My Son John
| My Son John | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Leo McCarey |
| Written by | Myles Connolly Leo McCarey John Lee Mahin |
| Produced by | Leo McCarey |
| Starring | Helen Hayes Van Heflin Robert Walker Dean Jagger |
| Cinematography | Harry Stradling |
| Edited by | Marvin Coil |
| Music by | Robert Emmett Dolan |
Production company | Rainbow Productions |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 122 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
My Son John is a 1952 American political drama film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Helen Hayes, Van Heflin, Robert Walker, and Dean Jagger. Walker plays the title character, a middle-class college graduate, whom his parents suspect may be a communist spy.
The strongly anticommunist film, produced during the height of McCarthyism, received an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story. The nomination was later viewed as a possible attempt by the motion-picture industry to signal its loyalty to the ongoing anticommunist campaign. Retrospective reviews have characterized it as a propaganda film indicative of attitudes during the Second Red Scare.
My Son John was Walker's final role. He died in August 1951 before McCarey could reshoot several scenes. The director had to make minor script adjustments, use a Walker look-alike, and mix in previous clips of the actor in order to complete the film.