The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968)
113 mins | Comedy | 20 December 1968
Cast:
Dean Jones, Diane Baker, Lloyd Bochner [ More ]Director:
Norman TokarWriter:
Louis PelletierProducer:
Winston HiblerCinematographer:
William SnyderEditor:
Robert StaffordProduction Designers:
Carroll Clark, John B. MansbridgeProduction Company:
Walt Disney ProductionsAn article in the 4 Jan 1969 LAT revealed that scenes depicting the Connecticut countryside had been filmed at the Walt Disney Company’s 718-acre Golden Oak Ranch near Newhall, CA. The cast was augmented by forty “accomplished” horseback riding students from the Flintridge Riding Club. Three stages at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, CA, were devoted to the production, including Stage 4, which housed the “Washington, D.C., International Horse Show” set. The 3 May 1968 DV reported that Disney was mounting an Academy Awards campaign for lead actor Dean Jones, months before the picture’s release. Various sources have stated that the working titles was Year of the Horse.
The 20 Dec 1968 Las Vegas, NV, premiere was announced in the 6 Aug 1968 DV. The cross-promotional event was sponsored by the Sahara hotel, where Dean Jones would be begin an engagement on 24 Dec 1968, and the National General Theatre Corporation, whose Boulevard Theatre was scheduled to debut the picture. Openings were planned for Los Angeles, CA, and New York City that same day. The 28 Nov 1968 LAT advertised an invitational preview screening at Walt Disney Studios; ticket recipients were announced in the newspaper’s classified section.
The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit was released with an accompanying animated short subject, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968). Nearly a year later, the 3 Dec 1969 Var called the film “a box-office disappointment.” The 12 May 1971 Var reported gross earnings of $640,700 to date.
Although public and critical response ...
An article in the 4 Jan 1969 LAT revealed that scenes depicting the Connecticut countryside had been filmed at the Walt Disney Company’s 718-acre Golden Oak Ranch near Newhall, CA. The cast was augmented by forty “accomplished” horseback riding students from the Flintridge Riding Club. Three stages at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, CA, were devoted to the production, including Stage 4, which housed the “Washington, D.C., International Horse Show” set. The 3 May 1968 DV reported that Disney was mounting an Academy Awards campaign for lead actor Dean Jones, months before the picture’s release. Various sources have stated that the working titles was Year of the Horse.
The 20 Dec 1968 Las Vegas, NV, premiere was announced in the 6 Aug 1968 DV. The cross-promotional event was sponsored by the Sahara hotel, where Dean Jones would be begin an engagement on 24 Dec 1968, and the National General Theatre Corporation, whose Boulevard Theatre was scheduled to debut the picture. Openings were planned for Los Angeles, CA, and New York City that same day. The 28 Nov 1968 LAT advertised an invitational preview screening at Walt Disney Studios; ticket recipients were announced in the newspaper’s classified section.
The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit was released with an accompanying animated short subject, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968). Nearly a year later, the 3 Dec 1969 Var called the film “a box-office disappointment.” The 12 May 1971 Var reported gross earnings of $640,700 to date.
Although public and critical response was generally indifferent, the 1 Jan 1969 Var reported a riot at a Denver, CO, theater, where a Christmas Eve screening of the film was cancelled due to a projector malfunction.
The 22 Jan 1969 Var noted that the picture was the first Disney release to carry the opening credit, “Walt Disney Productions Present.”
While Dean Jones did not win an Academy Award, the 16 Jun 1969 LAT reported that Albarado, the horse appearing in the title role, won a PATSY award for “best performance by an animal in a motion picture.”
Madison Avenue advertising executive Fred Bolton, a Connecticut widower living beyond his means, is beset by two major problems: first, unless he comes up with a highbrow gimmick to publicize a sour-stomach remedy called Aspercel, his tyrannical boss, Tom Dugan, will fire him; second, his teenaged daughter Helen has run up a $900 bill at Suzie Clemens' riding academy. In the hope of solving both his problems at the same time, Fred gets Dugan to buy a horse, names it Aspercel, and then persuades Suzie to train Helen for all the fashionable horse shows. Helen does begin to win ribbons, but the amount of publicity is below Dugan's expectations. When Helen learns that her father's job is at stake, she falters under pressure and fails to win an important match. Suzie, however, realizes Aspercel's potential when the animal carries Fred over a 7-foot wall and tops that by out-racing a police car. Volunteering to ride Aspercel in the International Horse Show in Washington, Suzie suggests that her ex-fiancé, Archer Madison, be brought in as trainer. Suppressing his jealousy of Archer, Fred reluctantly agrees. As the result, Suzie and Aspercel win the championship, and all ends happily as Fred is rewarded with both a promotion and Suzie's ...
Madison Avenue advertising executive Fred Bolton, a Connecticut widower living beyond his means, is beset by two major problems: first, unless he comes up with a highbrow gimmick to publicize a sour-stomach remedy called Aspercel, his tyrannical boss, Tom Dugan, will fire him; second, his teenaged daughter Helen has run up a $900 bill at Suzie Clemens' riding academy. In the hope of solving both his problems at the same time, Fred gets Dugan to buy a horse, names it Aspercel, and then persuades Suzie to train Helen for all the fashionable horse shows. Helen does begin to win ribbons, but the amount of publicity is below Dugan's expectations. When Helen learns that her father's job is at stake, she falters under pressure and fails to win an important match. Suzie, however, realizes Aspercel's potential when the animal carries Fred over a 7-foot wall and tops that by out-racing a police car. Volunteering to ride Aspercel in the International Horse Show in Washington, Suzie suggests that her ex-fiancé, Archer Madison, be brought in as trainer. Suppressing his jealousy of Archer, Fred reluctantly agrees. As the result, Suzie and Aspercel win the championship, and all ends happily as Fred is rewarded with both a promotion and Suzie's love.
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