Little Mister Jim (1946) DVD

Jackie Butch Jenkins (My Brother Talks to Horses) stars as the mischievous title character, a young army brat facing some painful life lessons, in this early feature from celebrated director Fred Zinnemann (High Noon, A Man for All Seasons). Dubbed the best battery captain in this man's army, Big Mister Jim Tukker (James Craig, Kismet) and his vibrant wife (Frances Gifford, Our Vines Have Tender Grapes) tell their 7-year-old son, Little Mister Jim, that he has a new sibling on the way. Then tragedy strikes. While Big Mister Jim hides from his grief inside a bottle, the family's Chinese cook and servant, Sui Jen (Ching Wah Lee, Flower Drum Song), steps up with spirituality and a few surprises to guide his young charge to maturity. The special bond shared by Little Mister Jim and Sui Jen is the heart of this tale, which is poignant and unusual in it's approach to the coming-of-age drama.