The search for the authentic began fifteen years earlier when fusco, a dedicated student of the american west and two time recipient of the national cowboy museum western heritage award for westerngenre research, discovered the hopkins and hidalgo story while doing conservation work with horses of original native american bloodlines. In the final leg of the race, after frank has taken the saddle off of hidalgo, there are many shots of frank riding hidalgo. In hidalgo, which opens friday, viggo mortensen plays frank t. Because the disney corporation marketed the movie as a true story, some historians criticized the film both because of the legendary status of hopkins claims. The man portrayed here is not the real frank hopkins. The movie is a work of fiction, despite disney saying its based on a true story. Viggo mortensen bought tj the horse who played hidalgo in. Hopkins viggo mortensen, center and his mustang, hidalgo, competing against the worlds finest arabian stallions in what the movie claims was the greatest endurance race ever run. Hidalgo from myth to movie by basha oreilly even though frank hopkins claimed to have won more endurance races than anyone in history, there is no confirmed photograph of him on horseback. And since that gives you an idea of how real the rest of the movie is, we could end this episode here. If you take the film on surface value, it is a fun film. The story unfolds with a colorful horse, once considered to be unworthy of competition against other breeds, who defies the odds and proves his worth to the world.
Viggo on buying horses and his relative, buffalo bill. From the settings, the story and the camera shots right through to the characters and, of course, hidalgo the horse. He called hidalgo an incredible true story, period. Mar 10, 2012 death rides a horse cowboy, english, hd, western movie full length free western movies duration. Hidalgo hidalgo is based on the true story of the long distance indurance rider frank hopkins viggo mortensen and his horse hidalgo. Biographical notes viggo mortensen is related to the real buffalo bill on his mothers side. Below is the online version of the story notes for hidalgo. This is the story of a seemingly small research query that assumed epic, or rather. The former signal corps meteorologist emailed to say that the frank hopkins in the movie hidalgo, was the same frank hopkins who lived a few houses away from him in forest hills, ny, in 1920 when the lt.
Hidalgo tells the legend of onetime pony express rider frank t. This was one of the most viral posts of all time on facebook. Based on the true story of the greatest longdistance horse race ever run, hidalgo is an epic actionadventure and one mans journey of personal redemption. What is the obsession with movies to trumpet even the most tenuous connection to reallife. For the few thousand riders worldwide who coax their mounts across hundreds of miles at a stretch, casting hopkins as a real life endurance hero is a slap. In 1890, courier frank hopkins viggo mortenson and his dappled mustang hidalgo were the undefeated champions of endurance riding competitions, races of hundreds, even thousands of miles. But the trailers narrator didnt qualify the movie s origin. Modern movies that attempt the adventure genre usually feel they have to tart it up, so in pirates of the caribbean. The movie starts off with hopkins winning a long distance race, and teaching people to respect mustangs. It recounts hopkins racing his horse in arabia in 1891 against bedouins riding pureblooded arabian horses. Viggo mortensens hidalgo is based on a notsotrue story. It set in the arabian desert with what are supposed to be the finest horses in the world.
Joe johnston has directed some great movies, including the recent holidaythemed film the nutcracker and the four realms that just. En oceano di fuoco hidalgo, su internet movie database. Hidalgo is a 2004 epic biographical western film based on the legend of the american distance rider frank hopkins and his mustang hidalgo. But the trailers narrator didnt qualify the movies origin. Hidalgo is based on a true story about the annual race in which entries. Its really a classical adventure movie, with princesses and scimitars and sandstorms and swarms of locusts. Feb 26, 2009 the film seems to be based on the real story of operation primrose. Just as with the film apollo, the fact that the story is based on real history and fact makes the storytelling more than a good tale. Fort worth, texasin walt disney pictures latest adventure movie, hidalgo, a special relationship develops between a rider and his horse. In one of the slightly wider shots that shows frank, hidalgo s back, and hidalgo s neck, you can see the back of an english saddle under franks butt, even though hes supposed to be riding bareback. Just as with the film apollo, the fact that the story is based on real history and fact makes the story telling more than a good tale. It was long and boring at times, but getting to the finish made it all worth while. When disney spun the movie hidalgo as based on a true story, questions began to fly.
