Little Lord Fauntleroy (1921)

An American boy turns out to be the long-lost heir of a British fortune. He is sent to live with the cold and unsentimental lord who oversees the trust.

Directors:

Alfred E. Green, Jack Pickford

Writers:

Frances Hodgson Burnett (novel), Bernard McConville

Stars:

Mary Pickford, Claude Gillingwater, Joseph J. Dowling

Cast

Credited cast:
Mary Pickford	...	Cedric Errol / Widow Errol
Claude Gillingwater	...	Earl of Dorincourt
Joseph J. Dowling	...	William Havisham (as Joseph Dowling)
James A. Marcus	...	Hobbs (as James Marcus)
Kate Price	...	Mrs. McGinty
Fred Malatesta	...	Dick
Rose Dione	...	Minna
Arthur Thalasso	...	The Stranger
Colin Kenny	...	Bevis
Emmett King	...	Reverend Mordaunt
Madame De Bodamere	...	Mrs. Higgins
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jackie Condon	...	Child in opening scene w / hat
Gordon Griffith	...	Boy who steals grapes
Francis Marion	...	Minna's Son

Storyline

Young Cedric Errol lives with his widowed mother in New York City. Cedric's late father was a son of the Earl of Dorincourt, but the Earl had objected strongly to his son's marriage, and thus has long been estranged from Cedric and his mother. But when the Earl's only surviving son dies in a riding accident, Cedric suddenly becomes Lord Fauntleroy, the Earl's heir. Cedric and his mother travel to England, where they must overcome the Earl's hard feelings about the past, as well as some unexpected obstacles.

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Plot Keywords:

fish out of water | dual role | culture clash | boy played by woman | class differences | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 1921 (USA)

Also Known As:

El pequeño Lord Fauntleroy

Box Office

Gross:

ESP 311,965 (Spain)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mary Pickford Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Whilst double exposures had been used as early as 1898 to show two characters together in the same scene, played by the same actor, this is the first instance of two such characters seeming to touch one another.

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Connections

Version of Little Lord Fauntleroy (1914)

User Reviews

Enjoyable Old-Fashioned Story Plus Pickford's Irresistible Charm

Just in itself, this is an entertaining version of the old-fashioned story of "Little Lord Fauntleroy", with good characterizations, settings, and story-telling. But what makes it particularly enjoyable is Mary Pickford's irresistible charm in a double role as young Cedric and as his mother.

Pickford's performance as the mother 'Dearest' is flawless, as she portrays her with elegance and grace, practically the image of the character that you get from the story. As Cedric, Pickford certainly gives the character a new look. There's nothing in the least to criticize about her performance, yet it's impossible not to be reminded of Pollyanna, Rebecca, or Pickford's other young girl roles. Even when she gives her character a rough-and-tumble look (at which she is very good), she is just too feminine and too attractive for it not to be noticeable. Yet her charm and buoyant energy make Cedric a thoroughly engaging character, if somewhat different from his literary image.

The rest of the production deserves plenty of credit as well. Several of the supporting characters are especially good. Claude Gillingwater strikes just the right note as the old Earl, and there is a trio of pleasant characters from Cedric's old neighborhood, who just have to come on screen to be good for a smile. The settings and photography are nicely done, never ostentatious but always providing an effective backdrop for the characters and story. Perhaps most impressive of all is the special effects wizardry that makes Pickford's dual performance work so well, frequently putting her two characters together without the slightest snag.

This is the kind of old-fashioned story that Pickford makes almost effortless, yet it's not hard to see a good number of strengths, both in her own performance and in the rest of the movie.