Johnny Tremain

I've loved this book since I was a boy, and still think it's a wonderful way to get children reading about the birth of our nation. The movie does a good job of keeping the important historical facts front and center. Unfortunately, much of the book's richness, and darker shades, are cut away to make this more of a film for the entire family, five year olds included. As is often the case, entire characters are omitted in the interest of time and simplicity. On its own terms, though, a fine film and worth seeing.

When I was 7 years old I was taken by my older brother to the local 'flea pit' to see a double feature, the main film was 'Bambi' and the supporting film was 'Johnny Tremain'. Being only an ankle biter at the time, the film I was looking forward to seeing was Bambi, I had never heard of Johnny Tremain and had no interest whatsoever in watching it, however, once the lights went down in the cinema and the film started, I found myself enchanted by what I was watching, being an English boy I knew little or nothing about the American War of Independence, I had never heard of the Boston Tea Party and had always presumed that Britain and America had always been on friendly terms, we were never taught about it at school, which is hardly surprising I guess, seeing as the Colonists took on the might of the British military and won! The story of Johnny Tremain was told in such a simple and enjoyable way, in a way that only Disney could tell a story, that even a 7 year old English kid could understand the plot and historical background. It is 52 years now since I saw the film but it made a such a lasting impression on me that I can still remember the words to the song (which admittedly being a very short song with few words, is probably not saying much). I would assume that to todays youngsters this film would prove to be dated and uninteresting, after all there is no sex,no bad language and the violence is sanitised, but it was made in a time when values were a lot different and Disney was the king of family movies. Times have changed, but for all the digital special effects and hype, I for one, reckon you can't beat a good old fashioned movie telling its story in an uncomplicated way, standing or falling on plot, direction and good acting.

Johnny Tremain took a reverse process in attaining success as one of the best films about the American Revolution. It was a two part program on Walt Disney's television show and then later it was stitched together for theatrical release, so popular did it prove. Just like Disney's Davy Crockett. You can plainly see the seams, but that really doesn't matter.

The fictional character of Johnny Tremain who is an apprentice silversmith and his struggle to establish his birthright to the satisfaction of his loyalist uncle Sebastian Cabot is set against the background of Boston in the 1770s. As we well know the seeds of the American Revolution were planted there, it was a hotbed of latent treason to the British crown.

As Johnny Tremain started as a juvenile novel the issues of the American Revolution are quite simply laid out so that even the lay historian can follow the issues and the events of the Boston Tea Party and later the Battles of Lexington and Concord pretty much as they actually occurred.

And the personalities of the Sons Of Liberty come wonderfully alive in this film. Walter Sande as Paul Revere, Walter Coy as Dr. Joseph Warren, Rusty Lane as Samuel Adams step right out from the textbooks. But in the few scenes he has Jeff York as James Otis steals the movie.

There was a touch of genius in the casting of York and who would have suspected it because York normally played rough hewn frontier type characters. It was totally against type that York was cast as the Back Bay Patriot with both genius and madness in his running in his veins. Otis and Johnny Tremain define the real issues of what became the American Revolution in the best acted scene in the film.

Hal Stalmaster was a fine and earnest Johnny Tremain and was 'introduced' in this film. Why his career went nowhere after that is still a mystery. Luana Patten plays the daughter of Will Wright and Virginia Christine the silversmiths that Stalmaster is apprenticed to and Richard Beymer plays Stalmaster's original tutor in radical Sons Of Liberty politics.

If grade school teachers are not using Johnny Tremain as a teaching tool when the kids are learning the American Revolution, shame on them.

This is one of those Disney gems that should get some renewed attention. The song "The Sons of Liberty" is a modern invention but a very plausible-sounding one. Both the book and the film ignore Sam Adams' cousin John's involvement in Massachusetts colony politics (so not a fault solely of the movie.)

I would not recommend seeing this movie prior to reading the original book, because the cast of characters is greatly simplified for the movie and you may find yourself saying "Who's that?" if you wait to read the book until after seeing the film.

By the way, I think Revere's using a grease pencil and not a Magic Marker in the silver shop consultation.

Johnny Tremain is quirky Hollywood at its quirkiest. I really liked it though, for all of its uncalculated moves. I enjoyed the fictional character's journey through real events. The battle scenes are okay and the story is serviceable, but what wins it over is the charisma of the main character. Quirky and flawed, but never unengaging or lacking in any sort of good American entertainment, it may not be that well remembered, but I still found it likable. For all the pleasures of 1957 Hollywood including 12 Angry Men and The Bridge on the River Kwai, this is limited, but it still does not fail in being a good time killer and entertainment device.