WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.500 Welcome to today's Deep Dive. We are so glad 00:00:03.500 --> 00:00:05.820 you could join us today because we have a genuinely 00:00:05.820 --> 00:00:08.539 fascinating cultural evolution lined up for you. 00:00:08.660 --> 00:00:12.039 We really do. Yeah. Our mission today is to explore 00:00:12.039 --> 00:00:15.019 the multi -generational footprint of a story 00:00:15.019 --> 00:00:17.480 that honestly you likely think you already know. 00:00:17.579 --> 00:00:19.519 We're talking about National Velvet. Right. And 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:22.600 we're pulling all our insights today from a single 00:00:22.600 --> 00:00:25.739 comprehensive source. It's the detailed Wikipedia 00:00:25.739 --> 00:00:29.960 article on the original 1935 novel written by 00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:32.799 Enid Bagnall. Which is such a rich document. 00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:35.399 It is. We're going to extract the core thematic 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:37.340 elements from this classic narrative, and we 00:00:37.340 --> 00:00:40.750 really want to explore exactly how a... Well, 00:00:40.770 --> 00:00:43.350 the deceptively simple story about a 14 -year 00:00:43.350 --> 00:00:46.090 -old girl and a horse transformed into this expansive, 00:00:46.170 --> 00:00:48.649 decades -long franchise. Exactly. And more importantly, 00:00:48.810 --> 00:00:50.189 we want to look at what this narrative teaches 00:00:50.189 --> 00:00:52.890 you and me about the pure pursuit of a singular 00:00:52.890 --> 00:00:55.570 ambition versus, you know, the overwhelming noise 00:00:55.570 --> 00:00:58.590 of public fame. So, OK, let's unpack this, because 00:00:58.590 --> 00:01:01.270 going into this material, I had always categorized 00:01:01.270 --> 00:01:03.490 National Velvet as just that quintessential Elizabeth 00:01:03.490 --> 00:01:05.590 Taylor film. Oh, absolutely. Most people do. 00:01:06.120 --> 00:01:08.959 Right. Finding out it originated as an incredibly 00:01:08.959 --> 00:01:12.719 rich, deeply thematic 1930s novel completely 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:15.359 shifted my perspective. It really reframes the 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:18.000 entire legacy when you examine that source material. 00:01:18.260 --> 00:01:21.500 I mean, the 1935 novel by Enid Bagnold establishes 00:01:21.500 --> 00:01:25.099 this really robust philosophical foundation that 00:01:25.099 --> 00:01:27.920 the later adaptations iterate on. But the original 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:31.480 text possesses a distinct... Almost a subversive 00:01:31.480 --> 00:01:33.980 spirit. Subversive is a great word for it. Yeah, 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:36.439 it's far more than just a sentimental story about 00:01:36.439 --> 00:01:38.920 a child who happens to like ponies. It operates 00:01:38.920 --> 00:01:42.280 as a brilliant character study of quiet, relentless 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:44.500 ambition. And what's compelling about that starting 00:01:44.500 --> 00:01:46.879 point is how it strips away the typical hero 00:01:46.879 --> 00:01:50.079 archetypes. Let's set the scene for you. The 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:53.219 narrative places us somewhere in the late 1920s, 00:01:53.219 --> 00:01:56.019 situated in a small English coastal village down 00:01:56.019 --> 00:01:58.079 in Sussex. Right. And we are introduced to our 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:00.579 protagonist, Velvet Brown. And the author goes 00:02:00.579 --> 00:02:02.859 out of her way to ensure Velvet is not portrayed 00:02:02.859 --> 00:02:05.780 as some, you know, fearless, flawless prodigy. 00:02:05.780 --> 00:02:09.680 She is a 14 -year -old girl. And the text specifically 00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:13.280 describes her as high -strung, shy, and nervous. 00:02:13.659 --> 00:02:16.500 She even suffers from a delicate stomach. She's 00:02:16.500 --> 00:02:18.740 the daughter of a local butcher, but her entire 00:02:18.740 --> 00:02:22.159 internal world revolves around this grand, almost 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:24.680 unreasonable dream of one day owning many horses. 