jake54 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 this was a korean war movie with david jansen - about a little boy who the troop kind of adopts and brings back to the states - it is somewhat of a christmas movie and haven't seen it in years is it around or does tcm know about it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CineSage_jr Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 The film is Albert Zugsmith's production of DONDI (1961), based on a long-running New York Daily News (and sydicated elsewhere) comic strip (1955-1986!) about an Italian war orphan and his relationship with U.S. troops. I remember it from local TV broadcasts when I was a kid and, even then, it was an undeniable stinker. Leonard Maltin summed up the film best: "Watch this film and you'll know why (David) Janssen became a fugitive!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scsu1975 Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 Yeah, it was pretty bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChelseaRialtoStudios Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 I have a print of the trailer and even THAT's tough to sit through!!! It's the kid's fault - he was AWFUL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 >movie donde At first, I thought you were speaking Spanish. ?D?nde este DONDI? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronxgirl48 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 I've heard throughout the years this was supposed to be the worst child performance in screen history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teri53 Posted January 1, 2008 Share Posted January 1, 2008 yes, that movie was the worst. although my mother was very moved. i guess it was all tears the war torn atmosphere, and a little lost boy, that did it for her. also, I want to thank you all (Cine jr, SandyK, and Di,) for your help with my movie title, "Room for One More" I am searching for a copy to rent or buy and when I find it and view it I will let you know if that is the actual movie. Again, I am happy with this site and to find people who know their stuff. teri53 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CineSage_jr Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 At first, I thought you were speaking Spanish. ?D?nde este DONDI? The character's name actually comes from what the boy mutters in Italian (Donde? -- "Where?") as he wanders through the rubble of his destroyed town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danthemoviefan Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 I don't know who TCM would even lease this from (if the O.P. still wants to see it again after reading all of the other comments). Zugsmith/MGM efforts such as High School Confidential! and Girls Town ended up in the morass of NTA/Republic/Paramount/Lionsgate for home video, but Dondi is an Allied Artists co-production and release and likely in Warner's hands now. Maybe someone could get surviving co-stars David Kory, Arnold Stang, Patti Page, and William Wellman Jr. together for commentary/featurettes for a two-disc special-edition DVD release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChelseaRialtoStudios Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 Hey - be careful about ROOM FOR ONE MORE. Most of the tv prints, including the 35mm print that Cinemax used to run, carry the title THE EASY WAY. The film was retitled so that it would not be confused with Warners' television series ROOM FOR ONE MORE (starring Andrew Duggan and Teddy Rooney). So if you can't find ROOM, try looking for THE EASY WAY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake54 Posted January 2, 2008 Author Share Posted January 2, 2008 thanks for the info on dondi - i just remember enjoying it as a kid -based on the responses i must have led a sheltered child hood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_McCrary Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 "Dondi" HAS shown somewhere, sometime in (I think) the last 10 years. Not since I have been doing DVDs, I'm pretty sure. One of the premium channels showed it, and I probably have it on VHS, but it's not in my index cards. It must have been sometime around 2002-4 when I was "transitioning" and have many tapes that are not complete and therefore not carded. But I'm almost positive I did see it; other than that, I remember seeing it at the beach one summer when it first came out. Movie theater, middle of the hot day - cool! (Aaaarrrggghhh!) Weird movie. I was little - what did I know? Probably went just because Arnold Stang was "famous" from TV. HAD to get it when on tv, to relive childhood memory. Some things are best left...... Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teri53 Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 Thank you for the information, I will keep you posted. teri53 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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