When I first created this website devoted to Kukla, Fran and Ollie, I immediately began to get emails about The CBS Children's Film Festival, and the films shown during its run.

Like me, many of you were introduced to the Kuklapolitans through the Festival, and never saw their first series. And many of you had no interest in KFO, but did want to know about the many foreign films shown on the Festival.

Well, thanks to some incredible research by a fan of the show, we now have info on all the films that were aired on the series.  If you have any questions about the list below, please email Phil.   Only a few of the films are available for purchase, and I've included links in the list. A couple are available for free download at the Internet Archive, and I've included links.

Happily, there are video clips of a number of the films available on YouTube, including this 1972 commercial. I've included more links in the list below.

For those of you who want more info, here's a  Message Board  for your requests.  Hopefully other fans will be able to fill in the gaps in your memories!   All the info I have is on this page - if you send questions, all I can do is refer you back here and to the Message Board.



I recently found some black & white clips of the Festival's second season premiere (you'll need RealPlayer to see them).  It's clear from watching these clips that Burr was playing to a much different audience than he had in the 50s.   Fran is definitely speaking to children, in an almost educational way, something that rarely happened on Kukla, Fran and Ollie.  Perhaps that's why I was never a big fan of KFO until I saw the original series.


Here are the air dates for the Festival:

February 12 to March 26, 1967
February 4 to March 24, 1968
January 1 to April 6, 1969
March 22, 1970
February 14 to March 3, 1971
From September of 1971 to August of 1977, the CCFF ran all year.


   
From September of 1977 to August of 1979, it was renamed     
The CBS Saturday Film Festival, and ran 30 minutes     
without KFO, also airing occasionally until 1984.     

This is, I believe, a comprehensive list of all films that aired on the Festival.  For casts, crew and other info, click on the titles in red.  If you have additions or corrections, please email Phil, who created this list.  For airdates and more, visit his page.

Adventure in Golden Bay   Dobrodružství na Zlaté zátoce   Czechoslovakia, 1956, 69 minutes    Watch clip
An orphan lives in the country with his grandfather.  A predatory pike threatens his playmates (birds, frogs and a carp).  Award winner at the Venice Children’s Film Festival

Adventure in the Hopfields        1954 Britain, 1954, 60 minutes Watch film 
A little girl named Jenny tries to earn enough money to replace her mother’s favorite china dog, which she has broken.  She takes a job and saves the money, but a group of tough kids steal her money.  After following them, they tie her up and leave her in a decrepit old mill. The junior-grade crooks turn heroes when they rescue her during a violent electrical storm.  Stars Mandy Miller, Melvyn Hayes and Jane Asher.  The film was thought lost until a copy was found recently.

The Angel and Big Joe         1975, 27 minutes Watch flim
Short film focuses on the friendship of a telephone linerman (Paul Sorvino) and a young migrant worker.  Directed by Bert Salzman, won an Oscar for Short Subject - Live Action.   Free download available at the Internet Archive.

Anoop and the Elephant        Britain, 1972 55 minutes Watch clip
Two English kids meet their friend Anoop Singh and his baby elephant Ranee. The nasty circus owner wants the elephant for his circus and the children decide that they must prevent this.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

Bag on Bag        Soviet Union
Allosh, a pint sized 6 year-old, is nicknamed “Bag on Bag”.  He makes the mistake of smuggling his mischievous dog Kitch into school - and losing him.

Birds Come Flying to Us   Ptitzi dolitat          Bulgaria, 1971
Saving endangered species presents a problem for a gypsy boy.  His chief opposition are museum taxidermists who are capturing and stuffing birds for an ornithological institute.

A Bird of Africa         Japan
A bird found nesting on a local riverbank intrigues a group of children in this film about amateur ornithologist and the effects it has on their schoolwork.

Black Mountain    Chyornaya Gora   Soviet Union/India, 1971     Watch clip
Villagers capture elephants in the jungle and train them to work, all except one called Black Mountain.  Only one, a boy called Manu, manages to train it.

