I just received a DVD of J.T. from flashbackdvd.com to give to my wife in time for Mother's Day. The quality of the DVD was superb. I can't believe that CBS wouldn't want to sell this, but they have never released "The Children's Film Festival" either. What a loss to the children of today! My family and I watched J.T. last evening and my three children, ages 8, 10 and 12 were riveted. The youngest was in tears by the end and so was I. It is a stark, loving portrayal of a single parent black family eking out an existence in Harlem. J.T. has to make some very important decisions about life at a young age, which he is able to do thanks to the love of his mother, grandmother and a stray cat. My kids asked many questions about J.T's world after the movie; it showed them a slice of life that they had never before seen. I hope that it helps make them more empathetic to others in the world around them.
My problem is that my wife and I independently remembered a different climax to this story, seen almost 40 years ago. I only saw J.T. once, but I remember that J.T.'s cat was hanged by the two bullies. I clearly remember the scene when J.T. discovers the body hanging in a doorway. I was very surprised that the cat was hit by a car in the DVD I watched. My wife says that she remembered most of the movie as she watched it last night, but was also surprised that the cat was not hanged.
This scene was very intense for a 9-year old in 1969; I have never forgotten it. Neither has my wife. Was there an alternate scene shot for the cat's death because the hanging was too horrible? Or are my wife and I recalling a different movie from the same time where a young black boy's pet cat was hanged? I can't believe that there was another movie like this. I hope that someone can help with an answer.