The Horsemasters

{{Infobox television | image = The Horsemasters.png | alt = | caption = | director = William Fairchild | producer = | writer = {{Plainlist| * William Fairchild * Ted Willis }} | based_on = {{Based on|''The Horsemasters''|Don Stanford}} | starring = {{Plainlist| * Tommy Kirk * Annette Funicello * Janet Munro * Donald Pleasence }} | music = | cinematography = Freddie Francis | editor = | company = Walt Disney Productions | network = NBC | released = {{Start date|1961|10|01}} | runtime = 85 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = }}

'''''The Horsemasters''''' is a 2-part episode of the ''Disneyland'' TV show from 1961 which screened theatrically in some countries.<ref>{{Cite news |date=Jan 1, 1961 |title=Horsemasters, The |work=Monthly Film Bulletin |location=London |page=114 |volume=28 |issue=324}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=1 February 1961 |title=Annette —Will She Be Another Elizabeth Taylor? |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52250436 |access-date=19 April 2019 |work=The Australian Women's Weekly |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=28}}</ref>

The film was one of several Disney films that were shot in England. The hunt scenes were filmed at Thursley in Surrey, where the Three Horseshoes public house was used as a backdrop. It was Annette Funicello's first co-starring role in a feature film. The film included a song written by the Sherman Brothers, the first song which the duo ever wrote for a Disney project. The film received a comic book adaptation in the ''Four Color'' series by Dell Comics.

==Plot== A group of young people do a course in horsemanship in England.

==Cast== *Annette Funicello as Dinah Wilcox *Tommy Kirk as Danny Grant *Janet Munro as Janet Hale *Tony Britton as Major George Brooke *John Fraser as David Lawford *Donald Pleasence as Captain Pinski *Harry Lockart as Vincenzo Lalli *Colin Gordon as Mr. Ffolliott *Anthony Nicholls as Hardy Cole *Jean Marsh as Andrienne *Lisa Madron as Ingrid *Penelope Horner as Penny *Millicent Martin as Joan

==Production== It was based on a 1957 novel by Don Stanford. Film rights were bought by Walt Disney, who authorised a television film version to be shot in England. Disney made a number of films in England around this time, including ''Greyfriars Bobby'' and ''The Prince and the Pauper''. The studio was producing television films in Europe, including the Netherlands (''Hans Brinker''), Austria (''The Magnificent Rebel''), Mexico (''Sancho, the Homing Steer''), the American northwest (''A Fire Called Jeremiah'') and Italy (''Escapade in Florence'').<ref>{{Cite news |last=Archer |first=Eugene |date=Aug 13, 1960 |title=Documentary Set by Lionel Rogosin: Producer-Director of 'Come Back, Africa' Plans Film on Peace Movements |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1960/08/13/archives/documentary-set-by-lionel-rogosin-producerdirector-of-come-back.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250719055958/https://www.nytimes.com/1960/08/13/archives/documentary-set-by-lionel-rogosin-producerdirector-of-come-back.html |archive-date=2025-07-19 |work=The New York Times |page=11}}</ref>

In August 1960 Annette Funicello and Tommy Kirk were cast. It was Funicello's first co-starring role in a feature.<ref name="vagg">{{Cite magazine |last=Vagg |first=Stephen |date=9 September 2019 |title=The Cinema of Tommy Kirk |url=https://diaboliquemagazine.com/the-cinema-of-tommy-kirk/ |magazine=Diabolique Magazine}}</ref>

The musical number, "Strummin' Song", performed by Annette Funicello and written by the Sherman Brothers marked the first song the Sherman Brothers ever wrote for a Disney project. (Although they had written songs for Annette Funicello previously.) It led to them being hired to write a song for ''The Parent Trap''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sherman |first=Robert B. |author-link=Robert B. Sherman |title=Walt's Time |date=1998 |publisher=Camphor Tree Publishers |isbn=0-9646059-3-7 |edition=First |pages=9–11}}</ref>

The film was shot on location in England.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hoopper |first=Hedda |date=20 August 1960 |title=Walt Disney Will Film Romantic Teen Comedy |work=Chicago Daily Tribune |page=W17}}</ref> Filming started September 1960.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Weiler |first=A. H. |date=Sep 4, 1960 |title=By Way of Report: Disney's Togetherness -- Other Film Matters |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1960/09/04/archives/by-way-of-report-disneys-togetherness-other-film-matters.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250719061121/https://www.nytimes.com/1960/09/04/archives/by-way-of-report-disneys-togetherness-other-film-matters.html |archive-date=2025-07-19 |work=The New York Times |page=79}}</ref> Funicello and Kirk were sent to England several weeks before filming started to practise their riding.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Funicello |first=Annette |author-link=Annette Funicello |title=A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: My Story |last2=Bashe |first2=Patricia Romanowski |publisher=Hyperion |year=1994 |isbn=978-0786880928 |page=123}}</ref>

It was the last of four films Janet Munro made for Disney. ''Filmink'' noted she "played a grumpier character than usual."<ref name="munro">{{Cite magazine |last=Vagg |first=Stephen |date=6 January 2024 |title=Girl-Next-Door or Girl-Gone-Bad: The Janet Munro Story |url=https://www.filmink.com.au/girl-next-door-or-girl-gone-bad-the-janet-munro-story/ |access-date=6 January 2024 |magazine=Filmink}}</ref>

Funicello says during filming married members of crew would have affairs with the cast, and at times the director "would refer to me dismissively as 'the Disney girl' and make unflattering comments about me. Of course he was not the first and would not be the last to take a dislike to me because he felt I was Mr Disney's 'pet'."<ref>Funicello p 124-125</ref>

Freddie Francis worked on the film at the request of William Fairchild (the two men had worked together on ''Outcasts of the Island''). Francis called it "probably the worst film I've ever done, it really was... I don't know how to describe it, it was absolutely mad. I don't think anybody really believed in the film... any time anybody mentions ''Horsemasters'' we just fall about. But we did have a wonderful time. Unbelievable."<ref name="francis">{{Cite web |date=1993–1994 |title=Interview with Freddie Francis |url=https://historyproject.org.uk/interview/freddie-francis |website=British Entertainment History Project}}</ref>

==Comic book adaptation== * Dell Four Color #1260 (December 1961-February 1962)<ref>{{Grand Comics Database issue|id=16677|title=Dell Four Color #1260}}</ref><ref>{{Comic Book DB|type=issue|id=233380|title=Dell Four Color #1260}}</ref>

==Home media== ''The Horsemasters'' was released on VHS by Walt Disney Home Video in early 1986 as part of "Annette Month", a promotion featuring five films starring Annette Funicello.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=February 8, 1986 |title=Newsline |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=diQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Lots+of+Luck+disney+home+video&pg=PT7 |magazine=Billboard |page=46 |via=Google Books |volume=98 |issue=6}}</ref>

==See also== * List of films about horses

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb title}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20180328161736/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ac9b775 ''The Horsemasters''] at the British Film Institute * [https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/don-stanford-2/the-horsemasters-3/ Review of 1957 novel] at Kirkus

{{DEFAULTSORT:Horsemasters}} Category:1961 television films Category:1961 films Category:Disney television films Category:Films about horses Category:Films set in England Category:Films shot in England Category:Sherman Brothers Category:Films adapted into comics Category:Films with screenplays by Ted Willis, Baron Willis Category:Films based on novels Category:1961 English-language films Category:Films directed by William Fairchild