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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This dreamy, quirky film, directed by Sir Carol Reed (The Third Man), combines elements of British "kitchen sink" realism with Fellini-esque fantasy and the Jewish fables of Isaac Bashevis Singer. A spunky little boy, Joe, lives with his mother in old Mr. Kandinsky's tailor shop in the midst of a bustling London bazaar a few years after the Blitz. Kandinsky fills Joe's head with stories of the magical power of unicorns and their ability to grant wishes. Eager to help his extended family attain their dreams, Joe buys a unicorn--actually a one-horned baby goat--from a vagrant. For himself and his mother, Joe requests his father's return from South Africa; for neighborhood beauty Sonia (Diana Dors, "the English Marilyn Monroe"), he wishes an engagement ring. Joe also wishes for Sonia's boyfriend, Body Beautiful magazine cover boy Sam, to beat the evil giant Python Macklin (Primo Carnera, a.k.a. "the Ambling Alp") at wrestling, and for Kandinsky to get a steam presser.
The story is sweet but the movie has overtones both serious and surreal: discordant jazz plays on the soundtrack and Joe's pets keep dying on him. The tale Kandinsky tells Joe about how unicorns became extinct is an obvious metaphor for the extermination of the Jews by the Nazis. Joe's neighborhood is a true cultural melting pot: one doesn't see many 1950s British movies with settings like this. The film might have been too eccentric to become a family staple, but it's quite fascinating today. --Laura Mirsky
Product Description
From legendary filmmaker Carol Reed (The Third Man, Odd Man Out, Oliver!) comes this charming fantasy about the power of childhood imagination. Joe is a young boy who lives in a poor section in London. He becomes convinced that through the mythical powers of a unicorn, he can grant the wishes of his mother and friends. Joe searches endlessly and finally discovers his unicorn—which turns out to be just a goat with a misshapen horn. Or is it? A Kid For Two Farthings is a touching film about the power of make believe.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I approached this DVD with some trepidation; I'd loved this film as a child, from black-and-white tv viewings, and was afraid I'd be disappointed seeing it as an adult. Happily, I still loved it! KID stands alone in the works of Carol Reed, an intriguing mix of fantasy and kitchen-sink realism, and it's received a nice transfer here. The Technicolor is luscious in that 50's way that makes you want to crawl up into the screen and live for a while. Very touching, nicely judged performance from Diana Dors, and fine work from favorites like Celia Johnson, Brenda de Banzie and Lou Jacobi. My only caveat is that this disc is apparently being marketed as a children's movie (I found it in the kid's section of three different stores in NYC), and, despite my childhood affection for it, KID's not really aimed at children. The Cockney dialect and different world of 50's Jewish London will probably be difficult, if not off-putting, for many active moppets. But for adults, and the kind of child who's reflective, dreamy, and curious about the world, the picture's still magic. Take a chance and see it.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
I had seen this movie when I was in 13. I was so touched, I've never forgotten this film since I ever had It made me think about "truth life" even though I was too young. After all, It comes to the best infleuential movie of my childhood. Recently, I found it by my contry websites that related movie. I'm so surprised. 'cuz ..I thought that mostly people in my country(I'm a korean) didn't watch. but A few remember it. They almost said "It's really good one"
I absolutely agree..! I wish movie goer shouldn't miss it!!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
I am now 53 years old and I still remember this movie from my childhood in 50's England. I so loved this movie, it was wonderful. I am about to order it. Of course, as an adult, I may have a different perspective now but I can hardly think I will like it any less. I can't even remember one other movie I saw as a kid, but I sure remember this one! Diana Dors was great. ...she really did an excellent job in this movie and it was sweet and touching as a story can get without being sappy. If you are curious about this film, I'd say, go for it. It will at least be an interesting look at British movie making in the fifties and you'll see what a different world it was back then. At best, you'll want to share it with your friends and as many kids as you can find that will sit still for a black and white movie.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
a kid for two farthings
we saw this movie 40 years ago and it is still a lovely, light, memorable experience.
Published on September 22, 2009 by J. Driller
4.0 out of 5 stars
In Living Color!
Does anybody actually watch these films before reviewing them? One reviewer, basing comments on childhood memories, says this movie is in black and white. Read more
Published on December 2, 2007 by Remus
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not ba-a-a-ad for
Joe (Jonathan Ashmore)is a six-year-old slum boy who believes in the magical power of unicorns. A perverse old man convinces Joe that if he could only come upon the legendary... Read more
Published on January 28, 2005 by Staci L. Wilson
