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The CBS Children's Film Festival

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Looking for a CFN film about a little boy who lives with an old woman

I remember this story vididly:

A boy lives with an old woman (somehow I believe she may be an aunt or distant relative). The two of them make beautiful kites and have great fun flying them together. The little boy likes going to the movies and then hurrying back home to tell the old woman about them. The boy asks her why she does not come to the movies with him. The boy not understanding that the old woman does not have enough money for them both to go, tells him, "I likes the way you tells me all about them much better".

If anyone else remembers this story, I would be greateful for a title and if it is available.

Re: Looking for a CFN film about a little boy who lives with an old woman

I remember this film too and was surprised I didn't see it on the list at this website. Perhaps it wasn't a CBS CFF film.

I don't remember the part about the movies. I do remember the kite making.

I think she made cakes around Christmas time.

I remember that the old woman went to a liquor store and promised to bring the owner a rum cake if he'd give her a bottle (or bottles) of rum to use as an ingredient in the cake. She made several cakes and gave them to people. I think she gave cakes to other store owners who gave her ingredients such as flour (I'm not sure of this though)

Every year, the old woman would mail one of her rum cakes to the President...whoever was in office. It seems like she even got thank you letters from the White House.

I don't remember how the film ended.

This film must have been on TV in the early 60's as I was probably under 10 years old.

Has anyone provided any other information about this film? I'd sure like to see it again.

Thanks,

Jeffrey Bledsoe

Re: Looking for a CFN film about a little boy who lives with an old woman

You remember a lot more about the than I did! Unfortunately, no one else has responded. Surely we can't be the only two people who saw it. You are dead on about it being in the sixties, I was about 12 years old. This movie had such a great impact one me because of the sacrifices this old lady made. Thanks for the memory. I will let you know if any one ever responds.

Re: Looking for a CFN film about a little boy who lives with an old woman

I tried imdb.com (Internet Movie Database) but no luck there either. Maybe there's a forum on imdb. I'll look.

Jeff

Re: Looking for a CFN film about a little boy who lives with an old woman

I think I found it. If this is the right film, it was called "A Christmas Memory" staring Geraldine Page. It was broadcast on television in 1966 on a program called "ABC Stage 67". It turns out that the film is autobiographical and was written by Truman Capote. Look at the user comments here, it appears to be a match:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0179551/usercomments

It seems that you can buy it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BWZ4QC/102-1042541-1539359?ie=UTF8&tag=edgevideo-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=B000BWZ4QC

Re: Re: Looking for a CFN film about a little boy who lives with an old woman

I think you're right. It mentions kites and fruitcakes. I hope the other person on the board who looked for this info gets it as well.

Thank you very much.

Merry Christmas

Jeffrey Bledsoe

Re: Looking for a CFN film about a little boy who lives with an old woman

Thank you both for your excellent investigative work! I just ordered a copy of, "A Christmas Memory". I am hoping this is the title. But somehow, I thought it was set in England or Wales. I've got my fingers crossed! If I can convert it to DVD I will let you all know. Of course only as an archive for the original!

Re: Looking for a CFN film about a little boy who lives with an old woman

I'm 99.99 % sure it's the film I saw. If you notice on the link to imdb.com viewer comments, one person mentions Sook making fruitcakes and sending fruitcakes to the President. Like I said before, I had searched imdb.com film plots for 'kite' and 'fruitcake'. I got a lot of hits but couldn't find the film of interest. I think if you register with imdb, you get better search results.

I'm thinking of ordering the film but it's too late for me to get the version I want by Christmas. There appear to be two versions on Amazon. One got bad reviews because it was grainy and was over $20. I think they're both b&w. We had a b&w television circa 1967 so that's the way I remember the film.

I just checked the book out of the local library. That will do for now. I think the book has three stories so the film only covers one out of three from the book.

Jeff

Re: Looking for a CFN film about a little boy who lives with an old woman

>...I had searched imdb.com film plots for 'kite' and 'fruitcake'. I got a lot of hits but couldn't find the film of interest. I think if you register with imdb, you get better search results.

I didn't use the IMDB to find this one, just plain old Google. I plugged in a bunch of keywords based on the descriptions provided by the two of you, but I consistently came up with nothing. Then I thought, perhaps it was an aunt instead of a grandmother. Once I made the switch, the film came up immediately. Sometimes one word makes all the difference.

In any case, this movie sounds very interesting. I think I'll check it out for myself one of these days. :)

Re: Looking for a CFN film about a little boy who lives with an old woman

Got the film. "A Christmas Memory". You are dead on that that Geraldine Page is the film. What a great actress. If you ever get a chance to see her in the Night Gallery story, "My Husband is Killing Me", do so. She got an Emmy nomination for that one.

However, I still believe the version I saw was in color and set in England or Wales. And Truman Capote was not the narrator. Therefore the one I am remembering is evidently a re-make.

Still, the film made my Christmas. It came in on Christmas Eve and I saved it for Christmas Day night. What a wonderful story.

Cheers to you all!