JohnHowardReid Made with the co-operation of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Westrex Sound System. Producer: Robert B. Radnitz. Copyright 23 February 1961 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Normandie: 17 July 1961. U.S. release: 17 July 1961. U.K. release: 24 September 1961. Australian release: 31 August 1961. 8,252 feet. 92 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Recently orphaned 12-year-old Paul Beebe and his younger sister Maureen go to live on their grandparents' pony ranch on the tiny island of Chincoteague, Virginia. Each year, on Pony-Penning day, the natives cross over to the nearby island of Assateague to round up herds of wild ponies.* When the two youngsters make their first trip to Assateague, they manage to bring in The Phantom, an elusive mare that has never been caught, as well as her newly-born colt, which they name Misty.NOTES: Only movie of Chincoteague resident, Duke Farley.COMMENT: There are two kinds of movies which often date very badly. The first is the sex comedy, the second, the youth picture. Of course, there are exceptions. The risqué comedies of the early 1930's still seem as pointedly hilarious in 1998, whereas their brethren of the 1950's and 60's now appear strained, gauche and totally unfunny.Also embarrassingly unrealistic or just plain boring to today's youngsters are the teenage frolics that delighted their parents. "Misty", I'm afraid is no exception. It's dull. My fourteen-year-old daughter was bored stiff. She thought the story "pathetic". I did too.The only point of interest I had, was trying to decide which shots were photographed by Lee Garmes, which by Leo Tover. I think Garmes did the round-up and Tover all the stuff on the beach, but don't quote me.Maybe trimming would help. Certainly at 92 minutes "Misty" kicks around far too long. I'd take the scissors to most of the studio interiors with Arthur O'Connell and Anne Seymour. Miss Seymour is a dull actress even at her best.Yes, the locations are novel, and they look nice in CinemaScope. But the story is just one long cliché. And this familiar tale is often very amateurishly acted and — even worse — consistently directed in an extremely flat, mundane and thoroughly pedestrian style.OTHER VIEWS: This simple and authentically colorful tale, which seems bound to charm the teen and sub-teen legions, may also get the vote of their elders willing to overlook the obvious, and occasional stretch of tedium. — A.H. Weiler in The New York Times.

sol **SPOILERS** Despite the films misleading title "Misty" it's really about Misty's mom the free spirited 3 year old filly known as The Phantom. It was both Paul and his sister Maureen Bebee ,David Ladd & Pam Smith, who wanted to buy The phantom after she was caught in what's known as the annual pony penning or roundup on Assateague Island. The two youngsters working their fingers to the bone had saved up over $100.00 in order to buy her.Wanting this to be a surprise to their grandparents Grandpa and Grandma Bebee, Arthur O'Connell & Anne Seymour,this had the townspeople in the little town of Chincoteagur Virginia feeling that they, Grandpa & Grandma Bebee, were deep in hock and tried, by giving them unneeded credit, to help them out! Meanwhile during the roundup of wild Spanish ponies from the nearby Assateague Island The Phantom had given birth to a foal-Misty-which made her far more easy to catch, in protecting her young,then in the previous year. It was in fact Paul who saved Misty's life when she almost drowned trying to swim,together with her mom and some 100 other wild ponies, to shore on the mainland.Paul in being too shy to ask the chief of Chincoteague's volunteer fire department, whom the ponies were rounded up for, fire chief Eba Jones, Duke Farley, to buy both The Phantom and Misty off him he then sold them to another bidder! This was later rectified with the two sold back to Paul & Maueen when it was felt, by the person who bought them, they needed the two horses or ponies far more then he did by all the effort and work they put into getting them! By the time the film was over The Phantom was involved in a match race on the beach and beat, shades of Zenyatta & Genuine Risk, top Chincoteague colt and racing champ the Black Comet by what look like at least ten lengths. There was also the bittersweet ending in the film with The Phantom leaving little Misty, to her owners the Bebee's, and swimming back to Assateague Island and to her mate,or stallion, the white black & gray Pide Pipper! As we soon learned The Phantom had done all she could for her yearling Misty and with her knowing that she's back on the mainland with the Bebee's she decided to go or swim back home, Assateague Isand, and live the free and open life that she's used to. In her now knowing that her foal Misty now has a good and loving home of her own with the Bebee family on their Chincoteague horse farm.

sithich As a Marylander, this film is clearly a loving homage to the islands of Chincoteague and Assateague. A darling film, with a cast containing many locals, and actual Beebe family members (and their accents), this film has heart. Had to be a labor of love, or they would have brought in professional actors for it all, and left the look and feel of the locals on the cutting room floor. Instead we get a time capsule of a Mayberry style life, that was unique to the nation. You can still go to the pony crossing, and you can still buy ponies, but after some folk thought they could put the foals in their car trunks for the ride home, things changed, and they cost a lot more than they did then.My 9-year-old daughter is sitting next to me, here in 2012, transfixed by this 1961 film. A must see.

jobla The Koch DVD label has just released MISTY on DVD, and they have gone the extra mile by presenting the film in its original widescreen aspect ratio (2:35-1). In widescreen, much of the Chincoteague scenery is quite breathtaking, with wide green vistas, etc. The movie is still the same charming family film that it was back in 1961. Many people have no idea how popular that film was, back in its day. I believe it was one of the highest grossing (non-Disney) family films of the year. It was produced by Robert Radnitz, who specialized in excellent quality family programming (ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, WHERE THE LILIES BLOOM, MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, and SOUNDER)