Customer Reviews

Seabiscuit - America's Legendary Racehorse (Documentary)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

If you enjoyed the 2003 film starring Jeff Bridges and Toby Mcquire half as much as I did, then you are sure to enjoy the documentary on this famous horse. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for the underdog and after seeing this year's blockbuster movie about this awesome animal, I wanted to learn as much as I could about this inspirational true life story. Originally filmed in black & white and now available in vibrant color, this documentary shows footage of Seabiscuit as a colt through his triumphant victory over War Admiral. The story of Seabiscuit allows me to appreciate the struggle we face in life and reminds my that obsticles can be overcome. So if this story has any effect on you and you're interested in seeing some exceptional footage of this incredible animal, then this documentary is a must have.

I found this in a bargain bin, and what a bargain it is!

First of all, the details: This is a single- sided DVD (which is not enhanced for 16X9 viewing) with a single page insert that has a list of chapter stops. There is not a single frame of matted, widescreen, or letterboxed video. And this DVD is not at all any sort of promotion of the Universal dramatic film release of 2003 (and I think there is one mention of the movie that took all of 4 seconds, so it isn't a platform or publicity release). The DVD has a slide show, a "Seabiscuit Trivia Game," and "Races on the Radio," which has lengthy radio broadcasts of some Seabiscuit matches.

I was expecting a lame production, but the producers found some very informative people to give insight into the story. Even the music was better than I expected. It was a mix of period- style music with a dab of modern every now and then, but the music wasn't overbearing.

I still have yet to view the Tobey Maguire movie or any other documentary of this incredible story and was prompted to purchase this while shopping for other items after I saw its price. Honestly, the video doesn't dazzle you with the lighting or recreations (the producers saved some money by simply inserting stock footage of generic horses, jockeys, and races to add additional color) and is by no means an award- winning presentation a la "Ken Burns" style. But the DVD is information- rich, which kept me entertained. One really neat item is that narrator J.J. Johnson explains the origion of the phrase, "So long, Charlie!" that is so popular.

Those in love with horses or caught by the story of Seabiscuit and the humans that rallied behind him are encouraged to grab this DVD. The staff interviewed people who had direct or indirect knowledge of Seabiscuit, its owners, trainers, or jockeys (so you'll see a good share of talking head segments). But they mix enough footage and archival photos that yield a decent balance for the documentary. There is even some footage of some stars like Bing Crosby, Joe E. Brown, Jimmy Durante, and Lucy and Ricky.

One final note: I tried the trivia game and although it's somewhat elementary (it took me back to memories of the pop quiz in school), its quirkiness was still entertaining. Just check out the reactions the DVD plays when you fail to answer a question correctly. It kinda humbles you when you hear the jeering!

I really enjoyed "Seabiscuit - The Lost Documentary". First, I am a diehard Seabiscuit fan so I am biased. But it takes the viewer through Seabiscuit's life, from his birth as a colt in the stables, and culminates in his great match race with War Admiral. When we see him as a baby with his mother, it's very cute. In between, you get a peek at Charles Howard and Marcela, and Seabiscuit's rise to fame. I wish it would have been a little bit longer because I found it very interesting, but you get to see Charles Howard's original tribute to this special horse in both black and white and color, and for a 60-year old film, it looks remarkably good. "Seabiscuit - The Lost Documentary" is a nice complement to the major motion picture Seabiscuit. Buy it if you are a Seabiscuit fan or a horse racing history fan!

This documentary not only contains the story of Seabiscuit, but also includes some cool extras: a Seabiscuit trivia game AND the actual live radio broadcast of the famous race! There is footage of Red Pollard's win at the Santa Anita handicap, which I thought was pretty neat;
If you've seen the Universal movie, you need to check out this DVD!

Amazon has mistakenly listed the stars of "Seabiscuit the Lost Documentary" as Jeff Bridges & Chris Cooper and the director as Gary Ross. This is incorrect. "Seabiscuit the Lost Documentary" is the ORIGINAL Seabiscuit film from 1939 which was made by Charles Howard himself, and stars Charles and his wife Marcella. And also the REAL Seabiscuit is in it. Don't let Amazon's incorrect information stop you from buying this special piece of horseracing history.

This is a wonderful documentary! As a huge Seabiscuit fan, I found it fascinating to be able to see the real Charles and Marcela Howard, Tom Smith, Seabiscuit and the rest of the gang that I have become so intrigued with. After reading Laura Hillenbrand's book, I very much wanted to see the characters in real life. Jeff Bridges and Tobey Maguire were good actors, but with this film, I finally got my chance to meet Charles Howard himself. It was like going back in time and getting a rare glimpse at what it was like to be on Ridgewood Ranch and a part of Seabiscuit's life. I really enjoyed this exciting trip back into horseracing history. Thank you Charles Howard for leaving us this great film legacy.

What a love affair! This man loved his horse & the horse was such a wondeful inspiration to all those around him at that time...this country, in turmoil....Seabiscuit, from turmoil to finding respect and understanding....after reading Laura Hillenbrand's book, viewing the PBS documentary, and then the film, plus the additional "older" books available, this special video is a precious addition to any personal Seabiscuit library....truly a tremendous, early documentary of an event that brings it to so many of us first hand....for the Howard family to provide their famiy treasure with the rest of us, thank you for sharing such love.....(having both the original black and white and the colored versions of the documentary is special history)

One thing to keep in mind about this film: Even though Charles Howard had to 'recreate' certain scenes for his documentary, please keep in mind that this film offers something that no other film can. That is this: you will see actual, live footage of Seabiscuit, himself, both in action on the track and in the stables being somewhat of a spoiled child.

So, if you are any type of Seabiscuit fan, you will want to get this DVD for that reason, alone. It really is worth whatever you will pay for it and you will not regret having this piece of history in your private collection.

This is a wonderful DVD! As a huge Seabiscuit fan, I found it fascinating to be able to see the real Charles and Marcela Howard, Tom Smith, Seabiscuit and the rest of the gang that I have become so intrigued with. After reading Laura Hillenbrand?s book, I very much wanted to see the characters in real life. Jeff Bridges and Tobey Maguire were good actors, but with this DVD, I finally got my chance to meet Charles Howard himself. It was like going back in time and getting a rare glimpse at what it was like to be on Ridgewood Ranch and a part of Seabiscuit?s life. I really enjoyed this exciting trip back into horseracing history. Thank you Charles Howard for leaving us this great film legacy.

This documentary is fair. Not bad, not great. It needs more vintage footage. They mostly just pan across old photos. For more vintage footage, PBS is good, and even better is the new "Seabiscuit - The Lost Documentary". That is a real vintage documentary of Seabiscuit actually made in 1939 by Charles Howard himself after Seabiscuit won Horse of the Year. Either of these are better choices than this one. But if you love the Biscuit, why not get them all!!