god1-1 Are you guys kidding? This is one of the worst films ever! The acting is atrocious, and there is almost nothing morally redeemable about the film at all. Racist, sexist, imperialistic--c'mon, get a life! The little 'slave' boy, grinning lackey slacker? Who just won't work reliably for the white trader? The idea that women's worth is to be measured on the basis of her looks (though admitting we can sometimes be wrong about it)???? That men set the value of all things, including women? This is truly as bad as it gets. Too bad Mormon children --especially the girls-- have to grow up with this crap.

dafalias Of course the story of Johnny Lingo is one of the classics for Mormon children; the message it conveys is true and probably much more important today than it was at the time it was made. What makes it really watchable though, are the performances. Not their quality, but on the contrary, the lack thereof. The acting is so stiff and inept that You will laugh tears. I don't think, that Johnny Lingo was intented as funny as it comes out, but it is always worth watching. Beside trying to convey the message, that beauty is relative, inner beauty is that counts and that every one needs someone to believe in him to reach his full potential, there is no reference to the Mormon church or Mormon beliefs at all.

pfstevens Johnny Lingo was shown a minimum of once a year at my grade school. It was light, memorable entertainment about a shrewd island trader who finds a wife for himself in a homely girl in whom he sees great beauty.We were unaware of the Mormon connection this movie had, because it had no references to religion, Joseph Smith or the Utah desert. It was insidious, though, for after three years, both student and teacher alike was heard rating other people by "cows". The highest compliment was to be an "8 Cow Woman" or an "8 Cow Man". I would not actively seek it out to shown my own child, as it does not rate as highly as the Ray Harryhausen fairy tale films, but it is well done, and conveys a wholesome message memorably.

T.S. Hunter This movie was made and distributed by the Mormon Church. But, unlike most films that fall into the above category, this movie is not about religion, missionary work, joining any church, etc. and so forth. This short film could have quite possibly been made by anyone. That is what makes it so good. It is a story about a trader coming to one of the small islands of the world to get himself a wife. The island is so small, there is only room enough for one village. There are none of the modern conveniences of the rest of the world, and everything is either built by the villagers or acquired by traders who visit the island by boat and trade for their handmade goods. In this village, it is custom to bargain and pay the father of the bride in dairy cows. This may sound like a serious film, but it really is rather quite funny and has some real classic lines to it that I'm sure will endear you to the film. The story is simple yet original and the flow and pacing for the film is perfect. If you can pick it up, it would be worth the effort.