J.T.

There are no words fulsome enough to describe "JT." I remember seeing it many years ago, the first time it was shown. Seldom had I been moved so much by anything. Apparently scores of other viewers felt the same way, because it was run again a week later. I remember that Doris Day (a great animal lover) introduced this second showing, saying that the first had been "a happening." And so it was. JT, a little black boy being raised by his mother and grandmother, trying to bring him up right despite all the odds against him, finds a purpose in his life when he finds, adopts, and cares for a scroungy black and white alley cat. "JT" has a kind of double ending, the first so tragic, so sad, and the other hopeful. One gets the impression that JT will finally grow up, because of the responsibility he took for the cat and that the cruelty of his life, the fate of the cat, will make him a man that his mother and grandmother can be proud of. I always associate "JT" with Christmas and, thankfully, I taped it. Watch "JT" if you ever get the chance. Trust me--you will cry--

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!

"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.

J.T. debuted on CBS in 1969 and won a Peabody Award that year. I probably saw it in 1969, but I know for sure I saw it during the 1970s as it was rebroadcast several times, usually around Christmas.

Although a bit of a sentimental weeper, the acting and portrayal of life in a tough urban neighborhood are gritty and believable. I doubt that today's tastemakers would approve of anything so realistic being offered as fare for children.

It is too bad J.T. is no longer broadcast and is not readily available on VHS or DVD. To my mind, J.T. is as much of a Christmas classic as It's A Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story.

They showed this movie to us in school when I was 7 or 8 years old and it was just so sad. Having grown up in a rough part of Chicago I connected with the settings and characters in the film right away and this film has stayed with me for the last 38 years. The film pulls you back and forth between joy and sorrow. between anger and sympathy. It will pull at you heart only to be devastated at the climax of the story. Even the villains in the film seem to realize what they have done and they suddenly go from being characters to hate to just people playing their role in the urban jungle. There are some very valuable lessons to be learned from this film for people of all ages and I would recommend it to anyone.