Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

National Velvet Blu-ray Movie Review

Yay or neigh?

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 30, 2021

Based on the celebrated 1935 novel by Enid Bagnold, Clarence Brown's National Velvet is perhaps best known as the first starring role of then 12 year-old Elizabeth Taylor, whose surprising equestrian skills made her a natural fit for this story of a young girl's quest for horse racing glory. As Velvet Brown, Taylor shines in a performance that's memorable and endearing, from her humble beginnings in Sussex to a secretive entry in England's Grand National steeplechase. Also starring Mickey Rooney in a rare instance where he isn't annoying as hell, it's an immensely likable family film whose steady, languid pace and good heart make it feel effortlessly entertaining almost 80 years later.

After her lucky raffle win nets Velvet a rowdy male horse, the elated young girl and her supportive family are soon aided by drifter Mi Taylor (Rooney), who's brought in as the trainer who can hopefully tame Velvet's wild steed. However, as evidenced by National Velvet's two-hour running time, it won't be an easy task: this particular horse -- who is eventually nicknamed "The Pie", since his previous owner called him a pirate -- doesn't follow directions very well, but their real problem is a total lack of funds. Luckily, her athletic mother Araminty (Anne Revere) is able to help in that department: having been awarded prize money for swimming the English channel with the help of a third party, she's able to selflessly cover the entrance fee. But there's another roadblock in Velvet's rocky path: being a girl, so the young hopeful goes full Mulan and, in one of the film's most memorable scenes, her hair is chopped off above the shoulders. As the big race approaches, young Velvet will need to pull out all the stops for an underdog victory.

National Velvet is nothing if not predictable, but its amiable nature and throwback charm make it an accessible joy to watch for children of all ages. (That, and the fact that, back in 1944, underdog sports films hadn't yet been beaten like a dead horse.) The performances are perfectly fine from top to bottom: Taylor shows early signs of future greatness (which includes her riding ability, although an on-set fall almost ended her career early), Rooney is...well, not terrible, and Velvet's family -- which also includes her sporadically money-hungry father Donald (Jackie 'Butch' Jenkins) and older sisters Malvolia (Juanita Quigley) and Edwina (Angela Lansbury, in only her second big-screen performance after Gaslight, released six months earlier) -- makes for a stable base that doesn't distract too much from its central plot. The big race, as occasionally brutal (and, well, kind of stupid, when you think about it) as it is, makes for a thrilling climax that leads to a scaled-back but heartwarming ending that, while again kind of predictable, still makes for a good time at the movies. High art it ain't, but sometimes you just want to see the heroes ride off into the sunset.

Dependably entertaining and intermittently rewatchable, National Velvet feels like a perfect fit for Warner Archive's growing catalog of classic titles on Blu-ray: it was long overdue for a full-blown restoration, and this Technicolor beauty has been graced with a new 1080p transfer sourced from a recent 4K scan of the original Technicolor camera negatives. The resulting image, when combined with its lossless audio mix, will make this quite an appealing effort for established fans and first-timers alike: even with an almost total lack of bonus features, it feels like a pretty good deal.

National Velvet Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Advertised as a new restoration sourced from a recent 4K scan of the film's original Technicolor camera negatives, Warner Archive's new 1080p transfer of National Velvet looks as good as you'd expect considering the boutique label's near-perfect track record. This film surprisingly runs the gamut for locations and settings, from picturesque small-town streets to clearly shot-on-set backdrops to dark, low-lit stables, and of course the sunny exteriors that dominate the film's opening scenes and its dramatic Grand National steeplechase conclusion. Colors look spectacular from start to finish, whether it's mostly muted earth tones or colorful sunsets, not to mention the hot-pink highlights of Velvet's not-at-all masculine jockey uniform. (In another case of "not fooling anyone", the thrilling laps of its climactic race are so crisply rendered that, rather than a blurry mess of horse hooves and limited rear projection techniques, you can easily make out that a stunt double was clearly used... to no one's surprise, of course.) Equally challenging scenes, such as at least one questionable day-for-night shot and a foggy departure (below), are handled exceptionally well with only trace amount of posterization and very mild banding. But this is near-perfect effort in every other area, easily approaching the high bar set by Warner Archive's other recent Technicolor efforts such as Ivanhoe and The Naked Spur.

National Velvet Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Though not nearly as showy aside from its sporadic riding sequences, National Velvet's lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix represents a proportionately fine restoration of its one-channel roots. Dialogue is crisp and clear, while the sporadic music cues by celebrated composer Herbert Stothart (The Wizard of Oz, Mutiny on the Bounty) add plenty of sonic support with only a bit of straining on the high end. It's a well-balanced and occasionally rousing mix, all things considered, and one that contains very few moments of hiss and no perceivable pops, drop-outs, or sync issues.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only.

National Velvet Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with an attractive one-sheet cover image and disc art that mirrors its simple menu interface. In keeping with Warner Archive's standard practice, the minimal extras have been ported over from Warner Bros.' earlier DVD (the first of which dates back to 2000 and came in a snapper case!).

• Theatrical Trailer (2:07) - This rousing promotional piece can also be seen here.

National Velvet Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Clarence Brown's heartwarming sports drama National Velvet may not take many narrative risks, but it's a dependably entertaining film with big ambitions that ticks all the right boxes for uplifting (but not pandering) family entertainment. Along with its less impressive but still decent 1978 sequel (which would have made for a solid double-feature set), this one still plays well decades after its theatrical release. Warner Archive's stunning Blu-ray package delivers the goods with yet another outstanding 1080p transfer -- this one sourced from a recent 4K scan of the film's original Technicolor camera negatives -- that, combined with its restored lossless audio, makes National Velvet a rock-solid disc despite the unfortunate lack of extras... especially at its current sale price. Recommended for fans and first-timers alike.