Misty (1961), directed by James B. Clark, is the adaptation of Marguerite Henry's beloved 1947 children's book Misty of Chincoteague. It tells the story of Paul and Maureen Beebe, a young orphaned brother and sister (played by David Ladd and Pam Smith) who fall in love with an elusive wild pony called The Phantom.

The Phantom lives among a herd of other wild ponies on the mysterious island of Assateague off the coast of Virginia and Maryland. Every July, in a tradition called Pony Penning Day, the wild ponies of Assateague are rounded up, driven across the Assateague Channel at low tide, and then auctioned off to citizens in Chincoteague, a quaint nearby island. Paul and Maureen, who live in Chincoteague on their grandparents' farm, decide to buy The Phantom at the next Pony Penning Day and work like mad to save up enough money. When they discover that The Phantom also has a foal called Misty, the children are determined to buy Misty, too.

The story for Marguerite Henry's book Misty of Chincoteague began to take shape in 1945 when a friend wrote Henry a letter describing the wild ponies of Assateague and the unique festivities surrounding Pony Penning Day in Chincoteague. Intrigued, Henry and illustrator Wesley Dennis attended Pony Penning Day the following summer to observe the action for themselves. There they met the real Beebe family and their pony Misty. After hearing the exciting tale of how Misty came to be a part of the Beebe family, Henry asked if she could use their story in her next book. Grandpa Clarence Beebe agreed, but only after Henry promised to include the grandchildren in the story.

When the book was published the following year, it was a huge success. It was named a prestigious Newberry Honor Book and went on to win several awards. The real Misty became a celebrity, and she spent many years making public appearances at schools and theaters. In 1948 Misty was even invited by the American Library Association to their annual convention - a first for a pony.

The film version was shot primarily on location in and around the islands of Chincoteague and Assateague where many area locals were used as extras. To mark the film's successful premiere in Chincoteague, the real Misty was led down Main Street before cheering crowds and was forever immortalized by putting her front hoof prints in cement outside the local Island Theater (now called the Island Roxy Theater).

Marguerite Henry penned several other popular children's books over the years including a sequel to Misty called Stormy: Misty's Foal published in 1963. She also co-founded the Misty of Chincoteague Foundation in 1990 in an effort to preserve the land around the Beebe ranch on Chincoteague and the memory of Misty. A portion of the Beebe ranch became a memorial to Misty, which remains a popular tourist attraction to this day. Pony Penning Day is a tradition that also continues every year in Chincoteague, the town still embraced for being the home of a very unique pony named Misty.

Producer: Robert B. Radnitz
Director: James B. Clark
Screenplay: Ted Sherdeman, Marguerite Henry (novel)
Cinematography: Lee Garmes, Leo Tover
Film Editing: Fredrick Y. Smith
Art Direction: Duncan Cramer, Maurice Ransford
Music: Paul Sawtell, Bert Shefter
Cast: David Ladd (Paul Beebe), Arthur O'Connell (Grandpa Beebe), Pam Smith (Maureen Beebe), Anne Seymour (Grandma Beebe), Duke Farley (Eba Jones).
C-91m.

by Andrea Passafiume