Johnny Holiday

My grandparents owned the building and bar that is shown in the movie. The movie filmed the outside of the building, the inside of their bar downstairs, and also the camera went into the living quarters upstairs which can be seen in the film. We still have most of the items from that bar. Including the glassess/mugs and grandpa's roll-top desk. Film states in the beginning that it was "Filmed entirely in Plainfield". That is not true as my grandparents bar was located in Indianapolis. Really good film with great acting.

A good basic story with realistic locations. Hits all the right emotional buttons. Overall sort of a non-sectarian "Boys Town". At times seems almost like a documentary. William Bendix plays a "tough as nails, heart of gold" type. Allen Martin believable as good kid torn between good (Bendix) and evil (Clements). Stanley Clements nasty enough.

I have been searching for this film for over 35 years.

It used to be screened on an annual basis, here in the u.k in the early 1960s on our independent T.V stations.

In my opinion William Bendix was one of the most under rated actors ever.

No company in the u.k can seem to locate the film.

If anyone knows how I can obtain this film I would be extremely grateful.

35 years is too long to wait.

Street kid Al Martin Jr. Is sent to the Indiana Boy's School for reforming. He has a rough start, but his ability with horses wins the grudging approval of former cavalry man William Bendix. Soon he's turning into a good boy. But if it's easy enough to fall into bad company on the streets, then it's a cinch in a reform school, and soon budding sociopath Stanley Clements has the kid's head turned around.

Willis Goldbeck took a break from MGM to write and direct this would-be Boy's Town knock-off. There are some heart-warming moments, and a few of real peril, but there's too little modulation in the performances. Bendix is always fun as a comic hard man with a soft interior, but there's just too much of him here. With Hoagy Carmichael, Greta Granstedt, and Robert Dudley.

This movie is very hard to come by but there are some copies with Amazon.com for a heavy price. My dad was actually in this movie. He was an inmate at the boys correctional center when it was filmed and he was used as an extra. He is the dark haired messenger boy. He had a job selling magazines and somehow got in trouble and was sent to this place.

He was used because of his good looks and even had a small speaking part. He was the son of the great grandson of Chief Little Turtle of the Miami Nation. He is long since passed away and it would be nice to have it to pass down through the family.I haven't seen it in years and would love to have a copy. If anyone knows where I could get a copy for a reasonable price,please let me know.