I remembered watching this movie on TV when I was a kid, and that I cried hysterically, not because the boy died, but because they burned up the Rocking Horse. My question is: just as there were back-up Rosebud Sleds for "Citizen Kane", were there any back-up Rocking Horses, and what ever became of them?
shareI watched this movie after I read your post. That rocking horse was very unique, probably an antique and one of a kind. I doubt that there were more than one. They only burned one, kind of a shame really.
shareI don't know about the antique theory. With the size of the actor and as hard as he rode that horse...I'd guess it was a prop built for the production.
shareIt was designed according to the story. "Its red mouth was slightly open, its big eye was wide and glassy-bright."
shareThat would be my guess also. I can't say that I've heard of the studios destroying a real item intentionally. They rent antique automobiles, for example, but never really destroy them even though a movie might make it appear that way. It was a prop. I'd bet on it... ;)
shareHad to be a prop created for the movie. No toymaker would design a rocking horse that looked that creepy.
shareA lot of that's the lighting. That horse was perfectly normal looking, although more like what you would see on a merry-go-round of that period.
Let's just say that God doesn't believe in me.
My mother was infuriated that they burned the rocking horse. Not only did it not happen in the real story, but it gave entirely the wrong impression, as if the horse had any power on its own, when the story made it perfectly clear it hadn't. They just did it because it makes a memorable final image.
Mom said Paul was like a "dervish", just using the horse to get in an altered state where he could see enough of the future to know who the winner was. Sort of like tripping without drugs. That isn't what killed him. He just wore himself out.
Let's just say that God doesn't believe in me.
It's amazing that a post I wrote over five years ago, and forgot all about, continues to get replies, including two just minutes apart.
But now that I remember it, it still doesn't answer my question. Certainly there were back-up rocking horses just in case things went wrong during the filming of the first one. Now that some years have past, what became of those back-up rocking horses? Like, did John Mills keep one to give to his (then) little girls Juliet and Hailey? Was one sold at auction just like one of the back-up Rosebud sleds? Come to think of it, where are those Rocking Horse copies on eBay, to sell alongside those copies of Maltese Falcons and Rosebud Sleds? C'mon someone, give!
Mom said Paul was like a "dervish", just using the horse to get in an altered state where he could see enough of the future to know who the winner was. Sort of like tripping without drugs. That isn't what killed him. He just wore himself out.I agree with your mother. This is the process that appeared to be happening to Paul. He seemed possessed.
Fatima had a fetish for a wiggle in her scootshare
Your mother's observation about the dervish was very insightful. I had the same impression, but without that admirable analogy.
I disagree with the other comment, however. It is perfectly understandable that the mother would have wanted the rocking horse destroyed, whether or not it was a rational response. (That said, I did think that some other child - a poor one, perhaps - could have benefited from it.) I was glad they didn't burn the money, though, thinking of how much good it could do.
The rocking-horse was Lawrence's symbol for masturbation/freedom and the narrow-minded mother was determined to destroy it.
This nexus was developed in the Schaffer play Equus.