Leslie Howard, Horse Whisperer?

Leslie Howard had a horse named Betty. Betty was a thoroughbred but had fallen and broken her hip during a game of polo. But Leslie Howard took pity on Betty and bought her a field in England for her to live out her days.

One problem. Getting her on the boat. As Howard tells the story:

At the time that Betty was being shipped away to pastures new, there was a big dock strike and scabs were working to load the boat and great crowds had gathered, about two thousand strong, at the pier to watch things generally. A friend of mine who is very good with horses promised to look after Betty and as soon as I had finished a picture, or something, I promised to get down. 

They had tried for two hours, with this enormous gallery, to get her into the cradle, that coop-like contraption for carrying live stock from the dock to the boat, but no one could get her near the thing and it got to be pretty embarrassing. Just as soon as they worked her close she'd shy off and that was that. 

Finally I came along and found the situation fairly desperate, from their point of view. I could see the horse was simply frightened and needed some intimate conversation to take her mind off her troubles. So I walked her up and down the pier a bit and spoke soothingly to her all the time, and then I'd edge her nearer and nearer the cradle, always making sure that my body obstructed her view. She calmed down and in no time--just two minutes to be exact--I had her backed into the thing, the gate was quickly clamped down and she was on her way.

[Leslie Howard with three of his polo ponies]

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The Horsy Mr. Howard

Leslie Howard once said, "Polo is living, much more than acting is."

Howard didn't much care for acting. As a matter of fact, he said that "acting isn't a profession for men. It's much better for women. It's an outlet for emotion..." And Howard did not like to show emotion. His performances are known for his nuanced style. He was known as the "thinker's actor." One reporter noted that while watching him film Of Human Bondage (1934) with Bette Davis the only difference she could see in his acting between the first take and the fiftieth take was that by the fiftieth take he seemed bored. But he did act.

During the 1930's Howard was considered to be one of the consistently best actors in Hollywood and was nominated for two Best Actor Oscars, one for Berkeley Square (1933) and one for his portrayal of Henry Higgins in Pygmalion (1938). When Rex Harrison was asked how he won the Best Actor Oscar for the same role in My Fair Lady (1964) he stated he merely played Leslie Howard. Howard was always in demand by leading ladies and he was a favorite of studio executives. His peers thought he should have won the Oscar for his performance as Peter Standish in Berkeley Square. Back in those days the winner was announced along with the runners up in order of votes. When Charles Laughton was announced the winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), the audience applause was muted with one watcher stating they "sat on their hands." When Leslie Howard was announced as runner up, however, the audience roared.

[Leslie Howard on the polo field]

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Mickey Mouse Polo

Leslie Howard had a love of horses. He once said that "one does not want many friends. But horses..." And for friends? He liked people who liked horses. He loved to ride and he loved to play polo. He considered polo, "unlike acting, really living." Howard was a member of The Riviera Club and his polo team was captained by none other than his friend, Walt Disney. They were the Mickey Mouse Polo Team. Honestly. The team included Will Rogers and his son, Will, Jr., Howard's good friend, Robert Montgomery, and a couple of other players.

[Leslie Howard with Walt Disney]

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