The casting for "A Kid for Two Farthings" is extremely unusual. It stars a European Champion wrestler (Joe Robinson), an ex-Heavyweight Champion boxer (Primo Carnera), a British blonde bombshell (Diana Dors) and stars a little boy (Jonathan Ashmore)! Strange...but it all works in the film.
The film centers on a little boy and the folks in his neighborhood in London. The boy, Joe (Ashmore), is quite young and impressionable. So, when he's told that unicorns are real and have magical power, he's excited when he sees a one-horned goat and thinks it is a unicorn! And, through the story, the little boy thinks that he's using the 'unicorn' to brighten the lives of the people around him! It's all a rather cute little fantasy film from the famed director, Carol Reed (director of the classic "The Third Man").
Although this film is in color, part of my wishes Reed had stuck with black & white. That is because "The Third Man" is possibly the most beautifully filmed black & white film of all time. But in 1955, color was becoming more common and expected so I do understand his decision.
So is it any good? Yes...which didn't surprise me given Reed was in charge. The film has many wonderful little vignettes and you really grow to like the characters because the writing is quite good. I also thought it funny that Joe Robinson played a body builder who knew nothing about wrestling...considering he was European champion in real life! Well worth seeing and surprisingly underrated.
The film centers on a little boy and the folks in his neighborhood in London. The boy, Joe (Ashmore), is quite young and impressionable. So, when he's told that unicorns are real and have magical power, he's excited when he sees a one-horned goat and thinks it is a unicorn! And, through the story, the little boy thinks that he's using the 'unicorn' to brighten the lives of the people around him! It's all a rather cute little fantasy film from the famed director, Carol Reed (director of the classic "The Third Man").
Although this film is in color, part of my wishes Reed had stuck with black & white. That is because "The Third Man" is possibly the most beautifully filmed black & white film of all time. But in 1955, color was becoming more common and expected so I do understand his decision.
So is it any good? Yes...which didn't surprise me given Reed was in charge. The film has many wonderful little vignettes and you really grow to like the characters because the writing is quite good. I also thought it funny that Joe Robinson played a body builder who knew nothing about wrestling...considering he was European champion in real life! Well worth seeing and surprisingly underrated.