[email protected] Great to see a story of this quality taken seriously and well acted by all. There is a strong central character: Sammy. The narrative revolves around him, and he is not dismissed by the other characters for being a child, as so often happened in other non-children's films of the era. This is important, because it shows the audience that Sammy is a real person, and it makes the audience more interested in what makes him tick. It also makes the other main characters more human. Thus the audience is drawn into, and involved in this tremendously strong small story. It appears however that some of the film was lost, as the film was apparently originally ten minutes longer. This is a shame because the audience becomes aware of the tiny leaps in the narrative flow. Still a great film though.

fung0 It's a great shame this film isn't better-known, especially outside the UK. It has recently (fall 2010) been re-released on DVD - at LAST. And it truly is worth seeking out.The story is equally reminiscent of Rudyard Kipling's 'Kim' and Nicholas Roeg's 'Walkabout.' A young boy, suddenly on his own, determines to rejoin his family, at the opposite end of Africa. Along the way, he meets a number of interesting characters, including Edward G. Robinson, in a small but pivotal part.The story is told without sentiment or sensationalism. Shot on location, it shows an Africa that may hardly exist any more, in which wild animals were still a greater danger than armed humans. The scenery is often breathtaking... but the focus is always on Sammy. Despite the trappings of epic adventure, this is really a very intimate film, about one boy's journey from loss to self-reliance.I'd rank Sammy Going South amongst the great children's adventure films of all time: Treasure Island (any version), Captains Courageous, The Wind and the Lion, In Search of the Castaways, and others. But it has a unique magic all its own. It gets inside the soul of a child like few other films, and perfectly captures a quintessentially British vision of childhood.See this film if you possibly can. You'll be glad you did.

willb65 I saw this film when I was ten when it was first released. I have only seen it once but can vividly remember it. My father had already died and Sammy's experience of returning to his home and finding it bombed and his parents dead had a profound effect on me. I lived the fear as Sammy travelled south. I have often thought about the film but have never seen it again. I have tried to find it on DVD but unsuccessfully as I assume it's never been released. I remember Sammy's resolve and determination to complete his journey but I can also remember lying awake at night wondering if I would be orphaned. A fantastic film, release it on DVD.

Fred My review is based on my one viewing of this movie. I saw it in 1967, two years after its release. I was seven years old. My elementary school was showing it after school. I went because the title intrigued me. The title in this country was A BOY TEN FEET TALL. There was a poster on the wall, made by a student (or a teacher) with the title in big letters next to a line drawing of an extremely tall boy. The actual movie was disappointingly realistic to me. I was expecting something like a Popeye cartoon. Ever since seeing it I've asked fellow movie buffs if they remember a movie in which Edward G. Robinson gives sage advice to a boy in the jungle. Nobody I know has ever heard of this. Maybe the fact that it is also called SAMMY GOING SOUTH has caused confusion, because I have always referred to it as A BOY TEN FEET TALL. In the half-a-lifetime since seeing this, I've come to realize that Edward G. Robinson gave it his all. Late-career Edward G. was truly a scene-stealer. He's the reason we remember SOYLENT GREEN. I'll give it 7 stars because I saw it when I was seven and seven is a lucky number. I was lucky to see what has become a rare performance by a great actor.