00:02:24.939 --> 00:02:27.360 Which is an inherently vulnerable position for 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:30.280 a protagonist. She's an underdog in every physical 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:33.560 and socioeconomic sense. But to truly understand 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:35.840 the genesis of Velvet's drive, you have to look 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:38.060 closely at her family dynamic. Yes, the mother. 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:40.979 Exactly. Particularly the unspoken history of 00:02:40.979 --> 00:02:43.599 her mother. Mrs. Brown is characterized in the 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:46.439 text as a wise, taciturn woman. However, she 00:02:46.439 --> 00:02:48.840 harbors an extraordinary past. It's so cool. 00:02:49.020 --> 00:02:51.259 It is. Long before she settled into the life 00:02:51.259 --> 00:02:53.259 of a butcher's wife in a quiet Sussex village, 00:02:53.460 --> 00:02:56.460 she achieved something monumental. She successfully 00:02:56.460 --> 00:02:59.560 swam the English Channel. That detail, it alters 00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:02.400 the entire context of the household. She possesses 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:04.759 this staggering athletic achievement, but she 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:06.379 doesn't leverage it for constant validation. 00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:08.879 It just exists, as a matter of fact, in their 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:11.060 family history. What's fascinating here is how 00:03:11.060 --> 00:03:13.460 the novel places such a deliberate focus on the 00:03:13.460 --> 00:03:16.020 capacity of ordinary people And very specifically, 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:19.780 ordinary women. to accomplish extraordinarily 00:03:19.780 --> 00:03:23.319 grueling physical feats. And keep the timeline 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:26.539 in mind. Enid Bagnall published this in 1935, 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:30.159 setting it in the late 1920s. For the era, having 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:33.060 a narrative so fiercely dedicated to female physical 00:03:33.060 --> 00:03:36.300 endurance and quiet strength was remarkably progressive. 00:03:36.740 --> 00:03:39.500 The mother's past achievement functions as a 00:03:39.500 --> 00:03:42.460 silent, continuous signal to Velvet, and really 00:03:42.460 --> 00:03:44.620 to the reader, that the boundary between the 00:03:44.620 --> 00:03:46.740 impossible and the possible is highly permeable. 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:49.919 And that theme of authentic, youthful capability 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:52.500 actually bled into the real -world creation of 00:03:52.500 --> 00:03:54.580 the book, which I found incredible. Our source 00:03:54.580 --> 00:03:56.680 notes that the first edition of this novel was 00:03:56.680 --> 00:03:59.090 illustrated by the author's own daughter. Lorian 00:03:59.090 --> 00:04:01.490 Jones. Yes, Lorian Jones. And she was born in 00:04:01.490 --> 00:04:03.590 1921. So if you do the math, when the book was 00:04:03.590 --> 00:04:05.590 published in 1935, the illustrator was exactly 00:04:05.590 --> 00:04:08.270 14 years old. She was the precise age of the 00:04:08.270 --> 00:04:10.409 protagonist. That's amazing. Right. Letting a 00:04:10.409 --> 00:04:13.050 14 -year -old visually define a best -selling 00:04:13.050 --> 00:04:16.089 novel about a 14 -year -old girl adds a phenomenal 00:04:16.089 --> 00:04:18.800 layer of authenticity to the project. It perfectly 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:21.480 mirrors the internal themes of the text. Young 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:23.699 women stepping up to deliver something substantial 00:04:23.699 --> 00:04:26.100 without needing to be older or more traditionally 00:04:26.100 --> 00:04:28.800 qualified. And that brings us to the inciting 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:31.000 incident of the narrative, which is rooted in 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:35.360 recognizing raw, unrefined potential. The moment 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:38.339 the trajectory of Velvet's life shifts. So Velvet 00:04:38.339 --> 00:04:40.360 and her best friend, me, Taylor, who goes by 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:43.139 Michael, are out one day and they witness an 00:04:43.139 --> 00:04:46.139 event that defies logic. Yeah, the jump. They 00:04:46.139 --> 00:04:49.439 observe a horse named the Piebald literally leaped 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:52.279 over a five foot high cobbled fence simply to 00:04:52.279 --> 00:04:54.579 escape a field. For anyone who doesn't spend 00:04:54.579 --> 00:04:57.579 time around equestrians, a five foot jump over 00:04:57.579 --> 00:05:01.079 uneven solid stone is a staggering display of 00:05:01.079 --> 00:05:03.459 athletic power. It's an explosive display of 00:05:03.459 --> 00:05:05.600 raw ability. But before we follow the horse, 00:05:05.660 --> 00:05:07.720 we need to analyze me Taylor's role in this equation. 