Most of us know about the classic movie National Velvet starring Liz Taylor and Mickey Rooney.
But how many us remember that there was a National Velvet TV series as well?
It debuted on Sunday, September 18, 1960 on NBC. It starred Lori Martin as the young horse lover Velvet Brown. Scottish actor James McCallion played the former jockey Mi Taylor who was helping Velvet groom her stallion, King, for a run in the Grand National Steeplechase.
It would have seemed that the show couldn’t miss. Young girls love horses, but apparently they loved Ed Sullivan more. He was Velvet’s competition on CBS.
NBC made an effort to save the show. When it was renewed for a second season, they moved it to Monday night. Alas, it did no better there and the show had to be put out of its misery.
Because only 58 episodes were filmed, the show never made it into syndication. There has been no home video release either.
Lori Martin went on the star in the film Cape Fear in 1962, but after that, her career faded out.
Lori resumed using her real name, Dawn Menzer. She eventually married Charles Breitenbucher and together they ran a medical supply business until he passed away in 1999.
Lori herself passed in April of 2010,