The Blind Bird  Slepaya Ptitsa   Soviet Union, 1963     Watch clip
A young boy who finds a blind pelican talks his grandfather into taking the bird in for medical help in this sentimental children's story. The two search for a doctor after they read a newspaper article about the famous physician arriving in Moscow. The boy hopes that successful surgery will enable the bird to fly south for the winter with the rest of his flock. The film won the grand prize in the Children’s category at the Venice Film Festival in 1964.

The Boy and the Airplane

The Boy Who Wore Spectacles         Soviet Union
A timid child’s imagination opens the door to a fantasy world.  Little Kury’s daydreams about besting bullies give him the confidence to cope with the kids who torment him and his girlfriend Bermeta.

The Boy With Glasses         Japan, 1962
When a sensitive 9-year-old from Japan is told he must wear glasses, he fears that he'll be subject to the taunts of the rest of his classmates. As it turns out, the only fear he has is fear itself; his friends are curious and congratulatory, with only a pathetic handful stooping to make fun of him.

Bunnie    Poland, 1973   Watch clip
A little orphan girl leaves her foster home to live with indifferent relatives.

The Camerons        Australia, 1974, 60 minutes
Airplane thieves and an air-sea rescue turn a routine country visit into an exciting adventure for three children. 
A Children’s Film Foundation Film

Captain Korda  Kapitan Korda        Czechoslovakia, 1970, 84 minutes Watch film
Joey is sent from a children's home to live with Mr. and Mrs. Korda, but his birth mother wants him back. Joey is very unhappy with his new stepfather, and the final straw comes when he tears apart a boat that Mr. Korda built for Joey and uses it to patch the barn. 

Captain Mikula, the Kid   Kapetan Mikula Mali         Yugoslavia, 1974, 95 minutes   Watch film 
 A sea captain and his two grandchildren transport a group of WWII refugees to safety from a German-occupied island.  German forces are advancing towards Dalmatian coast, forcing many people to flee to Allied or Partizan controlled areas. The captain joins a convoy of boats to a free island, but has engine trouble and must turn back. Shot and captured by the Germans, he is helped by his two wards, though in the end he sacrifices himself so that they can escape to safety.

Carole, I Love You          France, 17 minutes
Carole can't be more than nine, but already she's the object of a suitor's attention. Her "boyfriend" is likewise just a kid-and, like all kids, is victimized by a schoolyard bully. Carole insists that her swain prove his love by challenging the bully to a fight.

Charlie the Rascal         Sweden
This film follows the adventures of a mischievous lad who turns his pranks to constructive purposes in 1930’s Stockholm.

Chipmates         Britain
Two short movies about a group of English children and their pet chimp.  The ape uncovers a thief in the waxworks and gets involved in glider flying.

The Chiffy Kids         Britain, 1976    Watch episode
Episodes from the TV series center on a group of kids’ efforts to decorate a school block, win a pancake-eating contest, set a new record in a snail race and capture an escaped penguin.

Circus Adventure         Netherlands  
This story follows 5 Dutch youngsters trying out for the big top as jugglers and acrobats.  Their ambitions take a tumble when the kids inadvertently set off a series of comic mishaps.

Circus Angel  Fifi la plume	France, 1965, 80 minutes   Watch film
Directed by Albert Lamorisse (The Red Balloon, White Mane). A bumbling cat burglar, Avron comes upon an abandoned nightgown. Upon donning the garment, he feels he has been transformed into an angel. Avron then joins a strange circus to escape the police, and allows the ringmaster to surgically implant him with wings. He continues his thefts during his off-hours, but gets involved in the problems of people around him.

Clown   Spain, 1969, 11 minutes    Watch video clips:  One  Two
This short film concerns a young Spanish boy and his beloved dog Clown. The little boy romps happily through the streets with his dog, until one day when he stops to play cards with friends in a park. After the game, Clown is seen running off. The little boy searches the streets for his pet, until one day he spies his beloved Clown.  It appears, however, that Clown has found a new owner…   Available on VHS

Cold Pizza         Canada, 1972, 19 minutes
Film follows the escapades of two Greek boys trying to raise enough cash to leave wintry Montreal for a visit to their sunny homeland.