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:11.339 Right. He's crucial. He is. On paper, Mina appears 00:05:11.339 --> 00:05:13.980 to be just Velvet's father's assistant at the 00:05:13.980 --> 00:05:16.639 butcher shop. But his background provides the 00:05:16.639 --> 00:05:19.660 critical infrastructure for the plot. He formerly 00:05:19.660 --> 00:05:22.180 worked in stables, giving him an intimate working 00:05:22.180 --> 00:05:24.100 class knowledge of the horse racing industry. 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:26.959 Yeah. Furthermore, and this is a brilliant piece 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:30.220 of narrative connective tissue, Mi's father was 00:05:30.220 --> 00:05:32.160 the swimming coach who helped Velvet's mother 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:34.720 cross the English Channel all those years ago. 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:37.720 It's as if these two families are inextricably 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:41.079 linked by a shared destiny to facilitate impossible 00:05:41.079 --> 00:05:45.040 physical endeavors. So they witness the piebald 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:48.379 execute this massive jump. And me, Taylor, tells 00:05:48.379 --> 00:05:50.360 Velvet, and this is a direct quote from the text, 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:53.319 a horse like that win the national. The grand 00:05:53.319 --> 00:05:56.459 national steeplechase. Exactly. And that single 00:05:56.459 --> 00:05:59.000 sentence completely rewires Velvet's ambitions. 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:01.180 She develops an absolute obsession with this 00:06:01.180 --> 00:06:03.120 idea. Which is audacious considering she doesn't 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:05.139 even own the animal yet. Minor detail. Right. 00:06:05.579 --> 00:06:07.379 But the novel then orchestrates a sequence of 00:06:07.379 --> 00:06:10.120 events where Velvet's fortunes align with her 00:06:10.120 --> 00:06:12.879 ambition. First, she unexpectedly inherits several 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:15.060 horses from one of her father's customers. Out 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:17.339 of nowhere. Yeah, and then, as if the universe 00:06:17.339 --> 00:06:20.600 is actively rewarding her singular focus, she 00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:22.879 actually wins the piebald in an upcoming local 00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:26.500 raffle. She secures the very horse she is fixated 00:06:26.500 --> 00:06:29.199 on. But the acquisition is just the prerequisite 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:31.959 for the actual labor. She begins by riding him 00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:34.670 in a local Gymkhana. which is a community equestrian 00:06:34.670 --> 00:06:37.250 event featuring various games and races. Right, 00:06:37.350 --> 00:06:39.709 a testing ground. That initial test goes well 00:06:39.709 --> 00:06:41.790 enough that Velvet and me make the conscious, 00:06:41.949 --> 00:06:44.509 calculated decision to pursue the ultimate goal. 00:06:44.889 --> 00:06:47.509 They begin scheming to enter the piebald into 00:06:47.509 --> 00:06:50.709 the Grand National at the legendary Aintree Racecourse. 00:06:50.990 --> 00:06:52.910 And for you listening, it's important to understand 00:06:52.910 --> 00:06:55.350 that a steeplechase isn't just a fast sprint 00:06:55.350 --> 00:06:58.350 on a flat track. Oh no. It is a punishing distance 00:06:58.350 --> 00:07:01.509 race featuring diverse, highly dangerous fence 00:07:01.509 --> 00:07:04.680 and dish obstacles. They start rigorously training 00:07:04.680 --> 00:07:07.220 the horse specifically for this brutal environment. 