Teddy, the Rough Rider
Starring: Sidney Blackmer, Pierre Watkin, Theodore von Eltz, Arthur Loft, Glenn Strange (uncredited)
Directed by: Ray Enright
Rating: Approved
Genre: Short, Drama
Length: 19 minutes
1940

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows the political career of Teddy Roosevelt.

Review:

Tim: I didn't know much about this short when I sat down to watch it, so I was shocked how engrossed I was in it. I've seen a lot of short films and most of them are okay, but it's rare that one really makes a big impact on me. They're just too short typically to create a lasting impression. That's not the case with Teddy the Rough Rider. I found this short film compelling and I was so interested throughout its 19 minute run time. It follows the development of Teddy Roosevelt's career in these little moments that build on each other. Each represents a major point in his career and each displays something about his character. It's shocking how much we learn about this character and how much we grow to respect him in such a short amount of time.

It's extremely rare for me to be sad when a short film ends, but I honestly felt that at the conclusion of this one. I would have loved to see a feature-length film about Roosevelt. He's obviously a fascinating character, but I loved how he was depicted here by director Ray Enright. The short film feels like it has a lot of momentum because it doesn't have a moment to spare. It tells an interesting and surprisingly good story in a short amount of time. I was reminded much of Roosevelt, so I appreciated the education component, but this was also an entertaining film as well.

Sidney Blackmer does a terrific job as Teddy. It helps that he's made to look like him, but he manages to capture the energy, the stubbornness, the temerity of the character. I really, really enjoyed his performance.

I wasn't too surprised after watching the film to learn that it won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Two-reel. It felt especially appropriate given how great the film was. I'm always interested in short films but there's very few I've loved- Teddy the Rough Rider is absolutely one of them.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



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