned him into a killer. But Lee J. Cobb with some money aand extra;legal persuasion gets Barry to part with the horse.

When the stallion is turned loose he becomes quite the hound running off all the mares from ranches miles around. Most want to shoot him on sight. But Boone, rancher's daughter Jena Engstrom and finally Culp want to trap and tame him.

Some nice performances by Culp and Barry as two men with differing views on the use and treatment of horses. Good horse story for those who like horse stories.