Award note screenwriter john fusco won the western writers of america spur award for hidalgo. Set in 1890, hidalgo tells the story of the legendary frank t. The onscreen legend said the standard based on a true story. If you watched the show on the history channel, you would have seen that the true story could not have possibly been true. Frank hopkins is interred in lutheran all faiths cemetery in middle village, queens county, new york. Hidalgo is the kind of movie hollywood has almost become too jaundiced to make anymore. Viggo mortensen is fluent in english, spanish and danish, and learned the lakota dialect for the. The movie was written by john fusco and directed by joe johnston.
William zimmerman, 96, of amarillo, texas, wrote in with that very question. Hidalgo is so famous that a sheik has sent a servant to invite him to participate in a race across the arabian desert, which he accepts, it being a better alternative to the humiliating performances. In 1890, a downandout cowboy and his horse travel to arabia to compete in a deadly cross desert horse race. Aug 30, 2006 hidalgo is based on a true story supposedly. A touchstone pictures film, hidalgo stars viggo mortensen as buffalo bills wild west cast member and cowboy frank t. The trailer bills the disneytouchstone movie as an incredible true story, and the. Its promoting the movie as a true story to increase its sales and viewership. Frank hopkins and hidalgo buffalo bill center of the west. Biography of frank hopkins hidalgo 2004 discussion. The horse is, well, hidalgo, and the cowboy is frank hopkins viggo mortensen.
Bold, exuberant and swashbuckling, it has the purity and simplicity of something douglas fairbanks or errol flynn might have bounded through. Look, lord of the rings was a great movie, but no one says its a true story, says. However, he might not be the same exact hero you know from the movies. Calvalry and delivered the orders at the masacre at wounded knee. Viggo mortensen, john fusco bring hidalgo home equiworld. It shows all angles of the story, visually and historically. The film has western elements, but it doesnt evoke a sense of nostalgia found in viewing such epic spaghetti westerns of old. Touchstone pictures has bounced around on its claims, starting off saying the film was based on a true story when it was promoting the.
Based on a true story, hopkins and his mustang hidalgo enter the ultimate extreme sport of its time the ocean of fire. Hidalgo tells the true story of hero frank hopkins. Because the disney corporation marketed the movie as a true story, some. It recounts hopkins racing his horse in arabia in 1891 against bedouins riding pure blooded arabian horses. The film marketed that it was based on a true story although subsequent investigations failed to find any evidence of such a race. Hidalgo dvd, 2004, widescreen edition for sale online ebay. In one of the slightly wider shots that shows frank, hidalgos back, and hidalgos neck, you can see the back of an english saddle under franks butt, even though hes supposed to be riding bareback. Starring lord of the rings hunk viggo mortensen, the film is a nagstoriches saga about.
True story movies that are actually made up screenrant. Hopkins, hero of walt disneys forthcoming movie hidalgo, claimed to have an extremely impressive resume. Hopkins life and the story of the race in arabia were the inspiration for the 2004 film hidalgo, written by john fusco, directed by joe johnston, and starring viggo mortensen. And all the marketing for the film touted it was indeed based on a true story. Hidalgo was released by buena vista pictures on march 5, 2004. Hidalgo dvd, 2004 this was an entertaining movie about a supposed horse race in the 1890s. Hidalgo is a highly entertaining movie starring viggo mortensen as 1890s long distance horse racer, frank hopkins. Disney is advertising hidalgo as being based on a true story. Hidalgo is the story of a horse and the cowboy who rides him. Hidalgo is the wellwritten, wellacted true story of frank hopkins viggo mortensen, the brave rider who, with his smart american horse hidalgo, competes in the ocean of fire a fierce race in the middle east, against athletes known not only for their horsemanship, but for their cunning. Fusco likens the controversy to a shootout between posses in the equestrian community, but the larger question about whether disney should promote hidalgo as based on a true story. Apr 05, 2019 the story about teresa is one of the most viral hoax that you will ever come across, yes i am talking about teresa fidalgo. The former signal corps meteorologist emailed to say that the frank hopkins in the movie hidalgo, was the same frank hopkins who lived a few houses away from him in forest hills, ny, in.
