After a decade of noble steeds, miraculous tails, and horse-themed life lessons, Disney’s 1963 entry The Horse Without a Head sounds like a blood-splattered change of pace. Spoiler: it isn’t.
By 1963, the studio had already taught group life lessons through horse riding (The Horsemasters), introduced us to The Horse with the Flying Tail, and even rescued horses from the Nazis (Miracle of the White Stallions).
Instead, you’ll be delighted to discover a quaint 1960s kids’ flick told with a thoroughly British sensibility—despite being set in France. And if there were any doubts about its influences, they even roped in Eric Rogers (of Carry On fame) for the score. Ooh err!
Set in the small industrial town of Louvigny, a group of working-class children share a battered, headless wooden hobby horse that they ride at speed through the streets. While it draws the ire of a few minor police officials, it mostly serves as their escape from the humdrummery of daily life and the grinding poverty that surrounds them.
When a local criminal gang uses the toy as a hiding place for stolen goods, the children find themselves caught up in a game of cat and mouse between the crooks and the cops—led by the investigating Inspector Sinet (Jean-Pierre Aumont).
This one never featured in my childhood, being a wee bit before my time, but it’s exactly the sort of thing that would have rocked my world. A proper child’s-own adventure, with a ragtag gang and their broken-wheeled horse tangled up in a heist. The film is so steeped in a certain era of children’s storytelling that you could close your eyes and know Leo McKern is playing a shiftless crook.
The Horse Without a Head is part of Walt Disney’s brief but curious foray into European productions, often created for television distribution. As in the early days of their live-action efforts in the UK, by the 1960s Disney’s anthology shows and theatrical features—such as Miracle of the White Stallions or The Three Lives of Thomasina—leaned on local crews and scenery. The result was a mix of cultural flavours we don’t always associate with the Disney brand.
It’s not just the setting that gives this a distinctly European feel, it’s a far cry from even Disney’s other continental films of the era. The scrappy run-ins between kids, crooks, and cops, and the emphasis on the importance of play (even amid poverty), make it a stark contrast to something like the simultaneously released Summer Magic. In short, it’s just charming.
The ‘magical’ reveal of a disused toy shop, the sheer chaos of a climax packed with fireworks and dogs—every little touch adds to the film’s innate cosiness. There’s no monetary reward at the end, no lashings of cream and scones, but dammit, if these kids didn’t deserve another adventure.
Originally made for American television, The Horse Without a Head aired as part of The Wonderful World of Color, which might explain why it flew under the radar for many, and even Disney+ hasn’t dusted it off for modern audiences. Thankfully, there are still plenty of copies floating around, making this ripe for rediscovery.
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