Kentucky Pride

I was thrown off a bit by the narration being done by the horse but the rest of the film was decent enough for a watch.

Well-plotted with good pacing, though the horse narrator framing device is a bit hokey. However, there are two standout sequences in this film that are deeply Fordian: 1) when Donovan has to shoot the horse, then after an emotional struggle falls over a fence; and 2) when Beaumont comes home for the first time and his daughter sneaks up behind him. In both cases, Ford's expressionism brings emotion to the forefront with minimal action. The pictures do the talking.

Kentucky Pride (1925) was the type of potboiler that existed in John Ford's filmography in between bigger projects during the silent era. Good simple fun, surrounding one of Ford's favorite themes. Horses! Not in a cowboy setting, but in a racing story where one of his regular old guys J. Farrell MacDonald got one of the central roles. Not of Ford's memorable films, but MacDonald makes it a wholesome experience.