00:07:07.540 --> 00:07:09.560 The physical training is only half the battle, 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:11.860 though. The most significant roadblock is the 00:07:11.860 --> 00:07:13.860 institutional structure of the racing world itself. 00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:16.879 In the 1920s, a 14 -year -old girl simply cannot 00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:19.079 walk up and register to ride in the Grand National. 00:07:19.240 --> 00:07:21.879 The gender barriers are absolute. Absolutely 00:07:21.879 --> 00:07:24.600 rigid. So they have to subvert the system entirely. 00:07:25.639 --> 00:07:28.759 Mio taps into his historical connections within 00:07:28.759 --> 00:07:31.259 the horse training and racing community, and 00:07:31.259 --> 00:07:33.980 he manages to procure forged clearance documents. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:37.100 For Velvet. The nature of this deception is where 00:07:37.100 --> 00:07:39.040 you really see the author's sharp commentary 00:07:39.040 --> 00:07:41.920 on the societal rules of the era. Velvet doesn't 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:43.800 just tuck her hair under a cap and pretend to 00:07:43.800 --> 00:07:46.199 be a local farm boy. No, she goes all out. She 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:48.980 does. She enters the race under the alias James 00:07:48.980 --> 00:07:51.740 Tasky, who is documented as a Russian jockey. 00:07:51.899 --> 00:07:54.800 That specific choice of disguise is highly strategic. 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:57.899 It really is. By inventing a foreign identity, 00:07:58.060 --> 00:08:00.620 particularly a Russian one, she provides a built 00:08:00.620 --> 00:08:03.040 -in excuse for being aloof, avoiding conversation. 00:08:03.850 --> 00:08:05.829 and hiding her voice from the English officials. 00:08:06.089 --> 00:08:08.430 It's so smart. It highlights the absurdity of 00:08:08.430 --> 00:08:10.670 the era's restrictions that an English girl had 00:08:10.670 --> 00:08:13.490 to invent an entirely fabricated foreign male 00:08:13.490 --> 00:08:15.810 identity just to be permitted to test her physical 00:08:15.810 --> 00:08:18.649 skills on a race course. It's a brilliant logistical 00:08:18.649 --> 00:08:21.329 workaround. And it sets the stage for the climax 00:08:21.329 --> 00:08:24.029 of the novel. The Grand National at Aintree is 00:08:24.029 --> 00:08:26.490 notoriously punishing. It tests the absolute 00:08:26.490 --> 00:08:28.949 limits of endurance, requiring both the animal 00:08:28.949 --> 00:08:31.990 and the rider to operate in perfect, exhausting 00:08:31.990 --> 00:08:34.960 synchronization. And spoiling a narrative from 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:38.659 1935, Velvet actually wins the race. She does? 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:41.419 She and the Piebald cross the finish line first 00:08:41.419 --> 00:08:43.740 in what is arguably the toughest steeplechase 00:08:43.740 --> 00:08:46.379 in the world. But Bagnall doesn't let the triumph 00:08:46.379 --> 00:08:49.240 stand as a simple, uncomplicated victory. It 00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:51.600 is immediately followed by a stark reality check. 00:08:51.820 --> 00:08:54.120 Right. She wins the grueling race, but she's 00:08:54.120 --> 00:08:56.340 disqualified. And what's crucial here is that 00:08:56.340 --> 00:08:58.159 she isn't initially disqualified because she's 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:01.440 a girl. No. She's disqualified on a strict technicality. 00:09:01.659 --> 00:09:04.519 The steeplechase has exacted such a severe physical 00:09:04.519 --> 00:09:08.139 toll on her that, due to pure unadulterated exhaustion, 00:09:08.460 --> 00:09:11.120 she physically cannot maintain her seat. She 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:13.480 slides off the saddle and dismounts before reaching 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:16.480 the designated enclosure. Which perfectly aligns 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:18.899 with her established character traits. She was 00:09:18.899 --> 00:09:21.700 never portrayed as superhuman. She's the nervous 00:09:21.700 --> 00:09:24.240 teenager with a delicate stomach who just forced 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:27.259 her body miles past its biological limit. When 00:09:27.259 --> 00:09:29.100 she collapses, they rush her to the first aid 00:09:29.100 --> 00:09:31.720 