Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Horse racing has come to the Youngstown area with Monday’s season-opening race at Mahoning Valley Race Course. So with that in mind, here are five notable horse racing movies:
v “National Velvet” (1944): A jaded former jockey helps a young girl prepare a wild but gifted horse for England’s Grand National Sweepstakes.
v “Hidalgo” (2004): In 1890, a down-and-out cowboy and his horse travel to Arabia to compete in a deadly cross-desert horse race.
v “Sea Biscuit” (2003): True story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation.
v “Secretariat” (2010): Penny Chenery Tweedy and colleagues guide her long-shot but precocious stallion to set, in 1973, the unbeaten record for winning the Triple Crown.
v “Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story” (2005): A young girl catalyzes the rescue and rehabilitation of Sonador, a race horse with a broken leg.
“Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving” (9 p.m., NBC): The “Saturday Night Live” Thanksgiving special serves up reheated helpings of sketches pegged to the holiday. And, yes, we’ll take more of Adam Sandler’s “Turkey Song,” please.
“Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” (8 p.m., ABC): Two words: Chef Snoopy.
TV listings, B6
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Christmas play for kids at campus
Sharon, Pa.
Penn State Shenango Drama Club will present “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5, and at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 6 and 7, in the campus auditorium, 147 Shenango Ave.
Designed to appeal to all ages, the show weaves together elements from the famous Clement Moore Christmas poem of the same name, “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Adventures of Robin Hood.”
In the play, written by Ken Ludwig, a mouse is stirring up a batch of cookies for Santa’s visit, hoping that this year their house will not be missed again. Together with his friend Emily and an elf from Santa’s workshop, the mouse plays an important and comical role in saving Christmas. The show is not a musical, but musical elements are embedded in the show.
Admission is $7 ($5 for students and senior citizens; free for children 4 and under). A complimentary snack and the opportunity to talk with Santa are included with admission. Tickets can only be purchased at the door and are all general admission. For information, call 724-983-2836.
‘Oz’ lion costume fetches $3 million
NEW YORK
Bert Lahr’s Cowardly Lion costume from the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” sold for more than $3 million at an auction Monday at Bonhams. The big cat outfit had been authenticated as the one Lahr wore in the 1939 film. Its face is a sculpted likeness of the late actor.
A spokesman for costume owner James Comisar says a secondary costume used in the film was sold at auction in recent years for close to $1 million. Comisar has a trove of TV memorabilia from shows.