Jon Whiteley Movies
Jon Whiteley was a popular child star in British films of the early '50s. In 1953, he earned a special Oscar for his work in The Kidnappers/The Little Kidnappers. As he grew up, Whiteley's film appearances became increasingly sporadic. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
After a purse is stolen on a South African bus, this tale is set in motion--involving secret information and communist espionage. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi
- 1957
A story of family interaction, this is an adaptation of an A.J. Cronin novel, with Dirk Bogarde in the title role. More a character study, the movie depicts an insecure man who sees his son's close relationship with their Spanish gardener and is jealous of it. Torn by the jealousy, he contrives to frame the man and have him sent off to jail, but the gardener escapes. When the son discovers what his Father has done, he runs off to be with the gardener, with his Father hot in pursuit. A touching story of a Father/son relationship, it is also the story of the friendship between the young boy and the gardener. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dirk Bogarde, Jon Whiteley, (more)
- 1957
The Weapon is a loose grouping of elements first seen in the 1951 British melodrama The Yellow Balloon. Jon Whitely plays a young London boy who finds a loaded gun in a blitzed-out building. He fires, accidentally shooting a playmate. Believing he's killed his friend, the boy runs away--leading to a relentlessly suspenseful climax. Though filmed in England, The Weapon was geared from the start for primarily American audiences; its producer was Hollywood's own Hal E. Chester, and its adult stars included Steve Cochran and Lizabeth Scott. The script was written by Fred Freiberger, best known to sci-fi followers as the producer of the original Star Trek's third and final season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Cochran, Lizabeth Scott, (more)
- 1955
In the 1750s, young orphan John Mohune (Jon Whiteley) arrives at the seaside Dorset village of Moonfleet seeking Jeremy Fox (Stewart Granger), a one-time "friend" of his late mother, to whom she has turned over care of the boy. Fox exudes an aura of class and bravado, along with an obvious love of life and the finer things it can offer, all of which combine to make him a beguiling presence to one and all, including the larcenous, decadent local nobility (George Sanders) and a band of cut-throats led by Elzevir Block (Sean McClory), to whom he has more than a passing acquaintance. In his innocence, John -- oblivious to the fact that Jeremy runs a murderous smuggling ring -- instantly accepts this man as a loyal friend (and, indeed, a man to be loved and trusted like a parent, precisely because his mother has consigned him to his care). And Jeremy, initially disdainful of the boy, finds himself moved by the latter's willingness to love him and see his better nature, which does come out (with some resistance) under his coaxing, and reluctantly becomes his guardian. But there are too many nefarious goings on in and around Moonfleet, between smugglers and the authorities pursuing them, and the Mohune family's dark history, to keep John safe from danger. His life is placed at risk when he stumbles on the secret of old "Redbeard," the Mohune patriarch who betrayed law and morality, selling his soul for a priceless diamond, which has long been believed lost. Before long, young John knows too much about the smugglers for their comfort, despite Jeremy's protection -- and when he accidentally discovers a clue to the location of Redbeard's diamond, even Jeremy can't resist the chance for that prize, even if he has to cheat the boy out of his birthright. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stewart Granger, George Sanders, (more)
- 1954
In this charming 1954 feature, Harry and Davy are two orphans living with their grandparents in Nova Scotia. Their autocratic grandfather gives them a "spare the rod spoil the child" kind of upbringing. All the boys really want is a dog, all the other kids have them, but their grandfather won't let them have one. As luck would have it, the boys find a baby orphaned as they are, and decide to hide it. They then must conceal it from their grandfather while discovering the love that was missing from their lives. ~ Brian Whitener, Rovi
- Starring:
- Duncan MacRae, Jean Anderson, (more)
- 1952
If the plot of the 1993 Kevin Costner film A Perfect World seemed vaguely familiar, perhaps it's because it bears a more than passing resemblance to the British-made 1952 thriller The Hunted (U.S. title: Stranger in Between). Dirk Bogarde stars in this emotional melodrama as an escaped murderer, sloshing through the North Country mud. Bogarde is reluctantly saddled with a fugitive orphan boy (Jon Whitely), who insists upon tagging along. The murderer ends up sacrificing his freedom to rescue the injured boy from certain death. While The Hunted was greeted with moderate enthusiasm in Britain, its virtues were trumped by the French film critics of the era. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dirk Bogarde, Jon Whiteley, (more)
