J.T.

I can't add much about this great hour of T.V. that hasn't already been covered in the other posts. But maybe a few memories. The strongest being the line from the show that was featured in the T.V. ads.

Grandma: What you want for Christmas... Child?

J.T.: I want me this cat I found.

I'll never forget those sentences as long as I live. For some reason, my sister, a childhood buddy and I thought it was the funniest thing and it became our catchphrase for a while. To this day, I can go up to them and say, "What you want for Christmas... Child" and get the right response. And I remember J.T. buying the tuna, bopping to the transister radio he found (stole?) and keeping the cat in a stove in an abandoned building.

I feel fortunate to have taped this on CBS the last time they showed it around Christmas of 1991. I think about 4pm on a Sunday afternoon. It wasn't even listed, I just heard an announcer say it was coming up and I had a blank tape loaded and hit record.

Keep your eyes peeled in used bookstores. I was lucky enough to find a hardback book of J.T., illustrated with on-set B&W photographs, taken I think by Gordon Parks. The writer was Jane Wagner. The same one who later worked with Lily Tomlin.

If you want to see the original opening of The CBS Children's Film Festival- go to this site: (email me for the link) They have a clip of it you can see online.

Questions?/Comments? * This Has Been e-mail From: "Dr. Mark" Hill * The Doctor Of Pop Culture /*/ e-mail to: drmark7@juno.com

I remember seeing "J.T." when it was originally shown on CBS Saturday, December 13, 1969 (I was then 7 years old); I kept hearing about the show when promos were run during my favorite CBS Saturday morning shows, so I decided to see what all the hype was about. What a nice story it was! (Back in those days it seemed CBS made the best high-quality holiday specials, and "J.T." was no exception.)

I also remember later that same day my father (may he rest in peace) took us to a Christmas tree lot in Port Huron, Michigan, where we cut a live tree and took it home to where we lived in Warren. Thus, another nice childhood memory was encoded in this.

In the spring (!) of 1977, I attended Lansing Catholic Central High School in Lansing, Michigan, and had a treat in seeing "J.T." during Religion class (they obtained a 16mm film of the show from Carousel Films, Inc. in New York City; back then, VCRs were still in their infancy).

CBS reran "J.T." in December 1980 and after that hadn't rerun it again until Thanksgiving Day, 1987; at that time, my family had their first VCR, and I was very lucky to have videotaped the show. Unfortunately, some parts of the tape had "dropouts" on it. Then, four years later, CBS reran "J.T." for the very last time, on Christmas Day, 1991. I figured that would have been the final rerun, so I was smart to have re-taped the show, and on a better quality videocassette. So I had that tape of "J.T." for the next decade until I discovered in late 2001 that Carousel Film and Video (as they now call themselves) still owned the video rights to "J.T." They told me the tape sold for $59.99; as with another writer, Carousel told me "J.T." was mostly available for educational use, but sold it to me after I explained to them I couldn't locate a commercially produced copy of the tape and that it would be for my own personal use. It was a very wise investment - the copy of "J.T." Carousel sent me was unedited (there were two scenes CBS chopped out in order to fit the time slot when they last ran it involving Helen Martin, Pearl on "227," as a neighbor in the building where J.T. lived who complained about him playing the radio loudly), was hi-fi encoded, and best of all, had NO commercial interruptions!

And who would have thought back in 1969 that Kevin Hooks would not only go on to become a major actor but a director as well (Hooks recently directed "Fled" and "Black Dog"), and that Ja'net Du Bois, Theresa Merritt, and Holland Taylor would go on to major stardom? (Ja'net DuBois went on to play Willona Woods on "Good Times," Theresa Merritt starred with Clifton Davis in "That's My Mama" and starred on Broadway in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" shortly before she passed away in late 2001, and Holland Taylor recently appeared in several TV movies.) And thanks to the other writer who clarified this - I wondered if that was the same Jane Wagner (who wrote the script for "J.T.") who became Lily Tomlin's writing partner. Turns out she was.

So I would encourage anyone who wishes to get "J.T." contact Carousel Film and Video in New York; it's certainly worth the steep price if you want to see this special again in its original, uncut form. Besides, who knows if and when CBS will ever rerun "J.T." again?

And Carousel Film and Video, if anyone on your staff is reading this I hope you'll PLEASE see about putting "J.T." on DVD very soon. A great special like this deserves to be digitally remastered for a new generation!

I saw this movie when I was 9 yrs old and to this day it is the saddest movie i have ever seen. I even remember crying when it was over, but I haven't seen it for 35 yrs. The movie made a lasting impression on me, especially since I myself just found a stray cat in a warehouse and nursed it back to health. I wish I could find a copy for my kids who are also cat lovers. It is a must see movie, whether you're an animal lover or not. If you ever have the chance to see this movie, do not pass it up. Its a great family movie, despite how old the movie is an I, personally, think it is one of the best "made for TV" movies ever. I would give this movie my highest rating. Once again, its an excellent film.

Absolutely loved this film! I haven't seen it in 30 years but still remember the feelings it provoked. I still remember "I want me this cat I found"! I wish they would show it on television again. Networks show so many horrid Christmas shows over and over again, but an excellent film such as this seems to have been forgotten. I am going to Contact Carrousel Films to see if they have the movie in DVD now. From what others have said it's not cheap - but it's worth a lot to me to see this masterpiece again. Thank you so much to those who found where to buy this move. I don't know many who have seen this film so I plan on sharing it with those close to me.

"J.T" is a simple, hour-long story of a young boy living in a New York ghetto, but it tackles some weighty issues. Kevin Hooks is an amazing, natural actor; he feigns indifference to everything in his life, but in his eyes you see his true feelings when he mentions the sick and abandoned cat he has found. Ja'Net Dubois is also great as his worried, exhausted mother, who is firmly mired in poverty, despite working many hours at a store day after day. She sees her son sliding hopelessly downhill into a life of crime, when he comes home with a radio he's stolen. This stolen radio provides the catalyst for the heartache that follows. Theresa Merritt plays Mama Meley, who arrives from down south to visit her daughter and grandson for Christmas, and she's so warm and down-to-earth that her voice can sooth any ill. Merritt was a wonderful actress, and a very under-appreciated one; she gives this show a very real and loving center.

J.T. builds a paradise for the cat, when his mother won't let him bring the animal home; he creates an oasis of comfort for his pet in an abandoned tenement, showing that he still has a huge capacity for love despite his harsh surroundings. This is also a story of a mother's struggle to be independent and support herself and her son, and how such a life can blind her to the suffering her own child is enduring. There is a small subplot with a kind local grocer and his wife; he provides the wonderful surprise at the end of the story, and his actions show that ghetto life has not broken his optimism. He still has hope, and through his gift he gives hope to J.T. and his mother. She sees at last just how hard she's been on the boy and is ashamed.

Everyone who watches this will have tears in their eyes at some point, but that's okay because "J.T." is, in the end, an upbeat film that will make you feel good. It isn't shown on TV much; the last time was 1987 on CBS when they were still committed to showing programs that meant something to young people. If you can find it, don't pass it up; it's marvelous at Christmastime.