User reviews

I remember seeing this film in cinema back in the 60s and was finally glad of the chance to see it again for the first time in decades. It's a simple and profound film about two pre-pubescent children in the United Kingdom who become friends. The fact that the boy Philip Needs is Catholic and the girl Loretta Parry is Jewish makes no real difference until some of their peers around them tell them it makes a difference. Just like that Rodgers&Hammerstein song, You've Got To Be Carefully Taught.

Interesting that the cantor and priest characters played by Martin Lawrence and John Gregson have learned to respect each other's diversity. The kids learn that too just by simply being around each other.

I still love this film because Needs and Parry act like real kids instead of child actor celebrities. You don't they're acting at all, you think you're just watching from a window on their lives.

This film ought to be required viewing in grade school classes teaching tolerance, respect, and diversity. The message hasn't lessened any over the years.

This beautiful little film debuted on TCM tonight, March 13, 2017, and will hopefully go into at least the semi-regular rotation. Two best friends learn about each others' faiths and have an adventure or two. It's the kind of film I love discovering, where frankly not much happens but it never gets boring or bogged down. Gentle and heartwarming without being forced or even the slightest bit precious. Absolutely worth a watch.

I saw Hand in Hand yesterday on the Talking Pictures channel in the UK and I was deeply impressed by it. It's one of the best movies I've ever seen about tolerance. The acting of Rachel and Mike is completely natural. The movie's depiction of their innocence is never cloying or sentimental. I thought it was particularly interesting showing Shabbat services in the UK at the time (I'm not sure if the synagogue is modern Orthodox or another group.) I agree with the reviewer who pointed out that the movie doesn't warn children about the dangers of getting into cars with strangers. I said to my husband while watching that times really have changed since the picture was made. It was a treat to see Sybil Thorndike as the Lady who gives the children tea and fulfills their wish to visit a royal household (complete with corgis). The man who plays the scary newsagent also gives a good performance as an adult fulfilling the children's wish for adventure; like Sybil Thorndike he doesn't slip into sentimentality or corniness. Hand in Hand is a gem. I wish it were more widely shown. As Mike writes about Hector the mouse, it is a noble film.

I am so thrilled to read the lovely comments on this little film. the reason being, I was the little girl who played Rachel all those years ago. I am now a middle aged lady with three grown children of my own. I live quietly,but busily. My children may be grown,but they always seem to need me. I am very lucky. What a privilege to have read such heartwarming comments,I didn't think anyone remembered. My family have seen stills of various films I was in, but have never been able to show them Hand in Hand, which I have to admit, was my favourite. I would love them to see it, it could still be relevant today. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Your kind words really mean a lot to me.

Again, I must thank you all for your very kind comments. This is Loretta Parry. Shown under my married name. Since I last posted, I have divorced, (amicably),and have had the extreme pleasure of becoming a Grandmother 3 times, to the 3 most beautiful little boys,the youngest born only a few weeks ago. I am coming up to the big 60 in July, and cannot say I'm too delighted about it. It seems only a couple of years ago,when I was having my own children, and just a short time before that,was at school myself. The years and life have been very kind to me, my children and Grandchildren have become my life, and I just couldn't be more content. Thank you all so much for your continued interest in 'Hand in Hand'.Long may it have such a positive impact on us all.xxx

I am 45 years old, and I have NEVER been able to get this film out of my mind! I was a child of 10 when I'd first watched it, on a Saturday morning..and I am thinking it was on a morning children's film festival. Like a previous comment stated, this film HAS AN IMPACT on those who view it. I would love to find it on video and enjoy it over and over again. I recall feeling touched- very moved, and for a child of that age, for a television film to do such a thing, I believe is pretty much a rare occurrence. All this time and for a movie to remain in my mind? You tell me how great it must be!! It was wonderful to have the experience of seeing interaction between 2 children of the opposite sex and opposed religions. I cannot believe I found this site, and info about the film that has stayed in my heart for 35 years. Amazing!!!

This is a well intentioned, beautifully executed paean to the idea of ecumenicalism. A little Jewish girl and a little Catholic boy become fast friends despite the prejudice around them in beautiful Upper-Thames Britain -- I noticed that it's not about a little Catholic Irish boy and a little Anglican girl in beautiful rural Northern Ireland, but that's a different matter, I suppose.

The kids are also a little too cute and their line reading is not very natural. However, I award it some kudos for Freddie Young's b&w camerawork.

Hand in Hand shows that friendship can surpass any other barrier. It also shows how a child feels when he discovers that people are different. This is an excellent movie which should be put on either VHS or DVD This is a movie that helps both children and older people understand differences between people of different backgrounds. Michael wants to be Rachels friend and then he discovers how different their backgrounds are and feels that his friendship with Rachel is threatened because of that fact. I saw this movie when it first came out in 1961 and saw it again when it was shown on the Children's Film Festival in 1967 and again in 1968 and 1972. I have not seen it since but I can recall the scenes and the duologue as if I had gone seen the movie yesterday.I would not hesitate to recommend this movie to anyone

I went to see this movie, "Hand in Hand", as a second billing with Walt Disney's "The Moon Spinners" when that film was first released. I can honestly say that this film affected me in a profound way that no film ever had before or has since.