station. And naturally, that medical intervention 00:09:31.720 --> 00:09:34.279 is where her true gender is uncovered by the 00:09:34.279 --> 00:09:36.720 racing officials. The fallout from this revelation 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:40.559 is instantaneous and chaotic. The established 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:43.820 racing community is simultaneously dismayed that 00:09:43.820 --> 00:09:45.899 a teenage girl just outperformed their elite 00:09:45.899 --> 00:09:49.019 jockeys and completely captivated by the novelty 00:09:49.019 --> 00:09:51.620 of her story. Oh, they eat it up. Velvet and 00:09:51.620 --> 00:09:54.440 the Piebald are thrust into immediate, overwhelming 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:57.490 celebrity status. The source notes they are practically 00:09:57.490 --> 00:10:00.029 besieged by the sudden notoriety. We're talking 00:10:00.029 --> 00:10:02.809 relentless reporters, newsreel cameras, and even 00:10:02.809 --> 00:10:05.370 lucrative merchandising offers. It transitions 00:10:05.370 --> 00:10:08.049 from a personal athletic endeavor into a full 00:10:08.049 --> 00:10:10.429 -blown media circus. If we connect this to the 00:10:10.429 --> 00:10:12.970 bigger picture, it deliberately mirrors the psychological 00:10:12.970 --> 00:10:16.629 burden her mother endured. The text specifically 00:10:16.629 --> 00:10:19.889 draws a parallel between Velvet's situation and 00:10:19.889 --> 00:10:22.289 her mother's unsought fame following the English 00:10:22.289 --> 00:10:24.970 Channel's swim. That's a great point. Both women 00:10:24.970 --> 00:10:27.590 achieve something monumental purely for the internal 00:10:27.590 --> 00:10:29.990 challenge and the love of the feat itself, only 00:10:29.990 --> 00:10:32.330 to find themselves drowning in a public that 00:10:32.330 --> 00:10:35.110 views their success as a commodity to be consumed. 00:10:35.450 --> 00:10:38.649 That internal motivation is the absolute core 00:10:38.649 --> 00:10:42.250 of the narrative. Velvet's reaction to this onslaught 00:10:42.250 --> 00:10:46.470 of fame is fierce and unambiguous. She categorically 00:10:46.470 --> 00:10:49.370 objects to the publicity. She has zero desire 00:10:49.370 --> 00:10:52.289 to be a star. None at all. She refers to the 00:10:52.289 --> 00:10:54.769 piebald as a creature of glory and vehemently 00:10:54.769 --> 00:10:56.870 argues that his athletic triumph should not be 00:10:56.870 --> 00:10:59.529 cheapened in the sensationalized press. She's 00:10:59.529 --> 00:11:02.429 insistent on one central truth. She claims she 00:11:02.429 --> 00:11:05.330 did not win the race, the horse did. Her only 00:11:05.330 --> 00:11:07.629 ambition was to facilitate his place in history. 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.279 It demonstrates a profound level of emotional 00:11:10.279 --> 00:11:13.340 maturity. She successfully decouples her personal 00:11:13.340 --> 00:11:15.919 ambition from the public's relentless need to 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:18.840 sensationalize it. Ultimately, the National Hunt 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:21.080 Committee conducts an investigation into the 00:11:21.080 --> 00:11:23.840 deception. They find no evidence of malicious 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:26.740 fraud regarding the horse's capabilities, and 00:11:26.740 --> 00:11:29.259 they exonerate the participant. Thankfully. Yeah. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:31.539 The Brown family is permitted to recede back 00:11:31.539 --> 00:11:34.419 into their quiet lives. As the Wikipedia article 00:11:34.419 --> 00:11:42.379 elegantly phrases it, Velvet moves on. It's a 00:11:42.379 --> 00:11:44.360 remarkably grounded and satisfying conclusion 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:47.220 for the novel. But ironically, for the world 00:11:47.220 --> 00:11:50.000 at large, the commercialization of National Velvet 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:52.600 was just getting started. Oh, absolutely. Velvet 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:54.899 may have successfully rejected the media circus 00:11:54.899 --> 00:11:57.460 in the world of the book, but in the real world, 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:00.539 the entertainment industry immediately recognized 00:12:00.539 --> 00:12:03.379 the lucrative potential of her story. A narrative 00:12:03.379 --> 00:12:06.259 containing that much inherent spectacle and emotional 00:12:06.259 --> 00:12:09.360 resonance was destined for adaptation. In 1944, 00:12:09.700 --> 00:12:12.580 a prominent film adaptation was released, and 00:12:12.580 --> 00:12:14.860 its impact on the cultural landscape was unprecedented. 