Although
National Velvet was the first starring role for 11-year-old
Elizabeth Taylor, the early part of the film belongs to
Mickey Rooney in the showier role of Mike Taylor, a headstrong English ex-jockey. Soured on life by a serious accident, Mike plans to steal from the country family that has taken him in, but his resolve is weakened by the kindness of young Velvet (Taylor). The two find a common bond in their love of horses. Velvet wins an "unbreakable" horse in a raffle, and enters the animal in the Grand National Sweepstakes. Though Mike is unable to ride the horse, he aids Velvet in her plan to disguise herself as a jockey; she wins the race...but the story isn't over quite yet. Costarring as Velvet's mother is
Anne Revere, who won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance Based on the novel by Enid Bagnold,
National Velvet has been a child classic for over 50 years.
