John and Julie (1955) User Reviews (23)

A Delightful, Warm '50s Coronation Comedy...

[cariart · 8/10 · 30 August 2006]

"John and Julie" evokes memories of my own childhood, seeing this sweet, wonderful comedy on TV in the sixties. A simple story, of two British children, separated from their families while en route to London to see Elizabeth crowned, the film offers a wide variety of British performers (including Wilfrid Hyde-White and a young Peter Sellers), as 'typical', if often eccentric, countrymen who aid the children on their way. Colin Gibson and Lesley Dudley, as the children, are completely natural, and captivating (Dudley pouts so wistfully that you want to hug her!)

With a beautiful score (highlighted by a trumpet solo), stock footage of the actual event blended in with the story, and a joyous finale that could turn the most dedicated 'Yank' into an Anglophile, "John and Julie" is a small gem, something the entire family will love!

"What I did on Coronation Day"

[ianlouisiana · 7/10 · 26 April 2008]

"The Man with the Golden Trumpet" they called Eddie Calvert who came up through the Brass bands of Northern England to headline at Variety theatres throughout the U.K and what remained of the Empire.His big hits like "Oh mein Papa","Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" and "John and Julie" coincided - rather like the Coronation - with the Empire's last gleaming.African chiefs in colourful robes smiled unthreateningly,Queen Salote of Tonga disdained the use of an umbrella during the procession,Young Elizabethans all over the country crowded round the two or three Television sets per street and peered at their 12" or 14" screens aware that in a few days time they would have to be writing an essay "What I did on Coronation Day". For John and Julie that would have proved a mammoth task. Coming up to London to see the procession,they become separated from their parents and meet an Ealingesque cross - section of the population before being restored to the bosom of their Enid Blyton - like family. There is a sunny assumption that every adult is not a potential paedophile but a helpful protective presence that it would take a naive filmmaker to replicate today."John and Julie"'s touching innocence is one of its attractions in an infinitely more hostile world. Sumptuously coloured,it evokes the world of "Eagle",,"Spangles" "Dollar" bubblegum,"Muffin the Mule" and "Mr Turnip",all of whom John and Julie would have been aware of. How fortunate they were to have been growing up in such exciting times. In retrospect the Coronation can be seen as the last true evocation of the spirit of the Blitz where class divisions were laid aside,old enmities put on hold and most of Britain spoke with one voice of optimism and hope fuelled by respect for the monarchy in the person of the bright,fresh young queen who represented so many hopes and dreams. Just eight years after the end of the second world war the New Elizabethans gave notice that the country was under new management after years of austerity and sacrifice."John and Julie" personifies that optimism in its purest form.

The innocence and determination of youth.

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 2 December 2011]

John and Julie is written directed by William Fairchild. It stars Colin Gibson, Lesley Dudley, Noelle Middleton, Moira Lister, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Sid James and Megs Jenkins. Out of Beaconsfield Studios, film is shot in Eastman Color with music by Philip Green (trumpet solo's Eddie Calvert) and cinematography by Arthur Grant.

John (Gibson) and Julie (Dudley), two young children in 1953, set off on their own from Dorset to see The Queen's Coronation in London....

Utterly charming picture full of youthful bluster and eccentric adults. Film is very much of its time, it harks back to a time when kids were safe on the streets, people were only too glad to help and you could drink water from the local stream! In essence it's a road movie, one that is powered by two youngsters who by hook or by crook, want to see the Queen get crowned. Story shows how these two young kiddies use initiative and naivety to get to their destination, how they affect everyone who comes into contact with them, and finally how such an historical event brought about a joy and community spirit that is sadly all too lacking in today's modern British society. All of which is deftly flecked by Eddie Calvert's beautiful trumpet.

God bless her!

Is it contrived? And do you have to be a fan of the British Royals to get the most out of it? Not at all. Yes you need a modicum of disbelief suspension to accept that the kids could make it all that way without getting nabbed by the police, the latter of which hardly come off as sharp coppers here, but Fairchild is all about youthful determination and how young cherubs can often beguile us adults. Fairchild also knits it all together with ease, even managing to unobtrusively insert actual footage of the Coronation parade into the joyous climax. The child actors are thankfully, very likable, especially Dudley who is simply adorable, and the cast is a roll call of British film treasures. Stand outs are Sid James at his grumpy best as John's father, Hyde-White is classy and correct, Jenkins as usual delivers a memorable female touch and Lister scores high as a tart with a heart. Peter Sellers fans should note he has only a small role, that of a good old British Bobby.

