Amazon.com: This 1961 family film, based on the novel by Marguerite Henry, inspired a generation of children to name their pet dogs, cats, turtles, and so on after the lovely colt of the title. Set on Virginia's coastal island of Chincoteague, the film begins on "Pony-Penning Day," an annual celebration that involves rounding up for auction wild ponies on neighboring islands. Two young children, a brother and sister (David Ladd, son of Alan, and Pam Smith), capture an elusive mare nicknamed Phantom and hope to take ownership of her colt, Misty. A stranger has other plans, however, setting his mind on buying both animals, and the disappointed kids turn to their sympathetic townspeople to find a way out of the dilemma. A great-looking film shot on location, Misty is an effusive adventure about that special, even mythic, bond between children and wild creatures. Performances are strong, the scenery is splendid, and the film lingers in the memory for a long, long time. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Disappointing
I read the book to my two children, age 11 yo son and 5 yo daughter. My son was excited to get the movie. However, when we watched it, my son was disappointed. He noted the drastic change in story line, the poor quality of the lighting/screen colors, and the poor acting. My son is an actor himself, but had never made such comments before and this was the first movie he had ever walked out on. On the other hand, my daughter loved it. I did not like the change in the storyline making the grandparents seem much stricter.
Rating: - Fairly Good Adaptation of the Novel
I am at a loss whether to give this book a 3 or a 4 and finally ended up marking it at the lower score; major points are taken for not releasing this film in widescreen since the exteriors were filmed on location on the island where the real story took place and we never get the full import of the beautiful Atlantic seashore shots. Also, the print seems a bit faded and dusty. I agree that Pam Smith's Maureen was a little more fun to watch due to her spunkiness; on the other hand, I hated the whole business that had the children earning money and everyone thinking they were poor, which was not in ... Read More
Rating: - The film is ok but misses some points from the book
The film is ok, but like many childern film adaptations, misses some key points in the book and just doesn't give me the same feel as the book does. For example, the Phantom actually does run in the official race before Paul and Maureen release her back to the wild. So, I was a bit dissapointed in the film. As to the horses not having the EXACT same markings as the ones in the book as another reviewer complained... That I can overlook as the horses they used were close enough and to match horse markings, especially pinto colors that's close to impossible.
Rating: - Very good family entertainment
I received this dvd as a gift, and found it to be very nice entertainment, but probably even more so for children. I found it to be a bit predictable, but again, it is probably more geared for children. All in all, it is the wonderful tale of two children working with ponies and learning some valuable lessons. There is a little humor sprinkled throughout to make it even more fun. Perfect for the horse-loving youngster!
Rating: - Argghh
Partially similar to the fabulous book, Misty of Chincoteague is about a horse known as " the Phantom " being brought into the hands of two kids, Maureen and Paul, after working hard for four months. Did they find out just when Paul went on the Pony Penning that there was not just The Phantom, but Phantom had a foal as well: Misty. they bought both of them after a small bit of trouble.
Even if the movie is old, i think it could've been made much better. the Phantom didn't even have her unique map of the united states on her withers, nor did misty. when they were swimming them across ... Read More
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