Countdown to Danger         Britain, 1967, 63 minutes
Story of four youngsters whose explorations of an underground warehouse traps one of them and reactivates an old WWII German mine.

Cry Wolf     Britain, 1968    Watch clip
A boy gives too many false warnings and isn’t believed when real danger strikes.  He overhears a plot to kidnap the Prime Minister.  When no one believes him, he and two of his friends try to interfere, nearly becoming wolf-bait in the process.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

Danger Point         Britain, 1971, 56 minutes
Three teens steal a yacht.  It runs out of fuel, trapping them in treacherous waters.  Filmed off the Isle of Man.

Death of a Gandy Dancer         Canada   Watch film  
Terminal illness brings a family together.

Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World          Britain, 1973   Watch film
Lovable sheepdog ingests a mysterious chemical and grows to awesome proportions.

Doggie and Three   Obusku z pytle ven!            Czechoslovakia, 1955, 70 minutes
This film documents the consequences of fib.  Tony is followed down the street by a dog. To impress his pals, Tony claims that the dog is his. When the pooch goes back to its original owner, a little girl, two of Tony's well-meaning friends kidnap the pet and “return” it to Tony.  The boys then run into trouble with teachers, cops, the girl’s friends, and their own consciences.

Egghead’s Robot             Britain, 1970, 90 minutes   Watch film
An English boy sends his robot look-alike to school in his place.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

Elephant River        Ceylon, 1956
A Eurasian boy is treated as an outcast.  He flees into the jungle with a pet elephant, and has a series of adventures.

The Firefighters         Britain, 1975, 60 minutes
Three English kids are on the trail of thieves who cover up their crimes with arson.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

Flash the Sheepdog        Britain, 1966, 58 minutes    Watch clip   
Film About a young English orphan’s favorite pet.  When Tom Stokes, a young English orphan comes to stay with his Uncle and Aunt on a border sheep farm, he meets Andra, a kindly shepherd, who introduces him to his first real Scottish friend, Flash, a Border Collie. A next door neighbor challenges Tom to prove Flash against his own dog in the local Sheepdog trials.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

Fly Away Dove    1982, 19 minutes
An imaginative nonverbal tale about a young circus performer, a beautiful white dove, and a prince's magic palace. Based on the book The Boy and the Dove by James Sage.

The Flying Sorcerer         Britain, 1973, 52 minutes   Watch clip
A faulty time machine transports an inventor and his nephew back to the middle ages.   A Children’s Film Foundation Film

For Boys Only is For Girls,Too   Ivana v útoku   Czechoslovakia    Watch clip
12-year-old Ivana wants to play soccer, but is the wrong sex.  She and her brother conspire to place her on a soccer team by cutting her hair and passing the girl off as a boy named “Ivan”.

Friends for Life   Тропой бескорыстной любви     Soviet Union, 1971 72 minutes   Watch film
A forester named Mikhalich and his dog help a lynx kitten orphaned after a bear kills its mother.  Trouble starts when the full-grown cat is stolen and sold to a traveling circus.  DVD available in Russian only.

Friend or Foe         Britain
A youth planning on robbery in London’s rough East End learns a lesson in friendship.

Funny Stories    Soviet Union, 1962    Watch clip
The story centers on two mischievous friends, Mishka and Denis.  Miska is the more curious of the two, while Denis is the quiet one who reluctantly joins in.  They have a chase on a motorbike, pretend they are cosmonauts in a barrel, and engage two girls in a free-for-all with spray paint.

Get Used to It
A girl learns to handle the ridicule of classmates

Ghost Of A Chance   Britain, 1968    Watch clip
Three young children oppose the destruction of a historical mansion, but their pleas fall on deaf ears. Coming to the rescue is a group of friendly ghosts.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

Giamador
A desolate island off the south of France becomes a refuge for escaped horses.  The story centers on a boy torn between a responsibility to return the animals and his desire to see them run free.

