Jeez, did they even think about how unrealistic that was? The dog keeping up with Shane was at least semi-believable, but Joey? Apparently, the kid is part cheetah. Or maybe he knows how to teleport whenever he's off-camera.
shareA horse ridden at a walk is not much faster than a man, and actually slower than a man who trots or jogs. Joey is only ten or twelve, but if the town is less than two miles away (it isn't clear how far the trip is) Joey could keep up reasonably well.
A man can outrun a horse over a distance. It has been done multiple times in history. Even though a horse can sweat, unlike many animals, it is still covered by a much denser coat of hair than a human. Again, Joey is young, not an adult athlete. But, Shane is also not trotting or cantering the horse (maybe he is, I forget the scene and I'm waiting for it to come up).
Given that, I also remember that Joey does not arrive at the saloon coincident with Shane. There are several minutes of dialogue before Joey shows up in time to see the actual gun fight.
I just saw the film last night. Shane's horse is maintaining a decent trot, but it never goes into a full gallop. Shane doesn't have to be in a hurry; he knows Ryker and company aren't going anywhere, they'll wait for Starrett as long as it takes. And as a previous poster says, Joey shows up a few minutes after Shane enters the saloon.
"May I bone your kipper, Mademoiselle?"
Yep, I probably watched the same showing on TCM. I agree that it's a bit of a stretch. In fact, as is typical in a movie, it is probably quite a stretch how close the farmer's house seems to be to the town. The distance ought to be more like five miles, rather than just over the hill. If it is a typical late 19th century homestead he has possession of a full section, one square mile of farm land. He could be within a mile of the town, but that is a bit unlikely.
Also, the kid and his dog get to the floor under the bar doors at the beginning of the dialogue. And that could happen since Shane followed the road while the kid ran across country. It makes for great drama, but an unlikely scenario. Still, unlikely is not the same as impossible.
Thanks for the information, dannieboy.
I knew that human beings had greater endurance than most animals, but I wouldn't have imagined that a human being could cover two miles at a faster rate than a horse.
It makes for great drama, but an unlikely scenario.I'll say. Yes, he clearly takes a short-cut, but at the same time is only 9 or 10 years old and Shane doesn't seem to be plodding on his nag.🐭 share
He takes care of what is
"nagging" the community and then moves on....Shane...Ultimate bad-ass!
I remember Joey taking a short cut through a shallow river. I guess Shane could have done the same with the horse but he was in no hurry. It was obvious he was taking his time to take care of business.
How is that kid able to keep up with the horse?
I remember watching this thinking how completely unrealistic this was. If Shane was going as slow as people are saying, then Joey would have caught up to him and Shane certainly would have slowed down if Joey was within earshot. Remember, Joey was trying to chase him down so that suggests they were moving at the same pace. lol. Moreover, the dog started chasing Shane way before Joey did but moments before arriving at the saloon, Joey and the dog are seen together. This suggests Joey caught up to the dog which was last seen bolting at full pace after Shane. Like others have said it made for great drama but the whole thing was highly unlikely.
shareAccording to the run-through at filmsite.org, Little Joey takes a shortcut.
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