Of its time for sure, but that is a good thing here. A true spirit lifting film and a beacon of unadulterated joy for the child in all of us. 8/10

Beautiful

[richard.fuller1 · 13 October 2004]

This was shown in America in the early seventies on the short lived CBS Children's Film Festival, which of course was hosted by Kukla, Fran & Ollie, the trio in which Fran was a human being, but Kukla the clown and Ollie the dragon were hand puppets operated by Burr Tillstrom.

I had no idea this program was in color for starters, and now to see it nearly 30 years later, it really is an absolute escapist delight. Forget all your troubles in life and focus on two children wanting to see her majesty's coronation.

Peter Sellers (nearly unrecognizeable as that cop), Sidney James (whom I just discovered earlier this year in the Carry On movies), and above all others, Wilfred Hyde White, always sensational to listen to.

There is nothing I can say about the music. It carries the movie, enters at just the right moments.

The coronation as well was brilliant. For her majesty and Winston Churchill's brief appearances? Certainly, but the stars were the British subjects themselves, shown throughout the movie aiding John and Julie in their quest to get to London as well, now gathered along the procession to cheer for the queen. These were the stars, as the movie triumphantly noted at the very end.

And now to see it well half a century after the events, three decades after I was first exposed to the story, what more is there to say?

God save the queen.

Misinformation in one review

[backofthevan · 7/10 · 21 March 2011]

Reviewer Jennifer Nicol from Vancouver states that Julie is played by Leslie Dunlop who later appeared in May to December. This is incorrect. Julie is played by Leslie Dudley, a completely different person, whose career did not continue much past this film.

This part could have been served better by a more talented and engaging child actress, but the film has a lot more to carry it through to a satisfying conclusion.

The stock footage of the coronation events is very interesting. I saw this coronation on television as a child and have always remembered it.

The children's escapades are very innocent and this film could not be made today, as we don't approve of adults giving children rides in cars (for instance) without even asking where their parents are!

This is a charming film of a bygone time and could be enjoyed by everyone. That it is filmed in colour is a bonus, as the English countryside is lovely.

Child's Eye View

[richardchatten · 6/10 · 27 October 2020]

Just months later Katie Johnson (whose resemblance here to a statue of Queen Victoria is explicitly remarked upon) was sharing a much darker film with Peter Sellars (presently fifteenth in the cast list), this time recalling the Old Queen's death; at that time a more recent memory than the present Queen's coronation in 1953 is today.

This long-forgotten Group Three production follows the same narrative arc of the same year's 'The Night of the Hunter' of a small boy and an even smaller girl journeying across a landscape peopled by adults whose world they only dimly comprehend (or not at all, such as Moira Lister's profession) and occasionally frightens them.

While Laughton's film was deliberately stylised - shot largely on sound stages in gothic black & white - and this makes extensive use of locations and actuality footage of the Coronation parade itself, the fifties Eastmancolor in which it is bathed creates an experience in many ways just as strange to experience when seen today.

More than a commemoration of the coronation

[ygwerin1 · 6/10 · 8 October 2019]

I enjoyed the films humourous content and only marked it down because of the inherent royalism. For me it was obviously made to celebrate the coronation, with the use of extensive actual original film coverage. And the copious quantity of dutifully sycophantic royal subjects, joyously waving the myriad union flags.

I was born in 1948 and was 5 in 1953 at the coronation, my mum was a royalist dad wasn't bothered but collected royal bumf to please her. We had a telly then I can't be precise and have to guess at the year dad bought it, but I imagine that I was around 3 years old which would make it 1951. So he didn't buy it for the coronation our family were living in Hockey Lane Estate, North Mymms, Hertfordshire. In old nissen huts that had been used by the military services, during World War Two. Hatfield was one of the first new towns after the war and the town council, had used them as temporary housing for those on the council housing waiting list. We were living in a new council housing estate in 1953 there were, barely more than a handful of tv's in our street ours being one of them. Our TV was a 12" and neighbours 9" televisions were a luxury goods then, and the only way to get one was to buy it. My dad had to get it on the never never hire purchase, and he told us he was still paying for it in 1955 when this film was released. Our family would have watched the coronation on the box, with mum doubtless relishing every second of it another loyal subject.

