Johnny Tremain (1957)

Johnny Tremain is drawn into the Revolutionary War, and becomes a patriot fighting to free the colonies from England. Along the way he learns about life and about himself.

Director:

Robert Stevenson

Writers:

Thomas W. Blackburn (screenplay) (as Tom Blackburn), Esther Forbes (book)

Stars:

Hal Stalmaster, Luana Patten, Jeff York

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Hal Stalmaster	...	Johnny Tremain
Luana Patten	...	Priscilla Lapham
Jeff York	...	James Otis
Sebastian Cabot	...	Jonathan Lyte
Richard Beymer	...	Rab Silsbee (as Dick Beymer)
Rusty Lane	...	Samuel Adams
Walter Sande	...	Paul Revere
Whit Bissell	...	Josiah Quincy
Walter Coy	...	Dr. Joseph Warren
Will Wright	...	Ephraim Lapham
Virginia Christine	...	Mrs. Lapham
Ralph Clanton	...	Gen. Gage
Lumsden Hare	...	Adm. Montagu
Gavin Gordon	...	Col. Smith
Geoffrey Toone	...	Maj. Pitcairn

Storyline

In colonial Boston, a young silversmith's apprentice injures his hand, and finds himself befriended by the Sons of Liberty and caught up in events of the American Revolution.

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Plot Keywords:

colonial america | character name as title | patriot | merchant | sons of liberty | 

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Taglines:

Run ... Johnny ... Run !

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 June 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Johnny Tremain and the Sons of Liberty

Filming Locations:

Disney Studios, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

James Otis, Jr. (played by Jeff York) was one of the founders of the Sons of Liberty, and gives one of the crucial speeches in the film. Paul Revere mentions that Otis "received a blow to the head", which explains his erratic behavior. In real life, Otis was hit on the head with a club by a British tax collector in 1769. However, John Adams and others recalled that Otis had been acting erratically for several years before that incident, and his erratic behavior was probably due to mental illness. It was Otis who had coined the term, "Taxation without representation is tyranny."

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Goofs

Paul Revere, on his legendary ride, shouts "The redcoats are coming!" His actual cry was "The regulars are coming".

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Quotes

Samuel Adams: [speaking at the Old South church] This meeting can do nothing more to save the country!

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Connections

Edited into The Magical World of Disney: Johnny Tremain: Part 1 (1958)

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Soundtracks

Johnny Tremain
Written by George Bruns and Thomas W. Blackburn (as Tom Blackburn)

User Reviews

Good old fashioned entertainment ..... and educational too

When I was 7 years old I was taken by my older brother to the local 'flea pit' to see a double feature, the main film was 'Bambi' and the supporting film was 'Johnny Tremain'. Being only an ankle biter at the time, the film I was looking forward to seeing was Bambi, I had never heard of Johnny Tremain and had no interest whatsoever in watching it, however, once the lights went down in the cinema and the film started, I found myself enchanted by what I was watching, being an English boy I knew little or nothing about the American War of Independence, I had never heard of the Boston Tea Party and had always presumed that Britain and America had always been on friendly terms, we were never taught about it at school, which is hardly surprising I guess, seeing as the Colonists took on the might of the British military and won! The story of Johnny Tremain was told in such a simple and enjoyable way, in a way that only Disney could tell a story, that even a 7 year old English kid could understand the plot and historical background. It is 52 years now since I saw the film but it made a such a lasting impression on me that I can still remember the words to the song (which admittedly being a very short song with few words, is probably not saying much). I would assume that to todays youngsters this film would prove to be dated and uninteresting, after all there is no sex,no bad language and the violence is sanitised, but it was made in a time when values were a lot different and Disney was the king of family movies. Times have changed, but for all the digital special effects and hype, I for one, reckon you can't beat a good old fashioned movie telling its story in an uncomplicated way, standing or falling on plot, direction and good acting.