Long Shot (1939) User Reviews

........and there off at Santa Anita

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 29 March 2012]

The Long Shot is a not bad racetrack story which was an independent production released by Grand National Studios. Had this film been done at a major studio with some name stars it might well have become a classic.

Some major players have some roles here like kindly Harry Davenport whose horses have been losing as often as Bing Crosby's if you listened to Bob Hope's monologues back in the day. But there's a reason for it, he's being systematically being victimized as another owner C. Henry Gordon has ruthlessly bribed the jockeys on Davenport's horses and others including young Gordon Jones who likes Davenport's daughter Marsha Hunt.

Gordon's machinations are not just involving the sport of kings. He's got designs on Hunt as well in true Snidely Whiplash tradition.

But the good guys get themselves an equine secret weapon and there's quite a plot hatched against Gordon in the big Santa Anita Handicap. For that you have to see the film.

Nice racing newsreels worked into the story here and the cast is a good one. The Long Shot is a good film and one that those who like the sport of kings will be pleased with.

Teaching a Horse To Sing Like Al Jolson

[boblipton · 5/10 · 13 January 2019]

Harry Davenport has had a string of terrible losses and has lost his stable and his ranch. He wills his last good horse to niece Marsha Hunt and pal Gordon Jones, sets the horse free, and fakes his own death. Miss Hunt and Mr. Jones proceed to figure out what to do, with the usual misunderstandings along the way.

I'm reminded of a story about Al Jolson. He was touring in a show about horse racing. In the middle, he stopped the show and turned to the audience. "Folks," he said, "The horse wins the race and the boy gets the girl. Would you rather see that or do you want me to sing?"

Given the muddled script with the subpar writer Ewart Adamson credited, I didn't expect much. However, competent B director Charles Lamont has an interesting cast, including C. Henry Gordon, George Meeker, George E. Stone and Tom Kennedy. With them, he has taken a a bog-standard script and pushed a little life into it. It's not a good movie by any means, but it's worth watching to the end once.

Not that bad...or good.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 3 December 2009]

Well, this film is proof that while 1939 is a legendary year in Hollywood history, not everything that debuted that year was gold. This film, while not bad, wasn't particularly good either and is, at best, an inoffensive time-passer. Well, not exactly inoffensive...many will blanch at the black character in the film. He's very stereotypical and calls his boss "Massa Jeff"...and rather painful to watch.

The film begins with rich horse owner Harry Davenport losing yet another race. His horses just keep losing again and again...until he's broke and miserable. While Davenport's character sees the logic of this next series of moves, I sure didn't. He releases his prize horse into the wild AND fakes his own death.

A bit later, Gordon Jones is down and out after an injury and feeling sorry for himself. He moves in with a jockey friend (George E. Stone--who, while small, is way too big to be a jockey at 5' 3½") and soon discovers the prize horse in a roundup of wild horses. He buys it for a pittance because he sees potential in the animal. Soon, Marsha Hunt (Davenport's granddaughter) meets up with old friend Jones (who, incidentally, was hurt saving her life) and they form a partnership--and plan to race their new horse.

Along the way, there is a baddie who is apparently quite the cheat and was responsible for Davenport's losses--paying the jockey to throw the races. So it's up to Hunt and Jones to win the "big race" and save the day.

The film is jam-packed with clichés, a bit simple but also pleasant and watchable. For someone who isn't too demanding or loves old movies (even the fair ones), this is worth a look. Just don't expect GONE WITH THE WIND or GOODBYE MR. CHIPS!

UPDATE: I just watched Frank Capra's Broadway BILL (1934). I was surprised to see that major portions of this film were the same as LONG SHOT! So much for originality.

W.C. Fields warned actors about dogs and children. He forgot about old people and other animals.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 28 June 2022]

This above average programmer features the grandfatherly like Harry Davenport in an excellent performance as a racing horse owner down on his luck who fakes his death and leaves the horse to niece Marsha Hunt in hopes it'll be luckier for her. He desperately wants to prevent her from marrying another racing horse owner, C. Henry Gordon whom he believes did things to sabotage him. Hunt is aided by the handsome Gordon Jones and good natured stableboy Jimmy Robinson who believes that the ghost of Davenport is giving him tips. The audience knows that good is going to win over bad. The question is, how?

The short-lived Grand National studios had the same type of output as Monogram and Republic, with mostly westerns and crime dramas, but there are a few classics among them. While this one certainly isn't well known, it is extremely entertaining, with Robinson (a veteran child actor from the "Mickey" shorts) rising above stereotypes to create a memorable character. His mispronounciation of premonition as "predomination" is often repeated by Jones as if Robinson has just created a new word, respectfully and with affection.

Hunt, one of the last veteran actresses of the 1930's to live into the 2020's, is a likeable heroine, and Jones a great hero. It's another mustache twirling villain for Jones who had a face perfect for those type of roles. There are also a few minor characters including Tom Kennedy (playing a hysterically goofy dumb lug) that provide amusement. Davenport, probably best known to audiences as Judy Garland's lovable Grandpa and "Meet Me In St Louis", is just absolutely perfection here. I'm not much into films about horse racing or the sport in general, but I truly enjoyed this one, proving once again to me that some of the best movies of the classic age came out of the poverty row studios.