The Little Princess (1917)

Little Sara Crewe is placed in a boarding school by her father when he goes off to war, but he does not understand that the headmistress is a cruel, spiteful woman who makes life miserable ... See full summary »

Director:

Marshall Neilan

Writers:

Frances Hodgson Burnett (novel), Frances Marion

Stars:

Mary Pickford, Norman Kerry, Katherine Griffith

Cast

Cast overview:
Mary Pickford	...	Sara Crewe
Norman Kerry	...	Capt. Richard Crewe
Katherine Griffith	...	Miss Minchin
Anne Schaefer	...	Amelia Minchin (as Ann Schaefer)
Zasu Pitts	...	Becky
W.E. Lawrence	...	Ali-Baba (as William E. Lawrence)
Theodore Roberts	...	Cassim
Gertrude Short	...	Ermigarde
Gustav von Seyffertitz	...	Mr. Carrisford
Loretta Blake	...	Lavinia
George A. McDaniel	...	Ram Dass (as George McDaniel)

Storyline

Little Sara Crewe is placed in a boarding school by her father when he goes off to war, but he does not understand that the headmistress is a cruel, spiteful woman who makes life miserable for Sara.

---

Plot Keywords:

boarding school | adult actress playing minor | female protagonist | based on novel

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 November 1917 (USA)

Also Known As:

Petite princesse

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mary Pickford Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

62 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Little Princess Sara (1985)

User Reviews

A Simple But Pleasant Story

This simple but pleasant story is mostly worthwhile as a vehicle for Mary Pickford to play the kind of role that made her popular. Here, she is a young heiress trying to get used to her new surroundings at a school for girls, when a sudden tragedy changes everything. There isn't a lot to the plot, and so much of the screen time is simply used to show how charming young Sara (Pickford) can be. Pickford, of course, knows just how to make her character sympathetic. Most of the other characters are simply stock figures, except for a young Zasu Pitts, who gets a lot of screen time as Sara's friend. It's not one of Pickford's more memorable films, but it's a pleasant way to pass an hour.