I guess hollywood doesnt think we are interested in real life stories unless there is fighting, a damsel in distress, and intrigue. It is based on a real man and his real horse, but then the story gets a little farfetched. Hidalgo is basically a story of attempting the impossible. It is a factual, nonpromotional movie that pays attention to detail and gives credibility to all historical data and witnesses vivid recall. By bobbie lieberman for the times february 17, 2004 in the deep shadows of the stippled dunes, a solitary figure silently prepares for an epic journey that will begin at first light. It stars viggo mortensen, zuleikha robinson, and omar sharif. May 22, 2010 dances with wolves john dunbar discovers stands with a fist and the sioux village duration. Hidalgo is about a guy and his horse who are invited to the hardest crosscountry race in the world. Hidalgo is based on a notsotrue story the long riders guild, a group for people who make continuous horseback journeys of 1,000 miles or more, have devoted considerable time to proving that hopkins was a sham and that his story is a lie. Hidalgo is based on a notsotrue story the long riders guild, a group for people who make continuous horseback journeys of 1,000 miles or more, have devoted considerable time to proving that hopkins was a sham and that his story is a lie the most problematic of all the disputes, however, is the one surrounding the ocean of fire, the longdistance race through the middle east that.
When affluent sheik riyadh omar sharif, piqued by tales of hopkins talent. Mar 01, 2004 but in touchstones final movie pitch for the march 2004 release, the studio goes all the way backnot only to saying the movie is based on a true story but now claiming it is an incredible true story. Was there ever a mexican hero named zorro in real life. In the movie, nate salsbury sponsors hopkins and his mustang hidalgo played by t. Jan 12, 2018 viggo mortensen bought tj the horse who played hidalgo in the movie after filming was done. Ostensibly, the film is based on the true story of frank hopkins.
Hidalgo is the small, mixed breed horse that hopkins rides and is a metaphor for hopkins himself who is a halfbreed born to a lakota indian woman, but has hid it from most everyone. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Of course, youre free to do so this is a free podcast and you can skip to the next episode in your queue of awesome podcasts to listen to. With viggo mortensen, omar sharif, zuleikha robinson, louise lombard. You may have seen even several different posts with her name and her story. The hidalgo star talks about big, fat head movies and why he owns a few of his costars literally. Ostensibly, the film is based on the true story of frank hopkins, a longdistance horseracer who is invited to. After hopkins delivers a dispatch that leads to the massacre of native americans at wounded knee, he starts drinking, stops racing, and gets a job re.
Viggo mortensen is brilliant as the cowboyindian who owns and rides hidalgo and the fact that this is a true story really makes this something special. Held yearly for centuries, the ocean of fire a 3,000 mile survival race across the arabian desert was a challenge restricted to the finest arabian horses ever bred, the purest and. Rugged cowboy frank hopkins viggo mortensen is an expert horseman who performs in buffalo bills wild west show. Hopkins, an american cowboy who takes his mustang overseas to compete in the ocean of fire. Death rides a horse cowboy, english, hd, western movie full length free western movies duration. It is up to the viewer to decide if the story is believable or not, since the event time period of occurrence was long ago. On 8 may 1941, german submarine u110 attacked an allied convoy that included the british ship hms bulldog. The 2004 movie is billed by disney, touchtone pictures, as based on a true story, but the only problem is, the stories were all based on his autobiography written. Hopkins viggo mortensen, a dispatch courier for the pony express who unwittingly delivers orders for the native american. Im not sure how accurate this true story was, but the movie was very good. Hopkins, hero of walt disneys forthcoming movie hidalgo, claimed to have. The movie trailer shows a visually stunning epic starring a personable little paint.
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