Here's an offbeat film from British director Carol Reed. It's one of those rare films that can genuinely appeal to both children and adults, though undoubtedly in somewhat different ways. If you have kids and are looking for something less cartoonish than the typical Hollywood "family film," you might give A Kid for Two Farthings (1955) a try.

Historical Background: The career of Carol Reed (1906-1976) is a bit difficult to fathom. He began directing in 1935, but for his first dozen years in that role, he generated mostly unremarkable, low-budget quickies. Only The Stars Look Down (1939) and Night Train to Munich (1940) from that phase of Reed's career rose above mediocrity. Near the end of World War II, Reed found himself serving in the British Army's film unit making documentaries, including two notable ones, The Way Ahead (1944) and True Glory (1945). Then, after the war, Reed's career caught fire. From 1947 to 1955, he produced a string of excellent films: Odd Man Out (1947), The Fallen Idol (1948), The Third Man (1949), Outcast of the Islands (1951), The Man Between (1953), and A Kid for Two Farthings (1955). After that, Reed's output became less remarkable again, although he had some success with Trapeze (1956), Our Man in Havana (1959), and Oliver! (1968). Although the last of those films won Oscars for both Best Director and Best Picture, it was not, in truth, one of his finest efforts. The present film, A Kid for Two Farthings, came near the end of Reed most successful period as a director. It might appear to be a bit of a trifle compared with The Third Man, but that really isn't a fair comparison. The present film succeeds well enough on its own terms, as something of a fantasy in the style of magical realism.

The Story: The story takes place in the Fashion Street open market in East-End London, during the 1950's. Joe (Jonathan Ashmore) is a young boy living with his working class mother, Joanna (Celia Johnson). She frets over the absence of her husband, who has gone off to South Africa in search of diamonds. Despite the troubled lives of those around him, Joe retains his innate sense of wonder, curiosity, and hopefulness. Joanna works for Mr. Kandinsky (David Kossoff), a Jewish shop owner. Mr. Kandinsky struggles to make a living and is unable to pay his employees very well. He'd like to buy a steam press, which could increase his earnings, but cannot afford one.

Also working in Kadinsky's shop is Sam, a physical fitness freak who dreams of becoming Mr. Universe. He's engaged to a buxom blond, Sonia (Diana Dors), who works nearby in a shop owned by Lady Ruby (Brenda De Banzie). Sam and Sonia have been engaged for four years because Sam is so poor he can't afford a wedding ring, much less the bedroom furniture or bathroom décor that Sonia has already selected. One of Sonia's co-workers, Mimi (Vera Day), enjoys taunting Sonia about her long wait and hopes to break the lovers apart so she can go after Sam for herself.

Kadinsky is a born storyteller and Joe is an equally avid listener. Joe's favorite story is the one about unicorns and how they can grant any wish. Joe has had very poor luck with pets (they keep dying on him), but nevertheless sets out to purchase a unicorn at the market. Oddly enough, he comes across a man selling a small, deformed goat, which has a single twisted horn in the center of its head. Joe decides that the kid must be a unicorn and barters with its owner until they settle on a suitable price. Joe immediately begins taking advantage of the goat's magic powers to satisfy the desires of all those around him. His first wish is that his mother will take him out to the picture show. Just then, his mother arrives to fetch him. They need to go out, but they'll be going to the dentist, not the pictures. Kabinsky suggests that Joe got 50% of his wish and the "unicorn" just needs more practice.

The local wrestling promoter, Blackie Isaacs (Lou Jacobi), wants Sam to do some wrestling in the ring. Wrestling can damage the muscles of a bodybuilder, not to mention his pretty-boy looks, but Sonia pressures Sam to agree to the deal so he can finally get the money they need to marry. Sam has one preliminary bout with Willie Bason (Danny Green), who has been paid to take a fall, in preparation for a real bout with the fearsome Python Macklin (Primo Carnera). When Python tries to seduce Sonia, using the threat of ringing the neck of Joe's goat, the animosity between Python and Sam turns vitriolic. Joe, at least, figures that Sam can't lose, in the ring, because Joe has his unicorn working overtime on Sam's behalf. Joe also wishes for a diamond ring for Sonia as well as a steam press for Kadinsky. Bit by bit, the things that Joe wishes for come to pass, though in each instance the good fortune follows from a very natural course of events rather than any supernatural occurrences. Joe believes, of course, that it is his unicorn that is responsible.