The Giant Eel         Czechoslovakia, 1971
On a visit to his aunt’s farm, Tony is dismayed to discover that the local kids are hostile to newcomers.  However, an act of bravery involving a legendary monster makes him a hero. 

The Goalkeeper Also Lives On Our Street      Czechoslovakia, 1957     Watch clip
A boy dreams of winning an ice hockey game. Meanwhile, a professional hockey star moves into the neighborhood, offering his services as a goalkeeper--leading two rival teams of Prague schoolboys to fall over themselves in attempting to gain his favor.

The Golden Fish     Histoire d'un poisson rouge    France, 1959   Watch film
Jacques Cousteau directed this tale of a boy who wins a fish at a carnival

Gosha the Bear     Король манежа      Soviet Union, 1971     Watch clip  
Gosha leaves the safety of his railroad car to look for water, and is soon facing hunters, dogs, and hunger. Filmed in the Leningrad countryside.  No DVD or VHS available.

Hand in Hand    Britain, 1960, 72 minutes   Watch video clips:  Watch film
A Catholic boy and a Jewish girl, Michael and Rachel, are the best of friends.  At one point they become “blood brothers” when it appears they soon will be separated.  Their religious differences never enter the picture, until comments by family and a friend cause them to question if God is opposed to their friendship.  Their efforts to resolve this eventually lead to near-tragic consequences.  This film won 14 international awards, including the children’s category at the Venice Film Festival. Available on DVD

Headline Hunters         Britain, 1967
Three children attempt to save their ailing dad’s newspaper by scooping his rival.  Mayhem ensues until the kids finally figure everything out.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

Heidi         Germany/Austria, 1965     Watch film
Location footage of the Swiss Alps highlights this familiar tale of a girl and her grandfather. Available on VHS

Joey         United States
Carly Simon’s music underscores the story of Joey, a Puerto Rican boy victimized by neighborhood toughs when he and his family move into a new apartment complex

John and Julie       Britain, 1954, 83 minutes    Watch clip
The story involves two friends whose parents have no plans to attend the Coronation.   They run off to London, where with the help of several eccentric types they get to see the Queen's coronation.  The film won an award in the children’s category of the Venice Film Festival.  Available on VHS

The Johnstown Monster     Britain, 1971, 54 minutes    Watch clip
A youngster’s photo shows a Loch Ness-like monster to be real, but skeptics think it is a ploy for tourist.   According to the local legend of the fictional town in the story, it only arose once every 100 years. The local town's kids make a fake monster which fools everyone for a short time, until the hoax is revealed by an American tourist. Just then, the REAL monster from the deep, who just so happens to be awakening from his century long slumber on that very day, surfaces and capsizes the American's boat.  Available on DVD

J.T.  Watch film
A boy living in the projects befriends a stray cat. Often associated with the CBC Children's Film Festival, this film was actually broadcast as part of the CBS Children’s Hour from 1969-1972, usually in December. 
Starring Kevin Hooks

Jumping Over Puddles   Uz Zase Skacu Pres Kaluze   Czechoslovakia, 1970, 91 minutes   Watch film
The 10-year-old son of the Imperial horse-trainer loves nothing more than riding his own horse. Then he is stricken by polio, and hospitalization and operations follow. Still, for the time he is lucky, for he can get around for short distances on crutches, though he usually uses a wheelchair. With the help of his friends, he is able to ride his horse again, and his joy knows no bounds.

The Legend of Paul Bunyon and The Legend of John Henry
A pair of animated films concerning two famous legends

Lionheart         Britain, 1968, 57 minutes    Watch clip

A young boy has his own lion, an escapee from a circus.  The lion is harmless, but the army has orders to shoot it on sight. 
A Children’s Film Foundation Film

The Little Bearkeepers         Czechoslovakia, 1957
The story focuses on the loving relationship between a little boy who grows up at a zoo and has a pet bear cub.  Conflict arises when Kaleb discovers his pet is to be is to be exchanged for a baby elephant belonging to a group of Asian children..

