Remembering Elizabeth Taylor in "National Velvet"

One of the more amazing aspects of Elizabeth Taylor’s story is just how long a career she enjoyed. She began making movies at age ten in 1942 and by 1944 starred as plucky Velvet Brown in Clarence Brown’s National Velvet. This picture has a lot to offer today’s young viewer. Velvet is a hard-working, horse-loving gal. And after she’s dealt the ruling that—as a female—she could not jockey her horse in the Grand National Steeplechase, she lops off her hair and rides as a boy. Velvet ultimately gives up a chance at fame for herself and her beloved horse, The Pie, because—you heard me right—it wouldn’t be so great for the horse. Velvet was strong, thoughtful, and kind; she had character. And any parent of any era would be proud of such a daughter. The movie gives surprisingly modern messages to girls: the sky’s the limit; and barriers are there to be busted wide open.


National Velvet also resonates in the depiction of a refreshing and unusual mother-daughter relationship. Anne Revere as Velvet’s mother is a strong, centered, calm woman who speaks to Velvet with so much respect, it’s almost jarring. She’s not a touch-feely, cover-you-in-kisses screen mom, but a compelling mentor to a young girl on the verge of becoming a woman. Mrs. Brown never talks down to Velvet or pulls her punches; and she never loses her temper. She’s the picture of the wise center that holds the family together. I always loved the fact that her character was a famous channel swimmer in her day, but doesn’t live in the shadow of her former glory. And young Liz holds her own in her scenes with Revere, a character just as strong as mom. As Velvet, the bright-eyed, vibrant Elizabeth Taylor is the promise of the grand star she was to become.


On a side note, Hitchcock favorite Farley Granger just passed away. Granger had a wonderful turn as Niels, the tempestuous ballet master in Charles Vidor’s 1952 film, Hans Christian Andersen. It’s an adorable, singable musical that puts children at its center in a not-at-all accurate but entertaining bio-pic. The film can be seen in its entirety at Fancast.com.

Squares One and Two: Work Hard; Be Nice

That’s the motto (and teaching philosophy) of a personal hero of mine: Rafe Esquith, subject of Mel Stuart’s wonderful 2005 documentary, The Hobart Shakespeareans. I wish every parent would see this. The documentary follows Rafe who teaches fifth grade in a troubled Los Angeles school district as he inspires and leads his students to greatness. He challenges his students to take on difficult texts by directing them in Shakespeare plays. He leads them into ethics lessons suggested by Huck Finn. He raises money to take them on cross-country trips to broaden their horizons and give them a glimpse of a better life. At the end of the day, Rafe’s philosophy is simple: work hard and be nice. You won’t soon forget the sight of Rafe’s students IN TEARS on the last day of school. Perhaps they suspect few people in their lives will ever care this much again. I like to look at this video to recharge my batteries certainly as a teacher but mostly as a parent.

I lean toward media that supports the basic premise that by working hard and being nice, you can achieve much, probably everything you could ever desire. I guess I’m the opposite of the Tiger Mom, as I place success in personal relationships on a better than equal footing with professional and scholastic success. But I suppose the backlash Tiger Mom received suggests I’m not alone in this opinion. As I continue this exploration, I will examine the new and the old and invite you to join me in the conversation.