Q: I grew up in Southern California so I was very close to the Disney memory. Most of my favorite stories were about horses. I have been working on the history of the horses and riders who appeared in the movie Miracle of the White Stallions. I have been working on all the photographs that I have available. When making a movie like this, I am sure there was tons of footage that was never used. Is it possible to see this footage? There are several riders who are still alive and very helpful. Of course Col. Podhajsky is not, but I do have a letter from him dated 1964 telling him how great the movie was. There is also a lot of controversy about the uniforms used. Can you tell me more about the extra footage and uniforms?
Marcia, Sanger, Texas
A: Normally, unused footage from a film this old would not have been retained, except for generic, stock footage (i.e. scenery), which might be used in a later film. Three actors credited with playing riders are Kurt Jager, Olaf Tschierschke, and Harry Hornisch. We have no information on the uniforms, other than knowing that Viennese costume designer Leo Bei (1918–2005) was given credit for costumes. Bei also did costumes for Disney’s Almost Angels, Emil and the Detectives, and The Waltz King.