The Lion and the Horse

Steve Cochran takes a break from doing the heavy lifting as the antagonist in serious dramas to hit the saddle in this warm-hearted Western romp about the special bond between a cowboy and his horse. This contemporary sagebrush saga sees Cochran playing wild-horse wrangler Ben Kirby, who loses his heart to Wildfire, the stalwart and free-spirited stallion he captures. Cash-strapped Ben's dreams of training the horse are dashed when Wildfire is sold out from under him to Dave Tracy (the reliably hissable Ray Teal), a circus owner prone to mistreatment of his animal charges. When Tracy refuses to sell, Kirby liberates Wildfire and the two go on the run. Eventually finding sanctuary at a ranch run by Cas Bagley (Harry Antrim) and Cas's animal-loving niece Jenny (Sherry Jackson), Kirby's dream of training Wildfire comes true. But an escaped lion and a vengeful Tracy are coming and they bring death in their wake. Also starring Bob Steele, Tom Tyler and George O'Hanlon.

• drama
• family
• western