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SPORT OF KINGS (1974 Short Subject Film)
Thoroughbred racing is explored in this 1974 short subject film (that was converted from Super 8 film) with its connections to the Royal Family and infusing Arab stallions with English mares to create the most elite Thoroughbred bloodlines for the last two centuries in the world.
This obscure production masterpiece presents a survey of horse racing past and present in the United Kingdom. It delivers vital information such as the inception of organized horse races, the creation of the Jockey Club which governs the British Turf, how Newmarket became the epicenter of racing and the origin of the General Stud Book of the Jockey Club.
Vintage newsreel film chronicles the pomp and pageantry of the Epsom Derby - a national institution and longest running Derby in the world, legendary jockey Steve Donoghue winning at Longchamp, Sir Gordon Richards winning the Epsom Derby, Lester Piggott - another riding, RED RUM running to victory in the 1973 Grand National, in addition to a number of disasters and successes in other recent Grand Nationals.
Often overlooked or neglected today, the one and two-reel short subjects were useful to the studios as important training grounds for new or burgeoning talents, both in front and behind the camera. The dynamics for creating a successful short subject was completely different from that of a feature length film, something like writing a top-notch short story rather than a novel. Economical to produce in terms of both budget and schedule and capable of portraying a wide range of material, short subjects were the perfect complement to the studios' feature films.
The visual and audio quality of this feature may be variable in parts due to the inconsistency of source material which reflects the technology of its era. Most short subject films were originally on 16mm or Super 8 film and then converted to video or dvd so there may be an inconsistency/clash when two technologies come together in the conversion process, which is understandably normal.
(21 Minutes)
Listing Info: | |
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Listing ID: | 821 |
Format(s) Available: | DVD And VHS |
Category: | European Flat Racing |