00:12:15.460 --> 00:12:17.639 Unprecedented is the right word, especially when 00:12:17.639 --> 00:12:19.460 you examine the casting. You have a 12 -year 00:12:19.460 --> 00:12:21.659 -old Elizabeth Taylor catapulted to international 00:12:21.659 --> 00:12:24.039 stardom in the role of Velvet. The cast also 00:12:24.039 --> 00:12:26.659 features Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp, Anne Revere, 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:29.639 and a young Angela Lansbury, with a screenplay 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:32.490 penned by Helen Deutsch. It was a premium Hollywood 00:12:32.490 --> 00:12:34.769 production that forever altered how the public 00:12:34.769 --> 00:12:37.389 visualized the story. And its cinematic legacy 00:12:37.389 --> 00:12:41.159 is undeniable. Decades later, in 2008, the American 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:44.600 Film Institute voted this 1944 adaptation as 00:12:44.600 --> 00:12:47.299 the ninth best American film in the sports genre. 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:50.419 Wow. Securing a top ten spot more than 60 years 00:12:50.419 --> 00:12:53.000 after release speaks volumes about its cultural 00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:55.480 staying power. Here's where it gets really interesting 00:12:55.480 --> 00:12:57.980 regarding the practicalities of that film adaptation. 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:00.919 We discussed earlier that the horse in the novel 00:13:00.919 --> 00:13:03.659 is named the piebald, which is a British equestrian 00:13:03.659 --> 00:13:06.379 term for a pinto horse, specifically one with 00:13:06.379 --> 00:13:08.519 large, irregular patches of black and white. 00:13:08.490 --> 00:13:11.110 white. Right. However, when Hollywood began production, 00:13:11.370 --> 00:13:13.789 the horse they procured for the shoot was solid 00:13:13.789 --> 00:13:16.549 colored. They couldn't accurately refer to a 00:13:16.549 --> 00:13:19.409 solid horse as a piebald without alienating anyone 00:13:19.409 --> 00:13:22.289 who knew horses. So the filmmakers instituted 00:13:22.289 --> 00:13:24.889 a pragmatic change. They simply shortened his 00:13:24.889 --> 00:13:27.720 name to the pie. That's hilarious. It is. The 00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:29.639 source notes that even in Bagnold's original 00:13:29.639 --> 00:13:32.220 text, the horse was occasionally abbreviated 00:13:32.220 --> 00:13:35.320 to the pie, so the adaptation managed to sidestep 00:13:35.320 --> 00:13:37.679 a visual inconsistency while remaining technically 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:40.429 faithful to the book. It's an elegant logistical 00:13:40.429 --> 00:13:43.789 fix, but the momentum of that film ensured the 00:13:43.789 --> 00:13:45.850 property wouldn't remain confined to cinema. 00:13:45.929 --> 00:13:49.029 It rapidly expanded into other dominant forms 00:13:49.029 --> 00:13:52.789 of mid -century media. By October of 1949, the 00:13:52.789 --> 00:13:54.830 story was adapted into a half -hour broadcast 00:13:54.830 --> 00:13:57.929 on the CBS Radio Network's Hallmark Playhouse, 00:13:58.090 --> 00:14:00.850 starring Roddy McDowell. And then television 00:14:00.850 --> 00:14:03.070 executives saw an opportunity for serialization. 00:14:03.480 --> 00:14:06.740 Of course they did. From 1960 to 1962, the anti 00:14:06.740 --> 00:14:09.000 -commercial novel was transformed into a 30 -minute 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:11.940 American television series on NBC. It ran for 00:14:11.940 --> 00:14:14.980 a staggering 52 episodes. Though in a bizarre 00:14:14.980 --> 00:14:17.019 departure from both the book and the film, the 00:14:17.019 --> 00:14:19.159 television producers entirely discarded the name 00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:22.009 The Pie and simply renamed The Horse King. It 00:14:22.009 --> 00:14:24.809 is a striking contrast to see a finite, intensely 00:14:24.809 --> 00:14:27.110 focused narrative about rejecting the spotlight 00:14:27.110 --> 00:14:29.809 stretched and reshaped to fit the demands of 00:14:29.809 --> 00:14:32.690 weakly syndicated television. Yet the fundamental 00:14:32.690 --> 00:14:35.250 appeal a young person dedicating themselves