The Littlest Horse Thieves 1976

The Littlest Horse Thieves 1976
Escape from the Dark (original title)
1h 44m | Drama, Family | Release date: August 1, 1976 (United Kingdom)

Storyline:

When the owner of a Yorkshire coal-mine decides to mechanize to increase profits, the mine’s pit ponies are scheduled to be destroyed. So, three children plan to steal them to keep them safe. But when they’re caught, it’s up to the mine owners and the miners themselves to decide what’s right.

User review:

I enjoyed learning about the history of pit ponies. I never even knew they existed until I saw this movie. This movie is rich in history, culture, & customs. The story revolves around 3 kids who live in a mining town, two boys & a girl. The girl is the bosses daughter so she has better clothes & instead of going to school she has a live-in Governess who teaches her. She’s not supposed to play with the boys because they’re minors’ kids. See what I mean by history & culture? There’s a cave-in accident & some minors get stuck. They are running out of oxygen. The ponies are able to find them. When the boss decides to replace the ponies with machines the kids break tradition & worked together to keep the ponies from being destroyed. Fascinating stuff & a good ending for the ponies.

Director: Charles Jarrott
Writers: Burt Kennedy, Rosemary Anne Sisson
Stars: Alastair Sim, Peter Barkworth, Maurice Colbourne
Countries of origin: United Kingdom, United States
Language: English
Also known as: The Littlest Horse Thieves
Filming locations: Oakworth, Keighley, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, UK