Report from Cannes was officially invited as representatives of the press corps to the “Cannes Jaeger-LeCoultre Jumping” equestrian event that is happening this weekend! It is a very “tony” affair with horses and riders from all over Europe, the Middle East, Great Britian and the U.S. The invited guests included the aristocracy of the Cote d’Azure, a sheik or two, as well as yours truly and Margaret – our intrepid photographer whose superb pictures grace this report.

Our table at L’Oasis, where I am sure many of the showjumping crowd will dine.

One side of the enclosed, jumping course is bleachers while the other three sides consist of private boxes, replete with chandeliers (these are tents!) and lavish buffets of food and drink. One of the tents, with preferred seating but “sans” chandeliers is for the press.

As you can easily see by the photos, the horses are beautiful and stunning while the riders are expert and poised. What the pictures do not express is the dynamic power of these extraordinary animals as they navigate the intricate course and its challenging jumps!

The jumps are huge, as is the prize money.

Horses are very nervous animals as they fall into the “prey” category thus are instinctively and constantly alert to the possibility that something is wrong and physical harm is imminent. Thus they can “spook” or even “explode” at the slightest change in the environment.

That’s why this kind of riding is so rigorously demanding as well as dangerous for both the rider and the horse.

Competitors are dressed and groomed to the nines — both horse and human.

This extraordinary event is taking place right in Cannes, near the Palm Beach Casino and a stone’s throw from the sea. It’s in walking distance from my apartment – almost everything is like that in Cannes. 

Horse and rider eyeing the prize car.

But, the event itself is a moving and thrilling experience!The movies this time are two:

"The Killing” – a 1956 noir film which marked the debut of Stanley Kubrick

"National Velvet" — a story about a girl and her steeplechase horse

—Visit the official website of the Cannes Jaeger-LeCoultre Horse Show—

Movie Review:

The Killing

Directed by Stanley Kubrick — MGM 1956
Starring: Sterling Hayden, Coleen Grey, Elisha Cook, Ted de Corsia

A strange movie to choose as an adjunct to the preceding story, “A Grand Affair,” which reports on the tony and flush world of Cannes as it welcomes equestrians from all over the world to participate in a jumping competition.

However, it was the first film that jumped into my mind as I watched the above event – possibly because “The Killing” represents the absolute opposite of the Cannes affair; that being the noir world of racetrack losers.

As Nick Schlager put it in Slant Magazine:

A low-budget masterpiece, “The Killing” features a veritable noir “repertory” company headed by Sterling Hayden as Johnny Clay, the ex-con leader of the gang. They were all very familiar faces to me as a twenty-year old who loved these movies and had never heard of the term “film noir” or Stanley Kubrick for that matter. But, I knew who Sterling Hayden was – an actor with great charisma who starred in off beat films (“The Asphalt Jungle”, “Johnny Guitar”- which I now think of as a noir western, and, of course, “Dr. Strangelove”). I always admired Sterling Hayden and his stoic, if not plodding, determination.

As Johnny, the brains behind the meticulously planned stick-up of the Hollywood track during race day itself, he touched that chord in me that wished him success in spite of his criminality and that edge of stupidity that accompanies his kind of crook.

But that is what the noir film is appealing to in my soul and it’s barely suppressed desire to have money, to be somebody and, frankly, not to have to work too hard for it! And also, for the 90 minutes or so that I’m captured by the sleek black and white images, I feel tough – I mean harm to none, but, if necessary I will shoot!

Marie Windsor plays the femme fatale whose treachery derails the operation.

Not quite the feeling surrounding the guest tents in Cannes. Stanley Kubrick’s second movie is as carefully conceived as Johnny’s robbery – its careful use of chronology and the repetition of images plus flawless performances and assured directing marked Kubrick as someone “on the map” from that point on!

In my opinion, “The Killing” is as good as any film that this curious and introverted director ever made.

Movie Review:

National Velvet

Directed by Directed by Clarence Brown — MGM 1944
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp, Anne Revene

Another still-great MGM Technicolor movie about youngsters and their mystical love for their animals. (see “Lassie Come Home”)

Training "The Pie."

“National Velvet” tells the story of a young girl, Velvet Brown and her horse “The Pie” as they run in the Grand National Steeplechase Race in England – a grueling race of four and a half miles which includes 30 jumps of varying intensity.

The Grand National is a very dangerous race, with as many as thirty entries.

It is a truly stirring tale with the luminous, 12 year old Taylor utterly captivating. This is another movie that stands the passing of decades and would be a welcome edition to any family library.

“National Velvet” implicitly describes the powerful love of young girls for horses, and, in this respect, Elizabeth Taylor is outstanding.

The movie is based upon the popular novel by Enid Bagnold. In addition, while searching the web, I came across a very well, reviewed book “Girls and Their Horses”, a collection of stories which sheds further light on this subject.

There are many more excellent “horse” movies which should be mentioned:

“The Black Stallion” – “Black Beauty” – “My Friend Flicka” –“Seabiscuit”

Enjoy them all!They are all very, very good.