Legend of the White Horse

Legend of the White Horse (original title: Biały smok) is a 1987 Polish-American adventure children's film directed by Jerzy Domaradzki and Janusz Morgenstern, based on the magic realism novel White Horse, Dark Dragon by Robert C. Fleet, who also wrote the screenplay. It was produced by Alina Szpak for CBS Theatrical Films, Legend Productions & Film Polski. The film is also a political satire.[1] It was released on July 13, 1987. It was re-released in 2017 by Legend 44 Productions as White Horse, Dark Dragon; Legend 44 Productions is the successor to Legend Productions, the American co-producer and copyright holder of the feature.[2]

This article is about the movie. For the book written by Robert C. Fleet, see White Horse, Dark Dragon.

Synopsis

The action takes place in a fictional Central European country, Karistan, where the beautiful Alta lives with her young blind daughter Jewel. Jewel has a friend in the form of an enigmatic white horse. Soon they meet an American visitor named Jim Martin, who has been sent to Karistan to prove that a new investment is not going to harm the environment in Karistan.

Cast

Background

The novel White Horse, Dark Dragon is described by The Science Fiction Chronicle as "an interesting juxtaposition of fantasy and modern politics", and has become something of a cult due to its dry political humor satirizing late-era Communism and U.S. corporate boardrooms - mixed with action, historical romance and nuanced characters. The movie takes a simpler tack, perhaps reflective of Hollywood mind-think: good guys vs. bad guys. It was a decision that makes for an uneasy blend of target marketing vs. reality, since the result was a movie that at least one reviewer, Michael Medved, thought was "too intense for children."

As Biały smok (White Dragon), it was the second highest grossing theatrical feature in Poland when it was released in 1987. It was renamed "Legend of the white horse" by CBS in the U.S., but the CBS Theatrical Films division was closed down in late 1986 and the feature languished in tax write-off obscurity until it was released to video by CBS/Fox Video a few years later.

The book was held up for publication for contractual reasons, but finally published by Putnam/Berkley/Ace in 1993. It was re-released in digital and print versions in 2012 by Red Frog Publishing.

References
  1. IBFP Archived May 28, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Legend of the White Horse - Cast | IMDbPro". pro.imdb.com. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
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