The Little Ones         Britain, 1965, 66 minutes    Watch documentary on the film 
Two boys from the London slums--one an abused child, and the other, the son of a neglectful hooker—flee their neighborhood for adventures on the road to and in the streets of Liverpool.  They attempt to board a Jamaica bound ship in order to escape their miserable lives. It is on the exotic island that one of the boys father is said to live. They get passage by stealing a suitcase from a car belonging to a shipping magnate. They are unfortunately, caught, lectured and sent home. Their one hope is that the fellow informed them that there are many ships leaving from Jamaica.

Little Pig         China
Stolen money brings a profound lesson in values to a Chinese teen and her young brother.

The Little Wooden Horse   Watch clip
A young boy is captivated by a carousel horse, and follows it after it is sold to a wealthy family. Available on VHS and DVD-R.

Lone Wolf         Yugoslavia, 1972     Watch clip
A story about the unusual friendship between a 9-year-old boy and a “dangerous” German Shepherd.  The dog is considered a sheep slayer by local hunters, who seek to kill him.  The boy, Runko, risks his life to prove them wrong.

Lost in Pajamas         Czechoslovakia, 1966     Watch film
When a train stops because of a cow, a 10-year-old Russian tourist is left behind in a foreign country.  The film focuses on her adventures with two frightened boys, who are camping out together for the first time.  

Lucie and the Miracles   Lucie a zázraky/Lucia und die Wunder   Czechoslovakia, 1970 72 min.   Watch film
The harsh reality of a home for abandoned children blends with episodes of youthful fantasy and slapstick comedy in this story of an orphan girl whose fondest wish is to find new parents and leave an orphanage.    VHS available in Czech

The Magnificent 6 ½  Britain, 1967 
Short comedies with seven youngsters - from the British television series. 

Ghosts and Gholies Boy spends an hour in a haunted house.   Watch episode 
When Knights were Bold A boy is trapped in a suit of armor 
Pee-Wee’s Pianola The kids find a runaway player piano with a mind of its own.

Mauro the Gypsy         Britain    Watch clip
A gypsy boy finds troubles in a Scottish village.  His only friend is a girl, whom he later saves.  The village eventually reconsiders their treatment of the lad.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film that won the Gold medal at the Moscow Film Festival.

Me and You, Kangaroo        Australia, 1974, 19 minutes    Watch film
Stunning color photography and aboriginal music enhance this moving story of a young Australian boy who raises a baby kangaroo and then must set it free.   Free download available at the Internet Archive.

A Member of the Family        Britain, 1971
A girl, her horse, and a mischief-maker are the central characters in this except from the Britain television series of “Black Beauty”.  A disturbed boy sets fire to a stable and is taken in by the owners.  Later, the horse saves him from suspicion of robbery by cornering the real thief.

Miguel, Felipa and Geronimo Jones  (directed by Bert Salzman)

Miguel: Up From Puerto Rico 1970, 15 minutes
Story of a boy who moves to New York City with his family.  He finds his ability to speak English and Spanish puts him at an advantage in assisting his family in their new surroundings.  Miguel later stretches his ingenuity to an extreme when, to put food on his family’s table, he goes fishing in the heavily polluted East River.  Available on 16mm film, and
for free download at the Internet Archive.

Felipa: North of the Border  1971, 17 minutes
A bilingual girl of Mexican-American parents has ambitions to be a teacher.  She gets early experience when she helps her uncle learn English so he can obtain a driver’s license for a new job. 
Free download available at the Internet Archive.

Geronimo Jones   1970, 20 minutes
A young Apache is torn between the traditions of his heritage and the challenging life led by his cousin, who left the reservation to become an astronomer.  The boy is also faced with deciding whether to keep a tribal artifact from his grandfather or trade it for a new TV.  He does the latter in order to buy a birthday present for the grandfather.  However, when Geronimo turns on the TV, the two are instantly reminded or the relationship of the Native American to contemporary society. 
Free download available at the Internet Archive.