I have to take issue with the reviewer who castigated the lead actress, for what not being Haley Mills? She was simply acting her part for better or worse, of course her character fell asleep waiting she'd been kipping over night outdoors, and ended up being castigated by her uncle for it. The family parents and kids were supposed to be from Dorset but there was no trace, of any west country accents from any of them. The dad Sid James character was a hypocrite he started off probably, not wanting to even watch the coronation on the box. He ended up as just another royal sycophant as much as his wife, waving the flag and screaming with as much fervour and helping escort the kids to see maj. Although Peter Sellers part as the local plod was small for me it was a comedy highlight. Others include a later scene where the kids get separated, and two groups of people are sent to search for them. And I enjoyed looking through the final scenes picking out some comedy favourites from the assorted characters, including Peter Jones and Michael Bentine.

Simply marvellous

[martinepstein · 10/10 · 15 July 2019]

I saw this film for a second time on Talking Pictures and I was enthralled by it. A lovely nostalgic piece which had me close to tears. It brought back memories of a gentler more innocent time, beautifully acted and with two fabulous performances by the youngsters. Lesley Dudley was so adorable I could give her a big cuddle. Superbly made and a pure joy to watch. How I wish I lived in the 1950s.

Awful British potboiler

[j-g-treble · 1/10 · 22 August 2014]

This film is a weakly disguised excuse to recycle a few yards of footage of the most recent coronation to be held in Britain (1953). The supporting story is paper-thin, the cast (which includes Peter Sellers) struggles with a weak script, and the direction is leaden. The best reason for watching it is to be reminded of what the late 60's did for British society, in getting rid of all that deference and the pretence that everything and everyone in Britain was wonderful - even Americans! From tart to field-marshal, everyone has a heart of gold. Sid James' character is an attempt to introduce an element of dissension that fails to convince.

Enchanting little film that still touches the heart fifty years on

[ericglasby · 10/10 · 9 April 2007]

I first saw John and Julie at the Double Bay Hoyts Theatre in the Sydney Harbour suburb in 1957 but not again in color till about ten years ago when I obtained the Video. It was a huge thrill to have a color copy after so long and be able to revisit the heartwarming film so many times since. The cast of excellent British actors and actresses brought humor and sensitivity to the characters and Colin Gibson and Lesley Dudley were ideally cast as the children. Good old Australian actor Vincent Ball also had a small part and Moira Lister, Noelle Middleton, Syd James, Megs Jenkins, Constance Cummings, Wilfred Hyde Whyte, Peter Sellers and others all added naturally to the proceedings. Briefly said,if you would like an enjoyable, satisfying and nostalgic look into the Fifties era of simplicity and wholesomeness, invite John and Julie into your life.

One of my favorite films even today after fifty years.

cringemaking

[malcolmgsw · 2/10 · 13 November 2015]

This is a production which has the imprint of one of my favourite directors,John Baxter,albeit as executive producer.He had a great belief in the common touch and this shows itself in the scenes in Trafalgar Square.This does not compensate for the cringe factor of this production..The child actors are truly awful.The script is paper thin.Basically it is there to support the use of the Coronation footage.The music featuring the trumpet of Eddie Calvert will drive anyone round the bend.Every time there is an emotional moment up he blows.The only point of interest is seeing what a spruced up London was like in 1953.My parents took me up to the West End to look at the decorations.

If only we could buy it in the U.K !

[jaguarleep · 10/10 · 15 November 2005]

Firstly...WHY OH WHY OH WHY cant we buy this film in the U.K ? So many excellent British films are just not available here.

OK rant over. I've seen this film a couple of times on TV albeit a long time ago.

The story evolves around two children " John and Julie " who run away to London to see the Queens Coronation. Their parents are content to watch it on television but the children have other ideas..So the story unfolds with many lovely adventures along the way.

