The Red Pony (1973)

Set near on the Monterey coast, a young boy (Clint Howard) has difficulty in his relationship with his father (Henry Fonda). Things are temporarily alleviated when his father gifts the boy with a colt. Based on the episodic novel by John Steinbeck (EAST OF EDEN) which was previously filmed in 1949 and directed by Robert Totten (DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER). Despite the elimination of a major character (Billy Buck), the film is fairly faithful to the Steinbeck novel although like the 1949 film version, the killing of Nellie the mare is jettisoned and she and her colt are allowed to live. This being a family film I assume the writers thought the killing of Nellie would be too traumatic to young children. It's a decent if unexceptional rendering of the Steinbeck novel. At ages 68 and 58 respectively, Fonda and Maureen O'Hara seem a bit mature to be the parents of a 12 year old boy. The Emmy award winning score by Jerry Goldsmith (PATTON) owes a lot to Aaron Copland's acclaimed score to the 1949 version. With Ben Johnson, Jack Elam and Julian Rivero.