Yes it was on the CBS Childrens Hour 18 Apr 1970. 19 years since my original post- I still come back to it once in a while. Some organization in NYC had the film in their catalog- I thought it was the Paley Center but I seem to be wrong about that.

Phil

You da man!

Thank you ALL for mentioning this Children Film Festival movie. I, too, have been "haunted" in wanting to see or research that movie and the actors. I was 10 years old when that children's movie was shown. I was so fascinated, then, about it and craved to see how the movie would end or how the boy overcame that constant teasing. As an african-american person, I would like to see this movie, too. We all can remember the movie, J.T. But, 'Toby' was up there, too. Especially, during these times when bullying and teasing are now being taken to a tragic degree.

The way he "got back" at the kids that were taunting him was to dare some of them to spend the night in a supposedly haunted house, which he had previously rigged with tape recording & traps. The bullies all got the $#!& scared out of them and he "earned" their respect. Saw it once when I was about 10 or so, and that's the way I remember it turned out...

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Just a note: If you happen to be in New York City or Los Angeles, you can watch all of the "CBS Children's Hour" specials, including "Toby", at the Paley Center for Media (formerly the Museum of Television and Radio). Unfortunately, none of the CCFF films were available.

http://www.mtr.org/

I remember this tv film, it must have been broadcast in late '69/early '70. In the TV guide the tag line read: "Toby was the smartest kid in town...and the loneliest."

For a 10-year-old, Toby was a math-whiz; I remember the scene where he multiplied 2-digit quantities in his head (like 43 x 78 = 3354) and he got them right - every time.

In playground scenes, he demonstrated how he couldn't swing at a softball without spinning around and landing on his can - every time.

From the day he arrived, Tobe found the quickest route to being the most unpopular kid in class: a genius with highest marks and lowest self-esteem, ohhhhhh boy.

But there's a happy ending, it shows him and the big bully together, throwing rocks at the haunted house and laughing themselves silly.

I'd like to see this film again.

While this film is not available, you can watch J. T. at the University of Georgia Peabody Collection at http://www5.galib.uga.edu/media/collections/peabody/index.html. I was able to find the miniseries "Studs Lonigan" there also. Not really on topic but maybe helpful.