This is a film that most every child would love, without the violence and bad language many of them are subjected to today.

If you can get it then do ! you wont regret it.

A film that I thoroughly enjoyed aged around 12

[piers-7 · 28 December 2001]

This was a most enjoyable film, using the coronation of a year or so before as a backdrop for the story. Lots of very familiar British actors, many of whom became well-known in later years, were in the film and Eddie Calvert's theme became a hit in those less beat-conscious years.

You Will Love This Movie Or Lose Your Soul Like Me

[boblipton · 4/10 · 14 April 2020]

Two young children run away from Dorsetshire to see the coronation of Elizabeth II.

There are many things about this movie that simply anger me. It's intended to tug at your heartstrings, and does so in the most obvious manner. Nine-year-old Lesley Dudley, who plays Julie, is one of those small, adorable, squeaky-voiced girls with a whim of iron that makes me want to strike her. The solo theme by trumpeteer Eddie Calvert insists this is a a Very Romantic And Lovely movie that you will love or else. Finally, the print by Eastmancolor has aged in that annoying way that Eastmancolor does, so that any blues are now a blindingly vibrant cobalt, while any reds and yellows have become a hideous tangerine.

In a movie like this, every adult is, ultimately, a kindly bowl of mush, from Sid James as the father of the boy, Wilfred Hyde-White as a vaguely important official, Peter Sellers as an unhelpful constable, Constance Cummings as an American, and Joseph Tomelty as a very Irish American.

Footage from the coronation has been edited into the movie and, like the rest, has aged poorly in its Eastmancolor way.

Seems more engaging on a second viewing!

[JohnHowardReid · 8/10 · 22 June 2016]

Making his fourth feature film appearance and way, way, down the cast list even though he has more screen time than some of the major players, like Hyde White for example, we have Peter Sellers in a role that will delight his fans. Even though the part is rather short, Sellers' abrasive cop does make several appearances. He also seems to be much chubbier here than we remember him. But there's no mistaking that voice! However, it's Moira Lister with her engaging study of a helpful prostitute who walks away with the film's acting honors. The youngsters are remarkably savvy too – a tribute to writer/director William Fairchild. In fact, this was the first of only three movies that Fairchild directed, although he had a comparatively long career as a screenwriter. Mind you, although Fairchild does go overboard in this tribute to the queen, one has a feeling that he is more than somewhat critical of the crowd's behavior. Also, his use of many constant close-ups of the queen's escort seem designed to show off how impractical and ridiculous are their uniforms – and perhaps the whole ceremony? This movie is available on an excellent Slam Dunk DVD.

Cameos and a historic event

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 26 December 2022]

JOHN AND JULIE isn't a bad film but it does feel a little rushed and cheaply made at times; you wonder if it was made purely as a tie-in for the Coronation, which features heavily at the climax. Like many a Children's Film Foundation production, it follows a couple of precocious kids as they stray from home and go to witness the London event for themselves. Certainly there's a documentary feel to the film's background, and for adults there's a lot of fun from spotting the various familiar faces in the cast, not least Megs Jenkins and Sid James playing the parents. Along the way we meet Peter Sellers and Wilfred Hyde-White, too.

An Era Has Passed

[jromanbaker · 10/10 · 9 September 2022]

With the UK in mourning, I thought this film was appropriate to see. In my collection for a long while I was delighted to see it again. The plot is simple and full of kind adventure as two children who live miles away from London decide to run away to see the Coronation of the now deceased Queen Elizabeth the Second. Made in 1955 it was two years after the event and the actual footage of the Coronation itself was moving then, and for me certainly very moving as it has travelled with me literally for my lifetime. The two children are delightful as they evade detection, and the fun, and the people they meet on their way adds to the nostalgia of the film. The cast is excellent with famous British actors of the day, including Sid James, Megs Jenkins as his wife, parents to the boy John. And Noelle Middleton who is looking after Julie. Constance Cummings a great actor of the stage as well film gives a lift to the two to London, and her performance really stands out. Moira Lister acts well as a kindly prostitute who looks after them until the Coronation begins, and the dawn of the Elizabethan Age. No more spoilers but I urge viewers to track it down if they can as it did exist in the UK on DVD. I am glad now I had the instinct to buy it when I did. In colour it is well filmed and directed and helps so vividly to see what is past come to life. A deserved 10.

