Film adapted from the novel of Walter Farley, it narrates the story of a boy, Alec, who returning with his father from Africa by ship, are shipwrecked during a storm in which all passengers died except Alec and a marvellous black horse, finishing in a desert island.

Winning with the time, the affection and the frienship of the horse, in which we can contemplate a wonderful photography of both in the island, it being specially memorable the scene in which Alec and the horse meet for the first time in the island.

After having been rescued and taken again to their house in California, Alec begins to ride the horse in races, with the help of a veteran trainer, interpreted by Mickey Rooney, who teaches to the boy and to the horse all what he has learned during all his years in the racecourses.

The film got many prizes, being outstanding among others, one Oscar to The Best Sound Effects, and one nomination to Mickey Rooney as The Best Secondary Actor.

This film had a second part filmed in 1.983, in which Alec, already made an adolescent, goes to Sahara looking for his horse who has been stolen.