to 00:14:35.250 --> 00:14:37.370 an animal to achieve the seemingly impossible 00:14:37.370 --> 00:14:41.509 clearly resonated across every format. And that 00:14:41.509 --> 00:14:45.250 resonance carried well beyond the 1960s. In 1978, 00:14:45.610 --> 00:14:48.250 Hollywood decided to update the franchise for 00:14:48.250 --> 00:14:51.610 a new era with a theatrical sequel titled International 00:14:51.610 --> 00:14:55.090 Velvet. The 1978 sequel shifts the paradigm from 00:14:55.090 --> 00:14:57.690 an unauthorized steeplechase to sanctioned international 00:14:57.690 --> 00:15:00.710 competition. The narrative follows an orphaned 00:15:00.710 --> 00:15:03.190 American teenager named Sarah Brown, played by 00:15:03.190 --> 00:15:05.289 Tatum O 'Neill. Okay. Following the death of 00:15:05.289 --> 00:15:07.509 her parents, Sarah relocates to England to live 00:15:07.509 --> 00:15:09.850 with her aunt, who is predictably a grown -up 00:15:09.850 --> 00:15:12.110 Velvet Brown, played in this iteration by Nanette 00:15:12.110 --> 00:15:14.450 Newman. They maintain the thematic and literal 00:15:14.450 --> 00:15:17.330 lineage by having Sarah and her aunt Velvet purchase 00:15:17.330 --> 00:15:19.909 a direct descendant of the Pi. Because Sarah 00:15:19.909 --> 00:15:24.940 hails from America, they christen the... However, 00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:27.879 the athletic target for this generation is significantly 00:15:27.879 --> 00:15:30.799 different. Sarah is selected to represent Britain, 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:33.820 not in a steeplechase, but in the equine three 00:15:33.820 --> 00:15:36.659 -day Olympic event. Oh, wow. For context, this 00:15:36.659 --> 00:15:40.000 is a grueling multidisciplinary test. It requires 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:43.059 mastery in dressage for precise control, cross 00:15:43.059 --> 00:15:45.759 -country for speed and endurance over solid obstacles, 00:15:45.980 --> 00:15:48.779 and showed jumping to test agility and recovery. 00:15:49.389 --> 00:15:52.149 She trains for this complex event under a character 00:15:52.149 --> 00:15:54.529 named Captain Johnson portrayed by Anthony Hopkins. 00:15:54.690 --> 00:15:57.309 Having a prestigious actor like Anthony Hopkins 00:15:57.309 --> 00:16:00.250 step into the training role really elevates the 00:16:00.250 --> 00:16:03.029 gravitas of the sequel. Now, Sarah faces a different 00:16:03.029 --> 00:16:05.429 set of hurdles than her aunt did. During her 00:16:05.429 --> 00:16:07.190 Olympic pursuit, she finds herself distracted 00:16:07.190 --> 00:16:09.509 by an American competitor named Scott Saunders. 00:16:09.629 --> 00:16:11.750 Right. But despite the interpersonal complexities, 00:16:12.070 --> 00:16:14.330 she maintains her focus on the rigorous demands 00:16:14.330 --> 00:16:16.889 of the three disciplines and ultimately secures 00:16:16.889 --> 00:16:18.879 the Olympic victory. The sequel then concludes 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:21.460 with a poignant callback to the original 1935 00:16:21.460 --> 00:16:24.659 themes. Following her victory, Sarah becomes 00:16:24.659 --> 00:16:26.940 engaged to Scott and prepares to return to her 00:16:26.940 --> 00:16:29.779 life. But before she leaves, she presents her 00:16:29.779 --> 00:16:32.259 Olympic gold medal to her Aunt Velvet as a keepsake. 00:16:32.539 --> 00:16:35.360 It brings the concepts of ambition, inherited 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:37.980 legacy, and the true value of the achievement 00:16:37.980 --> 00:16:41.000 full circle. It's a highly intentional passing 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:43.480 of the baton. So what does this all mean for 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:46.620 you navigating your own life right now? Why should 00:16:46.620 --> 00:16:48.340 you dedicate time to understanding the evolution 00:16:48.340 --> 00:16:51.149 of a horse racing novel from the 1930s? I believe 00:16:51.149 --> 00:16:53.350 the core narrative of National Velvet serves 00:16:53.350 --> 00:16:55.950 as an enduring masterclass in decoupling your 00:16:55.950 --> 00:16:57.929 personal achievements from the demand for public 00:16:57.929 --> 00:17:00.789 validation. Consider Velvet Brown's original 00:17:00.789 --> 00:17:04.369 journey. She formulated a highly specific, borderline 00:17:04.369 --> 00:17:06.730 impossible goal to prove the inherent greatness 00:17:06.730 --> 00:17:09.690 of her horse. She executed the grueling physical 00:17:09.690 --> 00:17:12.849 labor. She intelligently bypassed an institutional 00:17:12.849 --> 00:17:15.930 system designed to exclude her. And she secured 00:17:15.930 --> 00:17:19.170 the exact outcome she desired. But when society 00:17:19.170 --> 00:17:21.849 attempted to commodify her achievement to transform 00:17:21.849 --> 00:17:24.569 her sweat into merchandising and sensationalized 00:17:24.569 --> 00:17:27.210 headlines, she flatly rejected the transaction. 