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Cry of the Crippled Children
Johnny Be Good... a silent docudrama about curing disabled children, set in 1920s London
Charity appeal 1921 12 mins Silent
Overview
Follow young slum-dweller Johnny's journey from sad, outcast "cripple" to a cured and mischievous lad, as a beneficent stranger helps his distraught mother to access hospital treatment. This fascinating silent film gives us insight into a pre-NHS health system, where hospital charity appeals were vital to develop services. Disability is portrayed as needing a cure, without which a grim life lies ahead.
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