Johnny at the Fair

So this is a promotional short film made in the forties? It is hard to understand how this persuades people to go to the Canadian National Exhibition. It follows a little boy on the exhibition. His parents were not paying attention so they lost him. Now he is having fun on his own. The kid meets some sort of famous people and sees the things to do on the exhibition.

In my opinion this short tells only one thing. It is so very crowded on the exhibition, you easily lose your kid. In other words, if you have kids it is better not to come. But then again, it does show the great things to see there. Right. 'Johnny at the Fair' is just another stupid short film, perfect for the MST3K-people to make fun it.

What can I say about a 50's promo-film for the Canadian National Exhibition, besides that it's completely unwatchable hadn't it been for the guys of MST3K who guided me through it. It's so bad, you just have to see it for yourself. Just make sure you don't watch it alone. Johnny's trip through the exhibition is so terrifying, you'll certainly need the comfort of a loved who keeps telling you: "It's just a movie, it's just a movie!"

Good, wholesome little boy goes with parents to fair, gets lost, and has all sorts of adventures. Yeah, we've seen this far too many times. "Johnny at the Fair" should be titled "Johnny at the Un-fair". And to think that Joe Louis got himself mixed up in this swill. No doubt the people of Canada are embarrassed that their country got portrayed like this (we can probably all agree that Michael Moore and the "South Park" guys have done a much better job looking at our northern neighbor). Fortunately, all is not lost: "MST3K" tore this movie apart. In their version, Johnny's negligent parents decide to abandon him.

In conclusion, the movie by itself is 0/10, but the "MST3K" version is 10/10.

A great short that teaches us that wandering off from our parents in crowded areas can be a real blast! You get to meet ice skating princesses, watch baseball games, horse races, and meet political leaders! Also, when your parents pick you up from the "Lost Kids" section of the police station, they're not mad, just happy to see you.

So if you're a little kid like Johnny, carpe diem! Ditch your parents as soon as you have the chance, and see how fun it can be to discover this wonderful world on your own! Also, why not accept candy from strangers while you're at it?

Educational little short, really great for kids. (r#17)

The most interesting aspect of this expectedly dated educational film is the character of "Johnny" himself: he's played by Charles Pachter, who grew up to be a renowned Canadian painter, sculptor, designer and historian/lecturer whose works have garnered him an Order of Canada. His web site is cpachter . com . One of his most famous works is Noblesse Oblige, 1972, which depicts Queen Elizabeth riding a Canadian moose. ;) Pachter recently mentioned his role in this film during an interview on CBC radio, which adds a nice bit of closure after several years of seeing this picture via MST3K. As others have mentioned, the film itself is a rather bland--and thus typically Canadian--walk/run-through of Toronto's famed Canadian National Exhibition, where celebrities of the day proceed to excite and bore little Johnny in equal measure while he's separated from his parents (Pachter's real parents played his on screen parents).