Miguel’s Navidad        Mexico
A miracle befalls a mute, fatherless boy on Christmas Eve.  Ricardo Montalban narrates and portrays the adult Miguel.
Available on video.

Mischief        Britain, 1968, 57 minutes
A riding stable’s acquisition of a temperamental circus pony leads to unforeseen problems.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

Mr. Horatio Knibbles    Britain, 1971, 60 minutes   Watch clip
Mary Bunting's parents refuse her a rabbit as a birthday present. Later, to her surprise, a six foot rabbit appears, Mr Horatio Knibbles.  He is a magic rabbit that only Mary can see. Some belongings of Mary's mother go missing and with the help of Mr Knibbles and his friends---squirrel, pigeon and magpie---the real culprit is found.  Available on DVD

My Father, Sun-Sun Johnson         Jamaica
Fortunes shift for a Jamaican family, whose debt forces them from their farmlands.

My Main Man
A boy can’t seem to do anything right.

Nikkolina        Canada    Watch film
A second generation Greek child comes to appreciate the old world heritage she once resented.  Available

Nina and the Street Kids        Sweden    Watch film
A 12 year-old wheel chair bound girl from the ghetto is placed in the care of a struggling artist after the death of her mother.  Watch video clip

Nunu and the Zebra         South Africa, 25 minutes
A story about an East African boy's adventures, enacted by the people and animals of the area. An attractive picture of East Africa, with a storyline to add interest. 

On Snow White        Czechoslovakia, 1972
Youngsters spend a creative summer staging their version of the classic Grimm fairytale.

The Orange Watering Cart         Hungary    Watch clip
Story revolves around 3 sixth graders and a school project.  Their youthful romantic triangle provides a springboard for visual fantasy. 

Paddle to the Sea  Voyage à la mer   Canada, 1966, 28 minutes   Watch film
During the long winter night, an Indian boy carves a man and a canoe. He calls the man "Paddle to the Sea." The boy sets the carving down on a frozen stream to await the coming of spring. The film charts the adventures of the canoe on its long odyssey from Lake Superior to the sea. Available on DVD

Paganini Strikes Again         Britain, 1974    Watch film
Two schoolboy detectives, Mike and Bill, try to solve a jewelry shop robbery.  The two chief clues: the thief wore yellow boots. Mike and Bill, on their way to a music lesson, get stuck in a lift. They hear a gunshot and see a pair of yellow shoes run past. They suspect some unseen criminal has robbed the nearby jewelry shop, but the police just won't believe them. So it's up to the kids to take care of it.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

Pero and His Companions  Druzba Pere Kvrzice   Croatia, 1970    Watch clip
A boy named Pero organizes his friends to work on a secret project - restoring an abandoned water mill. Available on DVD.

The Promise
An 11-year-old’s favorite horse is sold.

The Ransom of Red Chief    Soviet Union, 1963    Watch film
Based on a story by O’Henry.  Two petty thieves kidnap a boy, but soon wish they had never bothered.  Meanwhile, the imaginative boy is enjoying the adventure.  There have been several US remakes, including one in 1998 with Haley Joel Osment.

The Red Balloon    Le Ballon Rouge    France, 1956, 34 minutes   Watch film
The story, told without dialogue, concerns a little boy (played by the director's son Pascal) who comes across a helium-filled balloon. As he plays with his new acquisition, the boy discovers that the balloon seemingly has a mind of its own. The little red orb follows its new "master" all through the streets of Paris. Towards the end, it seems as though boy and balloon will be parted forever when jealous boys “kill” the balloon with rocks, but there is a surprise at the end.  Available on DVD

Soapbox Derby         French-Canadian
A boys’ club excludes girls from their membership - until a young lady proves she’s as good a driver as anyone.

