My Son John

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Van Heflin, Helen Hayes, Dean Jagger, and Robert Walker in My Son John (1952)

The Jeffersons are the ideal picture-perfect all-American family in a small town, but their eldest son John returns home after a long absence spouting views that cause them to worry he may b... Read allThe Jeffersons are the ideal picture-perfect all-American family in a small town, but their eldest son John returns home after a long absence spouting views that cause them to worry he may be a Communist.The Jeffersons are the ideal picture-perfect all-American family in a small town, but their eldest son John returns home after a long absence spouting views that cause them to worry he may be a Communist.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.6/10

726

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 5 wins & 1 nomination total

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Top cast27

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Robert Walker

John Jefferson

Helen Hayes

Lucille Jefferson

Van Heflin

Stedman

Dean Jagger

Dan Jefferson

Minor Watson

Dr. Carver

Frank McHugh

Father O'Dowd

Richard Jaeckel

Chuck Jefferson

James Young

Ben Jefferson

Lee Aaker

Boy
(scenes deleted)

David Bond

College Professor
(scenes deleted)

Gail Bonney

Jail Matron
(scenes deleted)

Russ Conway

FBI Agent
(scenes deleted)

Bill McLean

Parcel Post Man
(scenes deleted)

Frances Morris

Secretary
(scenes deleted)

Erskine Sanford

Professor
(scenes deleted)

Irene Winston

Ruth Carlin
(scenes deleted)

Jimmie Dundee

Taxi Driver
(uncredited)

Douglas Evans

Government Employee
(uncredited)

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Parts of the film were rewritten after actor Robert Walker (John Jefferson) died during production. Several scenes use a double shot from behind, and others recycle footage of Walker from L'inconnu du Nord-Express (1951). The final scene, where a recording of John delivers an anti-communist speech, is lit with a halo around the tape-recorder.

Quotes
Dan Jefferson: John!
John Jefferson: Oh, Father, let's not go into it any more.
Dan Jefferson: Now I've, I've got another subject for you.
Dan Jefferson: As your father, you and I are going to have a talk, a good talk, away from your Mother. And it's about you, son.
John Jefferson: Well, if you'd enjoy it, Father...
Dan Jefferson: Well, I don't know whether you will. But as I told you, we're alert. And we ARE alert.
John Jefferson: You just said that.
Dan Jefferson: Yes, and you sound to me like, like one of those guys that we should be alert about.
John Jefferson: One of those guys?
Dan Jefferson: I just said that you sounded like one, I didn't say that you... 'cos if thought that you really were, you know, I'd take you out in the backyard and I'd give it you, both barrels.
John Jefferson: No trial, huh?
Dan Jefferson: Nah, you're off on the wrong slant. And you know what I'm talking about. Cos as your father, I want to know where you're headed.
John Jefferson: Well, I can help you there. I'm headed for the bathroom, wash my hands and clean up for dinner.

Connections
Edited from L'inconnu du Nord-Express (1951)

User reviews40

Featured review

6/10

Great time capsule movie

I watched it on TCM last evening; first time I've seen it in thirty years. Enjoyed it even more this time. Though Ms. Hayes turns on the tears a lot, there are also some finely nuanced scenes from her.

"My Son John" is neither mawkish or camp, my opinion. In context of the times, lack of any espionage storyline is easy to understand. Simply being a Commie was John's ultimate betrayal of his family; anything he did as Soviet agent was secondary to that.

A fun thing to watch for in this movie is the wealth of veiled references to Mrs. Jefferson's menopause all through the film. Heck, it even serves as sort of plot device in a climactic scene near the end.

Those seeking anti-Communist camp would be better served with John Wayne's "Big Jim McLain" released the same year.

"My Son John" is only partly a Cold War cautionary tale. It's mostly a family drama of inter-generational estrangement, with some education based class friction thrown in. Oh yeah, and LOTS and LOTS of menopause. I really enjoyed watching it.