I was so enthralled by the film that I talked my father into taking me to see it again, so I could take notes on it! I wrote down the events in the plot as they transpired on the screen. What I can remember about the film now is the feeling that it captured perfectly the emotion of love as a child experiences it.

I have always wanted to see this film again, but it never plays on television or in art house theaters. It would be my number one candidate for the honor of "Lost Treasure." I would love to see this film released on DVD and video.

It is amazing how powerful films can be to a child. Upon reading the numerous reviews and postings of the wonderful movie "Hand in Hand", it is interesting how many of the writers who are probably in the same age bracket and, at least in the U.S., remember this movie airing on the CBS Children's Film Festival on a Saturday afternoon. I guess one can thank CBS, Kukla, Fran (Allison), Ollie and Burr Tillstrom for introducing this powerful film on religious understanding and tolerance within the friendship of two young children.

I remember Rachel and Michael (Loretta Parry and Philip Needs). Even though the film was probably 7 or 8 years old when I first saw the movie on TV, I can relate to them as a child. Perhaps because of how they were raised and the different religions they were taught, the children were a bit suspicious but after a while they got to know each other. What still gets to me after so many years is how misunderstanding and seeing people just as what their were raised can get in the way of seeing others as human beings.

There is a sense of curiosity and wonder getting to know someone who was raised from a different religion and that curiosity begets friendship and, ultimately, understanding. As directed by Philip Leacock (who would later direct numerous TV shows including Route 66, Gunsmoke and The Waltons) and written by Diana Morgan (from a story by Sidney Harmon), Hand in Hand is a sensitive and powerful film.

I am not a fan of remaking great films. But consider the state of religion in the U.S. and the world and how many conflicts occur for the sake of religion. With the right screenwriter, director and cast, I think Hand in Hand could be adapted to the current day. Until then, I concur with others on releasing this wonderful film on DVD.

Like many others I first saw this film on "The Children's Film Festival" on a Saturday afternoon. I must have been 6 or 7 and I loved it! Many years later a friend of mine was humming a tune that I regocnized as the charming melody from the film. "Do you remember that movie?" I asked. "Oh yes." He replied "Hand In Hand" We both smiled. He had grown up in a very small town next to mine and gone to different schools, but it was touching that we were both sitting in front of our television sets on the same Saturday afternoon watching this lovely film. I was actually able to tape it back in 1988 off of Showtime, I just watched it again last night and it still moves me. Loretta Parry and Phillip needs were so good! I brought so many memories! Good ones.

I saw this film a number of times when before I was 10 years old. It is such a beautiful film in every aspect. The writing, acting, directing is all excellent. I only wish it would be released on video. Many children I believe would benefit from seeing this film as I did. In the end, a person watching this film learns the value of looking at the beauty within each person, regardless of their background.

I saw this movie as a child and have never forgotten it.I was raised Catholic and rememebr having a crush on the little girl across the street.She was Jewish.We played everyday and we had a special bond.Everytime I think of this movie, I am reminded of her and our precious innocense in the world around us.I hope she is doing well in her life.I would really love to obtain a copy of this movie.Lets all remember that we live together in this world and that we can walk with each other through it,"Hand In Hand"!!!!!!!

The acting of the children who play Michael and Rachel really make this 1960 British film work. Other characters appear to be stereotypical (i.e. the parents, the rabbi and priest) to a large extent, but the children's' performances are outstanding. It's a wonder they didn't do more with their careers after this film, particularly Phillip Needs, who played Michael. Watch his face early on, when he realizes that taunting the little girl at school is wrong. He backs away from the group, then grabs her and rescues her. And later, when he confronts Rachel angrily and yells "Why did you kill Christ?" She answers: "I didn't! I didn't kill anyone!" And it's true. The Romans executed Christ, not the Jews. Pontius Pilate could have always said "no", and left it at that. But of course, the scripture had to be fulfilled.

This is a film I love to show to my own children on a regular basis, to help them understand that God is love, not hate. I have wonderful memories of my parents renting this 16 mm film again and again from the local library in the 1960's when I was growing up. They would show it for the children in the neighborhood, who all came from different religious backgrounds. It was always a favorite and now is a favorite in my own library of films.

I updated my email address so that anyone who wishes to share their comments about this film can contact me. Also, I wanted to let you know that I have a Black and White still publicity shot from this film and I'd be happy to send you a copy via email or regular post.

The photo I have shows the girl and boy kneeling and praying together in a church pew. Cany anyone give a more detailed synopsis of the film? I haven't see it since about 1966. I am almost 54 years old and this remains one of the most influential films of my whole life.

i saw this as a kid..i loved it so much i dragged my mother to see it..something about it touched my heart and as a 50 year old i still remember it with a special feeling as a Jew myself..i know how difficult it is to cope with prejudice and this was a real exposure of bigotry i was my first taste of how things could and should be it was also the first time i saw Miriam Karlin in a dramatic role.. it shows that really fine films don't need special effects. car chases,etc...just a little meaning and a subject worth talking about i give this film 10 /10

As far away from biblical epics as you can get, Hand in Hand is definitively the most spiritual movie I have ever seen. I saw it in 1969 and cried and cried. The next time I saw it was in college in 1978 and I cried profusely again. The boy and the girl in the leads are absolutely perfect. The movie succeeds in conveying the enormity of the exploration they are doing. And how in the process, their sense of love blossoms, both for each other, but mostly for God.

