Jessy.

Date:
1959
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Credit

Jessy. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Online resources

About this work

Description

A dramatised story of a child, Jessy, with cerebral palsy who is in a wheelchair. Jessy moves with her family to a house better suited to her mobility needs which is also close to a National Spastics Society Special School (Craig-Y-Parc). This film was made to emphasise the physical and social barriers and prejudices that disabled children faced at the time. It was also one of the first which featured a disabled child as its lead. The young actress who plays Jessy was not disabled but many of the supporting cast were pupils of the school. Jessy proves herself up to the task of minding the baby whilst her new friends defend themselves against an invading gang. This rite of passage leads to Jessy being accepted as a member of the gang despite their initial reservations.

Publication/Creation

1959.

Physical description

1 encoded moving image (29:27 min.) : sound, black and white

Duration

00:29:27

Copyright note

Scope

Terms of use

Some restrictions.
CC-BY-NC-ND

Language note

In English

Creator/production credits

Screenplay by Beth Holt and Wolf Rilla from an idea by Rosemary Dawson Shepherd. Music composed by Franz Reizenstein. Conducted by Muir Matheieson. Produced by Margaret K. Johns. Directed by Wolf Rilla. A Libertas Production in co-operation with the National Spastics Society.
'The Grown-Ups' (actors); Donald Houston, Maureen Pryor, William Peacock, Prudence Hyman, Charles Lloyd Pack. 'The Children' (actors); John Wainwright, Geraldine Neyle, Brian Taylor, Billy Lawrence, John Bush and Katina Noble as 'Jessy'.

Notes

The film is well-worn and scratched.

Languages

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