Warm hearted film of yesteryear.

[ashwetherall1 · 8/10 · 17 January 2020]

This is one of those films that brings out my nostalgic tendencies. John and julie is a simple story of a little girl called Julie who decides to run away to london with her best friend John to see the Queens coronation. The film was made just a couple of years after the events the film depicts. It's a simple story, its told with total charm and warmth. The two young actors playing John and Julie are totally believable natural. They are surrounded by cameos of the cream of 50s acting talent from Wilfred Hyde White to Peter Sellers... Although this is obviously a celebration of the event of 1953. The film trys to represent all walks of life. There is a very early attempt to show a multi cultural uk along with Londons slightly seedy night life. John and Julie works because it just so cosy. It show a bygone age that we could learn alot from.. It might not have the prestige of an Eailing Comedy but deserves to be shown more.

A charming and entertaining film about children

[Jellie · 8 December 1998]

I saw this movie when it first came out in the l950's. It's the story of a little boy and girl called John and Julie who want very desperately to attend the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth IInd. When it becomes apparent that their parents can't take them they run away together to London and the film is the story of their little adventure and the things that happened to them. There is a chance they may not see the Queen.... It is funny and the children are very appealing.

The background music for the film is very melodic. This music was recorded by trumpet player Eddie Calvert. The little girl, Julie was played by Lesley Dunlop, who acted in the early l990's in a British TV serial called "May to December", playing the part of Zoe Callender.

Poignant beauty

[dfrench_430 · 10/10 · 18 March 2021]

Beautiful film. I was born in the 1940s and this film portrays the real world to me.

Except of course that I had no idea what a prostitute was then, and would have been blissfully unaware of the sadness experienced by the Moira Lister character.

Utterly Charming

[stomaino · 8/10 · 2 September 2020]

I first saw this more than 60 years ago when Channel 9 in NYC showed it all week. I only remembered the kids and what they did. It was the first time I saw a British movie. I did not know how much I'd enjoy actors like Megs Jenkins, Sydney James, Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Colin Gordon and the rest in the years to come! James and Sellers have some great scenes together! Katie Johnson from The Ladykillers even makes an appearance. I am an American and don't really care about the British Royal Family one way or another. But seeing the joy on the British people at the crowning of their Queen brought tears to my eyes. Long live the Queen!

Charming old fashioned film

[dajohnson-67793 · 10/10 · 8 April 2023]

This was a real gem of a childrens film. All about two children who want to get to London to see the coronation of the queen. It's a fascinating microcosm of life in Britain in the mid 50s, from the buses, cars and accents. It's also wonderful on another level by showing footage of the actual event at the end. It's also great for film buff spotters as I never knew Peter sellers, sid James and Wilfred Hyde White were in films going this far back. For a film I'd never heard of I think this might actually become historically valuable as well as a lot of fun. Very endearing and thank you to London live for screening it ahead of King Charles coronation this May!

A sweet premise, but the heroine is repellent.

[samachson · 21 February 2000]

In the summer of 1953 the world's attention turned to London, site of the coronation of young Queen Elizabeth. Two English children, transfixed by the spectacle, decide to run away from home and join the throng. Alone, without a plan or a penny, they journey 150 miles by horseback, bicycle, train and car through some of the most beautiful countryside imaginable. The film includes archival footage that conveys the thrilling spectacle of the British Empire united in one of its last great celebrations. Most of the cast turn in capable performances. Peter Sellers shines in a small early role, Moira Lister ably portrays Moira, the prostitute who briefly becomes a surrogate mother, and Sidney James brings life to his role as John's bitter working-class father. The only real sour note? Leslie Dudley, starring as Julie, is a singularly repellent child, continually pouting and crying. A fat, dour, whining brat, Dudley is woefully miscast in a pivotal role that demands sweetness and charm. Watch this film for the pomp and color of a vanished world, and try to imagine how lovely it could have been with young Haley Mills in the role of Julie.