In the summer of 1953 the world's attention turned to London, site of the coronation of young Queen Elizabeth. Two English children, transfixed by the spectacle, decide to run away from home and join the throng. Alone, without a plan or a penny, they journey 150 miles by horseback, bicycle, train and car through some of the most beautiful countryside imaginable. The film includes archival footage that conveys the thrilling spectacle of the British Empire united in one of its last great celebrations. Most of the cast turn in capable performances. Peter Sellers shines in a small early role, Moira Lister ably portrays Moira, the prostitute who briefly becomes a surrogate mother, and Sidney James brings life to his role as John's bitter working-class father. The only real sour note? Leslie Dudley, starring as Julie, is a singularly repellent child, continually pouting and crying. A fat, dour, whining brat, Dudley is woefully miscast in a pivotal role that demands sweetness and charm. Watch this film for the pomp and color of a vanished world, and try to imagine how lovely it could have been with young Haley Mills in the role of Julie.
Review of John and Julie
