My Brother Talks to Horses

Expect things to be different at the Penrose dinner table. Ma insists everyone perform yogic deep breathing. Mr. Puddy, a boarder, has news of an edible beer bottle he's inventing. And little Lewie Penrose? He's been communicating with horses. Butch Jenkins, whose brief career as a child actor includes the earlier National Velvet, returns to the equine realm to play Lewie in this tale of a racetrack bettor eager to exploit the boy's gift and an older Penrose sibling (Peter Lawford) who looks out for Lewie's interests. Directing this blend of whimsical eccentricity and turn-of-the-century nostalgia is a filmmaker on the rise to A-List prominence: Fred Zimmermann (From Here to Eternity, a Man for All Seasons, the Day of the Jackal).