![]() Lester and Wild also were teamed in 1971's Melody. Lester later described his Oliver! co-star Jack Wild (who played the Artful Dodger) as a "long lost brother " Wild's adulthood was plagued by money and alcohol problems and he died at the untimely age of 53. Because of his lack of singing ability, Lester's singing was dubbed by the film's music arranger Johnny Green's 20-year-old daughter Kathe Green. Reed's film version of Lionel Bart's stage musical was a highly successful, multiple Academy Award-nominee and winner for which Lester was cast at the age of eight. When Diana and Philip are out riding one night and become lost on the foggy moor, it seems possible that this could be their last adventure amidst the wild forces of nature.Īfter his film debut at age six in The Counterfeit Constable (1964) and small parts in the films Fahrenheit 451 (1966) and Our Mother's House (1967), Mark Lester ascended quickly to fame as the child star of Carol Reed's Oliver! (1968). When the bird is horribly injured through Philip's carelessness, all of the progress the Colonel has made seems for naught.īut the bird recovers, the white horse returns and the Colonel teaches Philip to ride. Together Philip, the Colonel and Diana train the bird, reveling in its progress and ability to fly to them. He is distracted by a pet falcon, Lady, given to him by a farm girl neighbor, Diana (Fiona Fullerton). ![]() The experience is transformative, until the horse runs away and Philip becomes distraught. The child forms a deep bond to the animal, a creature that seems to understand him like no other. A world opens up to Philip that expands triple fold when he makes the acquaintance of a wild blue-eyed white colt grazing on the moor. The Colonel introduces Philip to the wonders of the moors: the newly hatched birds whose nests are tucked in tree boughs and the copious bugs crawling under the peat. ![]() Like the nature that surrounds him - the film was shot on location in Dartmoor, Devon, England - the boy is a creature of mute-impulse who must be patiently tamed and drawn out just like the animals he encounters. Out roaming the moors, Philip encounters the kindly, nature-loving retired Colonel (John Mills) who is deeply sympathetic to the boy's plight. Sarafian, is occasionally graced with experimental, art film touches, as when, at one point the internal thoughts of Philip's mother (Sylvia Syms) describing her fatigue and inability to love her son can be heard as voice-over as they drive to a therapist appointment. Run Wild, Run Free (1969), directed by Richard C. Even more frustrating for his devoted mother and more irritable father, Philip has refused to speak since the age of three. Like some wild animal, Philip refuses to be penned up. Philip (Mark Lester) is a troubled 10-year-old boy who has been fleeing the confines of his family's home since babyhood. Looking at his apparently doomed pony, Philip speaks a few loving words of encouragement, and the colt struggles to safety. A search party, including The Moorman and Philip's parents, find them but cannot rescue the colt. Then, while riding on the moors, Philip, Diana, and the colt get lost in a heavy mist and the colt becomes mired in a bog. During this learning process The Moorman discovers that Philip is capable of speech. As Philip lapses into listlessness, The Moorman recaptures the colt and patiently teaches Philip to ride. The kestrel recovers, but it is accidentally killed a short time later. As a result, Diana's pet is badly wounded. ![]() While training the falcon under the tutelage of The Moorman and Diana, Philip catches a glimpse of his pony and chases after it, completely ignoring the bird attached to his arm. Realizing that Philip responds more to animals than people, The Moorman persuades a neighbor's little girl, Diana, to lend the boy her pet kestrel. Naming the colt after himself, Philip devotes all of his time to his new companion-until the pony suddenly disappears. During these days Philip makes two friends: a retired army colonel known as The Moorman and a white pony that runs wildly about the moors. Following the failure of an attempt to cure the boy at a local clinic, Philip's mother gives up in despair and allows him to wander freely about the moors that surround his home in Devonshire. ![]() As the result of an early traumatic experience, 10-year-old Philip Ransome is mute, a psychological affliction that is worsened by the overbearing love of his mother and the exasperated impatience of his father. ![]()
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