BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

TeenzTen An action-packed slog

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Aedonerre I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "You, John Jones!" is an American 11-minute live action short film from 1943, so this one has its 75th anniversary this year and this makes it a black-and-white sound film from the days of World War II of course. Director LeRoy and writer Wilson are both Oscar nominees and the cast does not need to hide either. James Cagney won his Oscar around the same time when this was released and Ann Sothern also has an Oscar nomination. The tiny Margaret O'Brien (80 now) doesn't, but she still fairly popular today for other reasons and roles. Overall, a tolerable b&w movie where I am not too sure if I liked the music or disliked it I guess. But it sure is not as much about the protagonist as you'd think from the title. Story-wise, itÄ's really nothing special and it hasn't aged too well I'd say. The only reason to see it today is probably to get an insight into the political context of the years when the US were actively involved in World War II. From a mere filmmaking perspective I give it a thumbs-down though. Not recommended.

Michael_Elliott You, John Jones! (1943) **** (out of 4) A WW2 Civil Engineer (James Cagney) is called away from his home by an air raid alarm just as his daughter (Margaret O'Brien) is saying the Gettysburg Address for a school project. While the man is watching his post he begins to imagine what it would be like living in another country that is constantly under air raids and what impact this might have on his young daughter. Countless WW2 shorts were produced while the war was going on but I have no problem saying this here is the best of the bunch and in its own way a real masterpiece. The message of the film is quite clear but, given this was a WW2 film, the producer's went pretty far in passing that message off. We see countless scenes with Cagney's young daughter suffering in other countries and this scenes are very realistic and I'm sure hit a very strong nerve with people back in 1943. Cagney is excellent in his role as you can tell he's giving it all his got. The real star here is the young O'Brien who really steals the film with her powerful performance saying the famous speech.

MartinHafer Given the context for when and why this short film was made, it is a masterpiece. The film debuted during WWII and was intended to mobilize Americans in favor of the war effort--and as such, it was brilliant and incredibly successful.The short stars three major stars--all borrowed from their home studios to make this free film that was distributed to theaters across the country. The lead is played by James Cagney and he is amazingly normal and restrained in his role as an "everyman". His wife is played by Ann Sothern and his daughter is played by Margaret O'Brien. Choosing the adorable O'Brien was a brilliant move, as once John Jones (Cagney) begins wondering what life would be life for his family had they lived in war-ravaged portions of the world, the cute kid is tossed into some horrific situations that are bound to make a strong impact on the viewer. Imagine the impact when the cute co-star of such schmaltzy family fare such as MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS and OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES is shown in various scenes either being killed, starving and even with a leg blown off! For the 1940s, this was akin to having Shirley Temple (circa 1934) going through the same torments. The audiences must have been sobbing as they saw these very realistic scenes.Now the only part that seemed a bit too heavy-handed was O'Brien reciting the Gettysburg Address through the film. This was great for 1943, though viewers today might feel this was a bit too much and detracted from the central message of the film. But, for its day, this film just can't be beat.

fibbovan This 1943 short film (included as a supplement on the 2-Disc Edition of "Yankee Doodle Dandy") is nothing short of amazing. It was produced my Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios as a contribution to United Nations Week. It follows a few minutes in the life and imagination of John Jones (the stunning James Cagney), an engineer at an airplane factory that works for Civil Defense. As he comes home, he finds his wife (Ann Southern) watching their daughter ("Meet Me in St. Louis"'s Margaret O'Brien) reciting the Gettysburg Address, as practice for a school play. John revels in the words of the speech and goes to his Civil Defense post, watching for an air raid (remember, this was made during World War II). He prays to God, thanking him for letting him be in America, and not in countries where the fighting is more severe. God seems to reply to John, and John imagines what it would be like if his wife and child were in England, France, Greece, China, Yugoslavia, etc. (where the film becomes slightly gruesome). Jones then imagines a fictional air raid in America. The film flashes to John in real life. He rushes home to find his daughter and wife save, and the film fades out on the face of the adorable Margaret O'Brien reciting the final words of the Address. This thouroughly marvelous short oddly stands the test of time, making one feel that he or she should be glad to live in America where there is (for most of us) enough to eat and drink, and for Americans to feel safe when they go to bed at night. And "ain't it the beautiful truth."