Scramble        Britain, 1969, 61  minutes.
A young boy, Jimmy Riley is tempted to follow in his imprisoned father's footsteps until he joins a motorbike club and learns important life lessons along with the rules-of-the-road. He puts his new outlook to the test when he must face down a pair of car thieves.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

A Seafaring Dog        Soviet Union
A ship’s captain adopts an abandoned, adventurous puppy.  Salty and his new master are inseparable until, while in port one day, Salty runs off to play with another dog.

The Secret
Concerns a stray dog’s apparently fatal accident. 

The Seven Ravens Sieben Raben      Germany, 1937, 50 minutes    Watch film
Animated version of the Brother's Grimm tale of seven cursed brothers and their little sister.

Shok and Sher        Soviet Union, 1972, 68 minutes   Watch film
A boy’s love for his colt leads to unexpected adventures.  The two are inseparable, until Sher is injured in a big cross-country race, and his family sells the horse to pay for a new motorbike.

Shopping Bag Lady         United States, 1975, 19 minutes
Set In Manhattan's Central Park, this film is the poignant story of a teenage girl's encounter with a homeless old woman who carries all her belongings around in shopping bags. This encounter eventually leads to the girl's understanding of the problems of aging and the dignity of all individuals, regardless of their place in society.  Written and directed by Bert Salzman. Available on 16mm film, and for free download at the Internet Archive.

The Show Must Go On         Soviet Union
Presents the misadventures of school pals in Soviet Russia.

Six Bears and a Clown  Sest medvedu s Cibulkou    Czechoslovakia, 1972    Watch clip
A circus clown named Orion is hired as a boarding school cook.  Havoc ensues when the trained bears at the circus follow their former master to his new job, arriving the same day a school inspector is due.  A chimpanzee named Tony tries to hide the six bears.

Sirius        Czechoslovakia, 1974, 50 minutes
A boy and his devoted German shepherd face danger in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia.

Skinny and Fatty     Japan, 1959, 55 minutes    Watch film
A chubby boy from a wealthy family befriends a lean and poorer classmate in this sentimental children's story from 1959. “Skinny” excels at school, sports, and making friends.  He tries to help “Fatty”, who has a talent for antagonizing the other children, but finds he is only fighting his friend’s battles for him.  He tries to prod Fatty into thinking and acting on his own.  Available on VHS

Stowaway in the Sky  Le Voyage en Ballon    France, 1959   Watch film
Narrated by Jack Lemmon.  An old aeronaut wagers he can fly across France in a balloon.  He does so, with his grandson as a stowaway.  Aerial footage of Paris, Alsace-Lorraine, and the Loire valley highlights the tail.  Available on VHS

Strange Holiday        Australia, 1969    Watch film
A group of 10 marooned boys are shipwrecked on a desert island in the South Pacific.  They are surprised when another shipwreck brings along another band of survivors.  Among them are British prisoners who threaten the little colony until the boys take care of them for good

Testa di Rapa    Blockhead orTurniphead     Italy, 1965
A comedy set in 1877 that focuses on Gosto, whose carefree life of farming, fishing, and hunting is suddenly halted due to a compulsory education law.  His father, Testa di rapa, is vehemently opposed to the new law and risks jail to keep his son home from school.  Most galling to the father is the reaction of Gosto---who likes school.   Winner in the Children’s category at the 1966 Venice Film Festival

That’s My Name, Don’t Wear It Out         Britain
An unusual friendship between two outcasts is recounted.

Three Nuts for Cinderella   Tri oríšky pro popelku   Czechoslovakia, 1973   Watch film
Updated version of the classic tale, with the fairy godmother replaced by three magic hazelnuts that help Cinderella’s dreams come true.  Available on DVD.   Soundtrack also available.

Thunderstorm          France
A boy and his dog battle the elements,

Ticko         Sweden
This film depicts the efforts of a bored and restless 6-year-old girl to visit her veterinarian mother at work.