Themes: The surface theme of this film is the power of hope and optimism. Many of the adults in the film are in varying degrees of despair, brought on by their individual problems. Each of them yearns for one thing or another, but have little faith in their own ability to make their yearnings become reality. Joe's belief in the magic of his "unicorn" and the certainty that circumstances will improve provides the inspiration that enables those around him to seek solutions to their problems from their own initiative. The "unicorns" magic turns out not to be supernatural but motivational in nature.

Beneath the film's surface is a double-dose of social commentary. One bit of reflection is the poverty and hopelessness of the lower classes. Reed implicitly criticizes the rigid class system, which had been operating in Britain for centuries, though with less vehemence than would soon be evident in the Angry Young Men films, beginning around 1959. The film also features a subtle kind of reflection back to World War II and its aftermath. Like the unicorns that were either obliterated or dispersed, the Jews displaced by the atrocities of World War II, such as Kandinsky, had to struggle to survive and eek out a living in their new locales through Europe and America.

Production Values: The script for this film was written by Wolf Mankowitz, based on his own novel, set in the picturesque Fashion Street open market in the East-End of London. Mankowitz was a novelist, playwright, and screenwriter, born in 1924 in London, who died in 1998. He wrote or co-wrote the scripts for such films as Expresso Bongo (1959), The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960), Casino Royale (1967), Black Beauty (1971), Treasure Island (1972), and The Hireling (1973). The story has the general feel of a fairytale, though it remains grounded in realism. Mankowitz and Reed avoid letting the fanciful element become too cute or emotionally manipulative. The setting provides the subtext pertaining to the struggles and bleak existence of working class Brits. In the Fashion Street market, where hawkers and charlatans mingle, life is loud and saucy. So, despite the film's magical quality, it retains the texture of real life.

The outdoor scenes were filmed on location in the Petticoat Lane markets. The indoor scenes, by contrast, were filmed in sets at the Shepperton Studios. All of the action takes place in a tightly congested area, providing a bit of a claustrophobic feel to the film. The color scheme, which is immediately noticeable, features primary hues together with grays and browns. The Home Vision DVD provides a transfer from very nearly pristine source material. It's a good-looking film. The soundtrack, in monoaural surround sound, is an impressive menagerie of dialog, music, and environmental noises, the last of which effectively capture the sounds of the open market locale.

The film's ensemble cast is an array of the top British talent of the fifties. Diana Dors, who plays Sonia, was dubbed the British Marilyn Monroe. She has the platinum blond hair and the bust, but not the sultry pout of the Queen of Cinema. Dors looks more like a Barbie Doll. Dors later appeared in Deep End (1970). The bulky Joe Robinson, a body-builder, later appeared in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). The real acting, however, comes from the likes of Celia Johnson, as Joanna, and David Kossoff, as Kandinsky. Johnson was well known to British filmgoers of the era for her starring role in Brief Encounter (1945). She also worked in The Captain's Paradise (1953) and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969). Kossoff was an excellent Jewish character actor, appearing in Indiscreet (1958) and The Mouse That Roared (1959). Also well known was Brenda De Banzie, who played Lady Ruby. Her resume also includes Hobson's Choice (1954), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), The Entertainer (1960), and The Pink Panther (1964). Primo Carnera, who played Python Macklin, was once the world-wrestling champion. Little Jonathan Ashmore gives a credible performance as Joe, without a hint of self-consciousness. It's not the kind of role or performance that makes you want to run out and adopt the child, but Ashmore finds a pretty nice balance between being adorable and annoyingly shrill.

Bottom-Line: I imagine that the relative lack of awareness of this film is attributable to it not having much of a natural audience at present. I'd classify it as an artsy family film, but I'm not sure that a lot of families sit down together to watch an artsy film from the fifties, regardless of its quality or potential appeal. I feel the film deserves a four-star rating based on its merits, but I suppose three-stars will be closer to reality for most viewers. I recommend the film especially for families looking for something more artistically worthy than the latest Hollywood spectacular.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12