Riding High

Broadway Bill? "He's the mostest horse we ever did have!" says his handler. He's a lot of movie, too. So much that in 1950, Frank Capra teamed with stars Bing Crosby and Coleen Gray for Riding High, a lively remake of Capra's 1934 gem, Broadway Bill. Der Bingle's fondness for the racetrack is evident throughout this story of a man who abandons the mansion for the stable. And the songs attest to the film's unbridled spirit. There's no need for an address, three square meals a day or luck when you can say "Someplace On Anywhere Road," bake a "Sunshine Cake" or bet the nest egg on what "The Horse Told Me." Many of the 1934 stars reprise their roles here, and Oliver Hardy (minus sidekick Stan Laurel) has a memorable bit as a railbird desperate for a winner.

• classic
• drama