Tiko and the Shark  Ti-Koyo and His Shark  Italy/France, 1965  88 min.  Watch clip
Polynesian boy and his beloved pet shark provide the basis of this South Seas adventure. The boy finds a helpless baby shark and, with the help of a girl friend, raises it as a pet. After the shark grows up, the boy reluctantly returns it to the ocean. Ten years pass and the natives are being forced to leave their fisheries by modern, more organized fishermen. Leading the way to progress is the girl's brother who sends her to the US for an education. Meanwhile, the boy works as a pearl diver. One day his life is endangered and he finds himself rescued by his shark. He is thrilled until the modern fishermen destroy his village and force the residents to flee. Eventually the girl returns from the States; she, the boy, and the shark leave the island to find a peaceful home of their own.  Available on DVDSoundtrack also available.

Tjorven, Batsman and Moses  Tjorven, Båtsman och Moses   Sweden, 1964, 89 minutes    Watch film
A girl’s closest friends are a 220lb watchdog and a baby seal.  She faces a dilemma:  Should she sell the seal to a zoo, or set it free in the sea.  Hmm, I wonder what she does.  Filmed in Stockholm, based on a story by Astrid Lindgren,

Tony and the Tick-Tock Dragon   Hahó, Öcsi!   Hungary, 1971, 90 minutes 
A story that blends animation with live action about a boy looking for time, something his father won't give him.  Tony is punished and sent to the bathroom. Two little animated men come through the running water of the bathtub and take him on a journey down the drain.  Available on DVD (in Hungarian without subtitles)

Tymancha’s Friend        Soviet Union, 1970
An award winning film about a wolf cub and a young boy, lent poignancy by the separation and a concluding act of courage.

Up in the Air        Britain, 1969, 55 minutes
Freddie is sent to a boarding school. Finding life unendurable due to bullies and the headmaster, Freddie and his friends determine to run away. The idea of building a balloon occurs when they see the amateur balloonist flying over the school. Secretly they manufacture their balloon and set off to put their grievances before the school governor.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film 

Un Amico  A Friend      Italy, 1967 
A lonely boy runs away from home and has a series of seaside adventures with his dog on an offshore island.  Sergio finds danger, excitement, and an unusual friend:  a teacher hunting for buried treasure.

The Violin       Canada, 1974, 17 minutes
Story of a young boy who is inspired to play the violin by an aging master. Won Oscar for Best Short Film (Live Action).

What Next?        Britain, 1974, 60 minutes
The power to foretell future events involves a boy and his pals with crooks and a hunt for stolen money in this adventure tale.  A boy living in London is struck hard on the head and knocked unconscious. When he comes to the boy finds that he can tell when a crime is about to be committed. Being a good little boy he uses this new talent to help the police to catch a criminal mastermind.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

Where’s Johnny?         Britain, 1974, 59 minutes
A boy’s pet dog accidentally invents a means of invisibility.  A Children’s Film Foundation Film

White Mane   Crin-Blanc    France, 1952, 40 minutes     Watch film
 In a story set in southern France, a small boy decides to set out to befriend and tame a White Man, a white-haired wild stallion which has resisted all other attempts by ranchers to capture him.  This is an early feature by Albert Lamorisse, who directed “The Red Balloon” and “Stowaway in the Sky”.  Also:  “The Boy Who Owned an Elephant”, narrated by Agnes Moorehead.

Winter of the Witch         Britain, 1969, 24 minutes    Watch film
A city boy and his mother move to a country house that holds a surprise. The life of a witch is disrupted by the arrival of a boy and his mother. The intruders' presence forces the witch to adjust to the modern world, and to change from a bad to a good witch   Available on VHS

The Yellow Slippers   Historia zóltej cizemki   Poland, 1961, 83 minutes   Watch film
This is a story set in medieval times of a 10 year old wonder child, the little sculptor Wawrzek.  After a series of adventures, he finds work as an apprentice for a great master sculptor, Wit Stwosz. The story culminates in the unveiling of Stwosz's greatest masterpiece, the Altar of St. Mary's Church in Cracow.

 
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