00:17:27.589 --> 00:17:29.930 She protected the purity of her endeavor. Exactly. 00:17:30.690 --> 00:17:33.009 For you listening, whether you are developing 00:17:33.009 --> 00:17:35.930 a complex new skill, building a business, or 00:17:35.930 --> 00:17:39.049 pursuing a personal milestone, it is a vital 00:17:39.049 --> 00:17:41.269 reminder to anchor your satisfaction in the work 00:17:41.269 --> 00:17:44.160 itself. Pursue your ambitions for the quiet, 00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:46.839 internal reward of the achievement and actively 00:17:46.839 --> 00:17:49.640 guard against the distracting, often toxic noise 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:51.839 of the applause. It's about retaining ownership 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:54.500 of your success. Do the difficult work because 00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:57.900 the work holds intrinsic value to you, not for 00:17:57.900 --> 00:17:59.619 the metaphorical newsreel at the finish line. 00:17:59.700 --> 00:18:02.500 Precisely. Though analyzing this entire multi 00:18:02.500 --> 00:18:04.500 -generational history we've unpacked today, this 00:18:04.500 --> 00:18:06.599 raises an important question. We've discussed 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:08.920 at length how Velvet Brown fiercely protected 00:18:08.920 --> 00:18:11.279 her horse from being cheapened by merchandising 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:14.480 and public consumption, yet Enid Bagnold's novel, 00:18:14.619 --> 00:18:17.660 a text fundamentally rooted in this anti -commercial, 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:20.900 anti -fame philosophy, was eagerly consumed by 00:18:20.900 --> 00:18:23.640 the entertainment industry and transformed into 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:26.960 decades of Hollywood blockbusters, 52 episodes 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:29.680 of syndicated television, radio plays, and international 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:32.339 sequels. It's a massive contradiction. It creates 00:18:32.339 --> 00:18:35.079 a fascinating paradox. But consider how this 00:18:35.079 --> 00:18:37.700 paradox applies to our modern landscape. Today, 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:40.299 we live in an era dominated by social media and 00:18:40.299 --> 00:18:42.700 the creator economy, where the prevailing wisdom 00:18:42.730 --> 00:18:45.529 dictates that every personal hobby, every quiet 00:18:45.529 --> 00:18:47.910 achievement and every private passion should 00:18:47.910 --> 00:18:50.309 be immediately filmed, monetized and broadcast 00:18:50.309 --> 00:18:53.279 to an audience. Oh, that is so true. In an environment 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:55.259 that aggressively demands we turn our lives into 00:18:55.259 --> 00:18:57.740 content, is it even possible to be a velvet brand 00:18:57.740 --> 00:19:00.799 today? Can true, quiet ambition survive the internet? 00:19:01.160 --> 00:19:03.640 Or are we all eventually forced to sell our own 00:19:03.640 --> 00:19:06.339 version of the piebald to the crowd? It's a challenging 00:19:06.339 --> 00:19:08.480 dynamic to consider as you navigate your own 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:11.140 goals. That is a phenomenal layer to add to this 00:19:11.140 --> 00:19:13.900 discussion. The tension between private achievement 00:19:13.900 --> 00:19:16.140 and the modern pressure to monetize everything 00:19:16.140 --> 00:19:18.380 is something we all grapple with daily. You've 00:19:18.380 --> 00:19:20.779 definitely given us a profound concept to reflect 00:19:20.779 --> 00:19:23.680 on. Thank you so much for joining us on this 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:26.019 deep dive into the surprisingly complex world 00:19:26.019 --> 00:19:28.579 of National Velvet. We hope you gained some valuable, 00:19:28.740 --> 00:19:31.200 actionable perspective today, and we will catch 00:19:31.200 --> 00:19:31.900 you on the next one.