I, too, saw this movie when it came out and I have never forgotten its message. It was this movie that made me realise that pretty well all monotheistic religions (apart from the fanatics) are essentially saying the same thing; they just have different ways of saying it. It helped me develop greater religious tolerance than I likely would have developed in its absence.

Most of the images in the movie have faded from my memory, save a few. One in particular was the moment when the boy goes to visit the synagogue and the star of David on the side of the building just jumps out at him. You can imagine the impact that it has on him, having been raised in a strict Roman Catholic environment with a crucifix as the dominant symbol.

As a little bit of trivia, in the 60's, I had heard that Orson Welles had a small, uncredited, cameo appearance in this movie. The shot was a long one, taken from the rear of the church with Welles as a priest at the altar with his back to the camera. I have never been able to confirm this. His filmography in this data base doesn't mention it, nor does the writeup on the film itself.

Trivia aside, this is an excellent movie and, although I have seen it only once, it remains one of the cinematic highlights of my life. I don't think that it has ever played in a movie theatre near me since its initial run, much to my disappointment.

It's been over 40 years since I first saw "Hand In Hand," and I remember it like it was yesterday! I have been trying to find out more about it on the internet for a long time. I finally hit the jackpot doing a "Kukla, Fran, and Ollie" search, as I clearly remember them in connection with the film. As soon as I saw "CBS Children's Film Festival" on the KFO website, things snapped into place! It was almost a relief to find the title on the list of movies that were part of this series, as I have relished its memory for so long!

I remember searching the Saturday TV listings for years -- probably until I was in my late-teens -- hoping it would be on just one more time!! I saw the film several times, between the ages of 5 and 10, and it is the earliest movie I clearly remember seeing. As I read through some of the other comments, I found myself flashing back to it and seeing it unfold again.

The scenes I remember most vividly are those in which the children encounter "Holy Mystery" in the rituals each of them practice. I was moved by the reverence, by the awareness engendered in me that the Divine is not the property of any one faith tradition, but contains them all and is the Source of them all. This is a film that molded me in a way that no other ever has. I wish everyone could see it, especially at a young age, when hearts are most open to truth, and not yet jaded by the cynicism that the world, including religious institutions, dumps on people.

This movie, about the friendship of a little Catholic boy and his Jewish female playmate has been in my heart since I was a little girl. I wish I could see it again. More important, i wish today's children could see it. The most touching scenes were of the children trying to adhere to each other's traditions. I particularly remember a shot where the awestruck little boy enters Rachel's synagogue for the first time. He removes his hat in respect as he would in church. The rabbi unceremoniously plops it back onto his head again. The movie perfectly captures the "foreign-ness" and fear children are taught to associate with other people's religions and unfortunately never move past as they grow up. Besides being a moving story and wonderful film in its own right, the message of "Hand in Hand" has never been more timely or urgent. Let's all write whoever has the film rights and petition for a DVD release! or at least for the movie to be televised again. Lisa

I saw this beautiful, little film on American television in the early 1960's. I've been searching for a video version or the screenplay or still photographs, or any other information available about the film, the film makers, cast and crew. I was raised a strict Catholic and never had an opportunity to meet a Jew until I was 17 years old. At age 30 I married a Jew. This film planted a seed in me that took decades to blossom and it was worth the wait. In my life, I've found that there is a special bond between Catholics and Jews, a spiritual resonance. This film introduced this concept to me and I've never forgotten it. This film helped shape my values and world view.

I saw this movie in the early 60's. I was nine or so years old. It had a profound effect on me. You see, I was not brought up in the kind of family that practiced this kind of prejudice. So the story was both a revelation of something I didnt know about, and a lesson in life. My step daughter was in a college class that required her to ask questions on a survey. In that survey the participants were asked to say the first thing that came to their mind after each question. One of the questions was "What was the most influential movie you have ever seen."

My answer was "Hand in Hand."

Just like many other reviewers here, I saw this film (repeatedly) on "Children's Film Festival" in the U.S. in the 1960's--and though I haven't seen it in about 45 years, seeing it again today on TCM (U.S. vintage movie station), it amazes me how I remember so much of it...and it absolutely holds up as a classic and moving film.

The performances by the two children in the film make it especially memorable. I'm delighted to see the comments here by Loretta Parry. May I say, your luminous performance was the highlight for me. Your wide- eyed innocence and commitment to the role is just beautiful to see. It's unusual to witness such a guileless performance by such a young performer...and yours is one you should be deeply proud of. It's a nice legacy to have, to know that you made such an impression on so many people...all these many years later. So...thank you!