(1955)
4
Craig Butler
Utterly charming, John and Julie may paint an overly rosy picture of England at the time of Elizabeth's coronation, but it's a beguiling and winning little film that is hard to resist. Essentially, John is a road picture, albeit one in which the travelers are two small children. As such, it's episodic; we get the basic set-up in which the goal is established and the bulk of the film then details what obstacles must be overcome to achieve that goal. This is all quite professionally done. Writer/director William Fairchild basically doesn't try to disguise the mechanics involved but just accepts them and has fun with them, and as a result the audience similarly has fun. Sure, things are a bit sugary; can we really watch a prostitute with a heart of gold without wincing slightly? But this is a fairy tale of sorts, and so the sugarcoating is more acceptable; we don't want these kids to get a real taste of the grimy side of life. Besides, Fairchild casts {$Lesley Dudley{, a rather taciturn, dumpy child, as Julie, which allows him to cut through the treaclier parts with her portrayal of the kind of child who is not about pouting to get her way. Colin Gibson as John is a delight contrast, and the cast in general is quite fine.
John and Julie on AllMovie
John and Julie (1955)
