The Little Colonel (1935)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

David Butler

Writers:

William M. Conselman (writer)
Anne Fellows Johnston (novel)

Release Date:

22 February 1935 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Family

Tagline:

Hail to the conquerer of ten million hearts.

Plot:

After Southern belle Elizabeth Lloyd runs off to marry Yankee Jack Sherman, her father, a former Confederate colonel during the Civil War...

Plot Keywords:

Colonel | Civil War | Yankee | Grandfather | Estrangement

Cast

Shirley Temple	...	Lloyd Sherman
Lionel Barrymore	...	Col. Lloyd
Evelyn Venable	...	Elizabeth Lloyd Sherman
John Lodge	...	Jack Sherman
Sidney Blackmer	...	Swazey
Alden 'Stephen' Chase	...	Hull
William Burress	...	Dr. Scott
Frank Darien	...	Nebler
Robert Warwick	...	Col. Gray
Hattie McDaniel	...	Becky ('Mom Beck') Porter
Geneva Williams	...	Maria
Avonnie Jackson	...	May Lily
Nyanza Potts	...	Henry Clay
Bill Robinson	...	Walker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Edward Earle	...	Colonel's Aide (scenes deleted)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | USA:PG (1994) | Australia:G

Company:

Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Shirley Temple memorized every line of dialogue in this movie, and while filming a scene with Lionel Barrymore, the veteran actor forgot a line. When Temple prompted him, Barrymore flew into a such a rage that one crew member took Temple away for fear that Barrymore might harm her. He later apologized to her, and they remained friends for many years.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lloyd returns home after making a mud pie, the amount of mud on her arms and dress changes between shots.

Quotes:

Col. Lloyd: Walker, I want you to go to town on Saturday and buy a lot of little girls clothes.
Walker: What shall I buy, sir?
Col. Lloyd: Well, what do you suppose? Hats, shoes, stockings, dresses, and whatever goes under the dresses. And Walker?
Walker: Yes, sir?
Col. Lloyd: I'm an old fool.
Walker: Yes, sir!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "20 to 1: Child Stars: Where Are They Now? (#6.6)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Oh! Susanna

Shirley Temple Marches Away With Movie

Having earned her nickname due to her stubborn temper, THE LITTLE COLONEL courageously tries to reunite her splintered family.

Shirley Temple smiles, pouts, tosses her curly locks and completely runs away with the movie. One of her early family classics, this is an excellent showcase for her tremendous charm & abundant talents. As box-office queen, the mighty moppet would dominate Hollywood during the second half of the 1930's. Never was a despot so welcomed or a tyrant so loved.

As one of the industry's finest character actors, crusty Lionel Barrymore gives the little lady a run for her money. Always entertaining, he knows when to purr or when to roar to maximum effect, even if he doesn't quite eclipse Little Miss Personality.

Hattie McDaniel adds her own unique gifts to the role of Shirley's faithful servant, never allowing her dignity to be demeaned. As always, she is a joy. The legendary Bill Robinson is also on hand, mostly, one suspects, so as to partner Shirley in a couple of dances and they are wonderful, especially in Robinson's signature Staircase Dance. They are perfectly matched - one ramrod straight & ebony, the other tiny & blonde - and their minutes together on the screen is the stuff of which movie magic is made.

Evelyn Venable & John Lodge, as Shirley's parents (it's rare for her to have both all the way through a film) do nicely with the romantic angle, but it's kept to a minimum, as is usual in a Temple film, where the spotlight is kept firmly focused on her. Sidney Blackmer appears as a smooth swindler who makes the serious mistake of angering THE LITTLE COLONEL.

Although the film is given good production values by 20th Century Fox, it is the interaction between little Shirley and the other performers which far and away is the most important aspect of the picture.

It should be noted that there are elements of racism in the story line, a not uncommon occurrence in Hollywood films of the 1930's.

The final scene segues into early Technicolor - a pleasant way to end the story.