- Actors: Celia Johnson, Diana Dors, David Kossoff, Joe Robinson, Jonathan Ashmore
- Directors: Carol Reed
- Writers: Wolf Mankowitz
- Producers: Carol Reed, Alexander Korda
- Format: Colour, DVD-Video, NTSC
- Language English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Homevision
- DVD Release Date: 21 Oct 2003
- Run Time: 96 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B0000BWVL5
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 58,790 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details |
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Set in the 1950s this film if one of my favourites. It shows a way of life that has long since disappeared. Especially, the little boy who runs about the market being well known by all the stall holders. David Kossoff plays a lovely roll filling the boy's head with majical answers especially about unicorns, it certainly holds the imagination. Your heart goes out to the little lad as his various pets die and it soon becomes evident that he hasn't a clue about how to care for animals but he is never cruel, always thinking that he is doing the best for them. The little kid, which he truly believes is a unicorn is delightful and the fact that all his wishes come true is amazing. If only he could keep the unicorn alive. Again, David Kossoff comes to the rescue when he tells the boy that his unicorn has finally gone to Africa to be with all the others, before he buries it in the garden along with all the other animals. As I said, it is a tear jerker of the best. Diana Dors also plays quite a good part as the fiance of a body builder who just wants to get married as quickly as possible. I would recommend this film to anyone, it is all round family entertainment.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a charming story about a small boy's indomitable trust and optimism in a confused world, set in East London's "Fashion Street" (Petticoat Lane Market) in the early 1950s. The bustle and hustle of street-trading life is contrasted with philosophical humour and wisdom. The philosopher is Avron Kandinsky, a "simple" Trouser Maker played by David Kossoff, who is given some deep wisdom to impart to Joe, a small boy who is waiting (with his mother, Celia Johnson) for his father to come back from Africa.
The screen-play, though very touching, is offset with much humour. Sid James, Alfie Bass and Irene Handle add zest in that respect.
The boy is a failed pet-owner; Kandinsky's back yard is littered with pet-graves. Joe acquires a runt kid with only one horn, thinking it must be a unicorn; which, as we all know, can grant wishes. So Joe bestows wishes with abandon upon all his friends. His child's optimism proves true (ah! the power of make-believe!) and leads to the happy ending the story deserves.
Climactic action is provided by a wrestling match - a grudge fight between Joe's friend (Joe Robinson aka "Mr Universe") and a bully of a professional wrestler. Diana Dors, in her delectable prime, simmers and shimmers as Joe Robinson's love interest - and the catalyst for the grudge!
Naturally, the "unicorn" suffers the same fate as all of Joe's previous pets, but not before doing its stuff for Joe.
This beautiful little film, typical of Carol Reed, is more than a cameo of Petticoat Lane as it was. It has hidden depths that surface with subsequent viewing. The recurrence of the dome of St. Paul's throughout the film is nicely rounded off in the final scene, as Mr Kandisky, sinking slowly into the West, offers his last wise pearl - "Unicorns can't grow up in Fashion Street, but boys have to".....
The screen-play, though very touching, is offset with much humour. Sid James, Alfie Bass and Irene Handle add zest in that respect.
The boy is a failed pet-owner; Kandinsky's back yard is littered with pet-graves. Joe acquires a runt kid with only one horn, thinking it must be a unicorn; which, as we all know, can grant wishes. So Joe bestows wishes with abandon upon all his friends. His child's optimism proves true (ah! the power of make-believe!) and leads to the happy ending the story deserves.
Climactic action is provided by a wrestling match - a grudge fight between Joe's friend (Joe Robinson aka "Mr Universe") and a bully of a professional wrestler. Diana Dors, in her delectable prime, simmers and shimmers as Joe Robinson's love interest - and the catalyst for the grudge!
Naturally, the "unicorn" suffers the same fate as all of Joe's previous pets, but not before doing its stuff for Joe.
This beautiful little film, typical of Carol Reed, is more than a cameo of Petticoat Lane as it was. It has hidden depths that surface with subsequent viewing. The recurrence of the dome of St. Paul's throughout the film is nicely rounded off in the final scene, as Mr Kandisky, sinking slowly into the West, offers his last wise pearl - "Unicorns can't grow up in Fashion Street, but boys have to".....
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
We all need a little charm in our lives and this will give you a chunk of nostalgic magic on a Sunday afternoon. Watch it with your Mum, Granny, niece, nephew or best friend, all washed down with cups of tea. It has old London and a touch of realism amongst the acting. Maybe it's just me but the world of innocence through the eyes of this child is charm itself. Wonderful Celia Johnson and Diana Dors is at her best with her boxer boyfriend and a vision of an England long gone. The market place with the cockney characters a lost era of 'kitchen sink' drama. Buy, enjoy, sigh contentedly at this gem from yesteryear.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Rare Gem
I remember seeing this film in my 20's and was moved to tears, not only because of the running story of the trusting, naive little boy and his unicorn (a little one horned kid) but... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Cat W
A Kid for two farthings
I first saw this film over fifty years ago and it has stayed with me ever since, a great family film about a young boy and his magical unicorn in the east end of London, the hustle... Read more
Published 20 months ago by D. Stevenson
A childhood memory
I saw this film as a child first time round, and read the original book. I found Wolf Mankowitz's writing rather disappointing, my first experience of literary criticism at the... Read more
Published 23 months ago by targavis
You must believe in Fairies, Or a Unicorn, yet.
I first saw this film in 1955, having read the book a year or two earlier. I knew the story of the boy and his mother, living in the post war East End, among the stalls and market... Read more
Published on 28 Feb 2010 by Polly
a dated entertainment
Carol Reed can be regarded as one of Britain's finest directors, with work such as "The Third Man" and "The Fallen Idol" to his credit. Read more
Published on 9 Jun 2009 by W. Hamilton
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
