Home In Indiana (1944)

A troubled and rebellious teen (Lon McCallister) is sent to live with his aunt (Charlotte Greenwood) and uncle (Walter Brennan) on a rundown former horse breeding farm. His love for horses helps him bond with his uncle and they attempt to turn a foal into a champion harness racer. Based on the book THE PHANTOM FILLY by George Agnew Chamberlain and directed by Henry Hathaway (NORTH TO ALASKA). This Technicolor homespun tale is part animal movie (think NATIONAL VELVET) and part young romance as sophisticated June Haver and tomboyish Jeanne Crain both attract McCallister's attention. It's the horse movie that features the more compelling storyline. The young players are attractive with enough spark (it's easy to see why Crain quickly became a popular fan favorite) to hold their own with the horses. It may be corn but there's enough impartial emotion that you don't have to feel manipulated when you get teary eyed at the film's end. The Technicolor cinematography by Edward Conjager (1943's HEAVEN CAN WAIT) was nominated for an Oscar and with a score by Hugo Friedhofer. Remade in 1957 as APRIL LOVE. With Willie Best, Charles Dingle, Robert Condon and George Reed.