Gallant Bess is a 1947 American drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is loosely based on the true story of U.S. Navy warrant officer Arthur Parker, who rescued an injured filly during World War II. Portions of the film were shot on the coast of Santa Barbara, California in October 1945. This was the first MGM motion picture made in Cinecolor.

Plot

Tex Barton is raising horses when U.S. Navy recruiters come to his town and convince him to enlist. His horse Bess falls ill and dies just before he is sent to the Pacific to fight in World War II. One night, he hears a horse, and the other men think that he is going crazy. He leaves his tent and finds an injured horse that he names Bess. The horse is adopted by the Navy and is trained to help them on the island.

Background

Art Parker was raised on a ranch in Montana in the early 1900s and worked with horses. At the age of 17, he lied to enlist in the U.S. Navy. During World War II, he was stationed in the Solomon Islands and befriended a local rancher. After a Japanese bombing raid, the rancher asked Parker for help rescuing an injured filly. Parker took the horse to the naval base and trained her. She eventually became a morale booster for the sailor, as well as the unit's mascot. Bess learned tricks, including to run to a sandbagged cave for protection whenever the air-raid siren sounded. She was given the nickname Foxhole Flicka after the horse in the 1941 children's book My Friend Flicka. When Parker received his orders to return to the U.S., he was denied permission to take Bess with him. Eventually he was allowed to build a stall on a ship for Bess.

Reception

The film earned $1,487,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $524,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $196,000.