Hollywood Hoofbeats

The horses that captured the moviegoers' hearts are the common denominator in Hollywood Hoofbeats. As author Petrine Day Mitchum writes, "the movies as we know them would be vastly different without horses. There would be no Westerns;no cowboy named John Wayne;no Gone with the Wind, no Ben Hur, no Dances with Wolves;" no War Horse, no True Grit, no Avatar! Those last three 21st-century Hollywood creations are among the new films covered in this expanded second edition of Hollywood Hoofbeats written by the daughter of movie star Robert Mitchum, who himself appeared on the silver screen atop a handsome chestnut gelding. Having grown up around movie stars and horses, Petrine Day Mitchum is the ideal author to pay tribute to the thousands of equine actors that have entertained the world since the inception of the film medium.From the early days of D.W. Griffith's The Great Train Robbery to Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, this celebration of movies promises something for every Hollywood fan; the raucous comedy of Abbot and Costello (and "Teabiscuit") in It Ain't Hay, a classic sports films like National Velvet starring Elizabeth Taylor, a timeless epic with Errol Flynn, and films featuring guitar-strumming cowboys like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.INSIDE HOLLYWOOD HOOFBEATSMovie trivia and fascinating anecdotes about the stars of yesterday and todayAn inside look at the stunts horses performed in motion pictures and the lingering controversiesHundreds of illustrations, including rare movie posters, movie stills, and film clipsUpdated, expanded text including coverage of new movies and photographsChapters devoted to action films, Westerns, comedies, musicals, child stars, and moreFamous TV programs and their horses including Mr. Ed and Silver (Lone Ranger)

Auteur

Petrine Day Mitchum: Petrine Day Mitchum is an award-winning filmmaker who has written and directed films have appeared on Saturday Night Live! Petrine has been a story editor and script analyst for Pathé, TriStar Pictures, and DreamWorks. As a photojournalist, she has contributed to numerous publications, including Horse Illustrated. She is currently working on a documentary film version of Hollywood Hoofbeats and an illustrated book about a rescued dog titled Snout About Town. She lives in Santa Ynez, California with her three rescued dogs and her two American Quarter Horses, Photo Op and Genuine Rascal Jac. Audrey Pavia is a former editor of Horse Illustrated magazine and an award-winning freelance writer specializing in equine subjects. She is the author of several horse books, including Horses for Dummies,Horseback Riding for Dummies, and Trail Riding: A Complete Guide. She has authored hundreds of articles on equine topics in a number of horse publications, including Western Horseman, The Trail Rider, Equestrian Retailer, Horses USA, Appaloosa Journal, Paint Horse Journal, Quarter Horses USA, Equine Veterinary Management, and USDF Connection magazines.