The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit
Film poster by Paul Wenzel
Directed by	Norman Tokar
Produced by	Winston Hibler
Written by	Eric Hatch (book) Louis Pelletier
Starring	Dean Jones Diane Baker Lloyd Bochner Fred Clark Morey Amsterdam Kurt Russell Ellen Janov
Music by	George Bruns
Cinematography	William E. Snyder
Editing by	Robert Stafford
Studio	Walt Disney Productions
Distributed by	Buena Vista Distribution Co., Inc.
Release date(s)	December 20, 1968 (1968-12-20)
Running time	113 mins.
Country	United States
Language	English
Money made	$3.3 million (US/ Canada rentals)

The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit is a fun American comedy film from 1968. It was directed by Norman Tokar. The story was written by Louis Pelletier. It is based on a 1955 book called The Year of the Horse by Eric Hatch.

The movie stars Dean Jones, Diane Baker, Ellen Janov, and Kurt Russell. The title is a clever play on words. It refers to the horse's gray color. It also sounds like a famous book from 1955, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. That book was about finding meaning in a business world.

When the movie first came out, it was shown with Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. Most people did not like the movie much. They thought the story was too easy to guess. It also did not make a lot of money. This film was the last one for actor Fred Clark. The movie was dedicated to his memory because he passed away before it was released.

Story Summary

Fred Bolton works in advertising in New York City. He is a single dad living in Lakeville, Connecticut. Fred has two big problems. First, his boss at Tomes Advertising Agency needs a new idea. Fred has only 24 hours to create an ad campaign. It is for a stomach medicine called Aspercel. The company's boss, Tom Dugan, wants a fancy ad campaign. He wants it to make upset stomachs seem "classy."

Fred's second problem is his teenage daughter, Helen. Helen loves horses very much. She takes riding lessons and has done well in some contests. Her biggest dream is to own her own horse. Her riding teacher, Suzie Clemens, thinks a horse would help Helen feel more confident. But Fred, Helen, and her Aunt Martha know they cannot afford a horse. Plus, Fred is allergic to horses!

After a night of thinking hard, Fred gets an idea. He decides to solve both problems at once. He will get a good horse and name it Aspercel. Helen will ride the horse in competitions. This will get the product's name in the news. It will also make Helen's dream come true. For this plan to work, Helen and "Aspy" need to win some prizes. They need to make the horse famous. Fred asks Suzie, Helen's riding teacher, for help. A teenager named Ronny Gardner also helps. Ronny quickly starts to like Helen.

Helen starts to win ribbons with Aspercel. But the news stories are not good enough for Mr. Dugan. Helen learns that her dad's job is in danger. She feels a lot of pressure and does not win an important show. Suzie, however, sees how special Aspercel is. The horse jumps over a 7-foot (2.1 m) wall with Fred on its back. Then it runs faster than a police car!

Suzie offers to ride Aspercel in a big horse show. This show is the International Horse Show in Washington, D.C.. She suggests that her rich friend, Archer Madison, help train them. Archer used to be on the United States Equestrian Team. Fred feels a bit jealous of Archer. But he agrees to the plan. Suzie and Aspercel compete against the champion, Lt. Mario Lorento. Lorento rides his horse, Rascala. After a tough fight, Suzie and Aspercel win the championship!

Everything ends happily for Fred. He gets a promotion at work. Helen is happy with her horse. And Fred and Suzie are in love.

Main Characters