Product Details

• Actors: David Ladd, Arthur O'Connell, Pam Smith, Anne Seymour, Duke Farley
• Directors: James B. Clark
• Writers: Marguerite Henry, Ted Sherdeman
• Producers: Robert B. Radnitz
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: April 16, 1996
• Run Time: 91 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302101298
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,902 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

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

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Close To The Book, May 2, 2003

By 

G. H. Chapman (Kingston, New York USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Misty (DVD)

This movie was made in 1961, just four years after my family moved from Chincoteague. Many of the great town folk of Chincoteague are in the movie, including the barber that used to cut my hair when I was four, and gave me a penny for not crying.
I've seen the DVD version recently, almost 50 years since my last Pony Penning Day. It brought back so many memories of my childhood, and my favorite book at the time. It has a great message for children - set goals, work hard, and you will achieve - it also shows the love man has for God's great creatures. A great movie for kid's who love horses!!

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mostly Faithful to the Book, August 3, 2002

By 

smctopia - See all my reviews

This review is from: Misty [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Shot on location on Chincoteague and Assateague Island, this movie wisely sticks to the original souce material. Misty fans of all ages will want to see this movie so they can see the places mentioned in the book and watch a real Pony Penning Day roundup.

Both the book and movie characters were based on real people (and ponies). Misty was an equine celebrity with children all over America. After a storm nearly destroyed Chincoteague, the real Misty often appeared in theaters where this film was shown to raise money to rebuild the island.

Arthur O'Connell as Grandpa Beebe was a disappointment. He doesn't speak in the warm, grizzled ways like the character in the book and he doesn't even have a Southern accent.

The film was shot in CinamaScope and the video is formatted in pan-and-scan. There are many instances during the film where the cropped picture looks distorted because of this. If you really want to enjoy the beauty of this film, hold out for a widescreen version on DVD. It would be nice if future editions of this film also had a documentary about the real Misty and her life.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Movie Adapted from a Great Book!!, April 28, 2003

By 

Deborah L. Woodstuff "IntoTea" (Wellsburg, WV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Misty [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I have been a Misty fan since my childhood and love all of Marguerite Henry's books. This is a great family film. This film is filled with timeless family values. A wonderful film for all ages. Filmed on location in Chincoteague and Assateague the scenery is beautiful. We hope to witness Pony Penning Day first hand next year and see the recently unveiled Misty statue on Chincoteague.

Paul and Maureen fall in love with The Phantom the first time they see her on Assateague Island. Their deceased father also loved The Phantom and the two children set their hearts on buying her after the pony roundup. The do all kinds of small jobs to raise [money] needed to purchase her.
When the roundup occurs it is discovered that The Phantom has a young foal which is quickly called Misty and the two decide they want to buy them both. I can't tell you any more without revealing the entire story so you will just have to watch the rest yourself to find out what happens. You will not be disappointed.