A DAY AT HOLLYWOOD PARK (1947 Short Subject Film)

A priceless 1947 short subject film produced by Warner Brothers that gives a very detailed overview of Thoroughbred racing.

The viewer is introduced to the Thoroughbred breed of horses at a California breeding farm where a stallion is shown in addition to mares and foals in a field where they are eating at a grain station.

Next you're taken on a magical carpet ride at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California, and taken through a typical day of racing in which horses are trained on the track and schooled at the starting gate. Expert timers are shown in the stands clocking each horse's work as well as other racing officials with specific duties revolved around the race track such as setting the conditions and filling race cards each day.

Every minor detail involving each horse is meticulously supervised such as his bathing and grooming schedule; a blacksmith is shown making a custom-fit shoe in the blacksmith barn; jockeys are shown in the jocks' room getting their silks and being weighted on the scales before each race; horses are shown being thoroughly examined before each race by a track-appointed vet to determine if they're fit enough to race or to be scratched due any physical ailment.

At this point, racegoers start pouring into Hollywood Park from all walks of life and begin cramming the stands to view a post-parade, the thrilling race and what happens afterwards such as the photography/film department which has to develop photos of the race on the spot and all the other after-race activity such as the horse being cooled down and having saliva samples taken and sent to the on-track laboratory where technicians perform various routine tests to rule out that any illegal substances were present in a horse's system before any monetary purses can be distributed.

A very entertaining and informative production that looks back at a typical day at Hollywood Park from racings golden age can be yours!


(10 Minutes)