Heidi (1937)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Allan Dwan

Writers:

Johanna Spyri (novel) and
Walter Ferris (writer)

Release Date:

15 October 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Drama

Tagline:

Shirley's A Little Swiss Miss In The Loveliest Story of Her Career !

Plot:

When little Heidi is stolen by her cruel aunt (who sells her) her grouchy grandfather searches for her...

Plot Keywords:

Invalid | Wheelchair | Gypsy | Police Station | Aunt Niece Relationship

Cast

Shirley Temple	...	Heidi Kramer
Jean Hersholt	...	Adolph Kramer, The Grandfather
Arthur Treacher	...	Andrews, the Butler
Helen Westley	...	Blind Anna
Thomas Beck	...	Pastor Schultz
Mary Nash	...	Fräulein Rottenmeier
Sidney Blackmer	...	Herr Sesemann
Pauline Moore	...	Fräulein Elsa
Mady Christians	...	Dete
Marcia Mae Jones	...	Klara Sesemann
Delmar Watson	...	Peter, the Goat General
Egon Brecher	...	Inn Keeper
Christian Rub	...	Baker
George Humbert	...	Organ Grinder

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

New Zealand:G | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:S | UK:U | USA:G (1994)

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Shirley Temple suggested the idea and placement of the "In Our Little Wooden Shoes" sequence because she felt the song would liven up the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: Heidi removes the ribbon from her Christmas present twice, once in a closeup, then again when the shot changes.

Quotes:

Fräulein Rottenmeier: [Heidi yawns at the dinner table] Adelheid! Did I actually see you yawn? I'm horrified!
Klara Sesemann: Don't scold her. She's had such a hard day.
Fräulein Rottenmeier: I am trying to be patient, Klara. But it is the height of impropreity to yawn at the dinner table. A yawn at any time is a sign of disrespect and lack of control. It shows that the attention is wandering and that the young person is not interested in the improvement of her mind.
[Klara giggles]
Fräulein Rottenmeier: Oh!
[Heidi has fallen asleep]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "God, the Devil and Bob: There's Too Much Sex on TV (#1.10)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

In Our Little Wooden Shoes

Childhood Classic Comes Alive

Little orphaned HEIDI is abandoned at the Alpine home of her stern Grandfather - only the beginning in a series of remarkable changes in both their lives.

Shirley Temple had one of her greatest triumphs as the diminutive heroine of Johanna Spyri's classic children's novel. So well does she fill the role - eyes bright, tremendous smile & bouncing curls - that it is difficult to imagine any other young American actress of the era playing the part.

Some might grumble at the various incongruities - the jumble of accents, the Dutch musical number - but that is beside the point. This was meant to be quality family entertainment and to earn Fox Studios a great deal of money. The film was a success on both scores.

Director Allan Dwan ensured that the book's high points were included in the film & Fox gave HEIDI very good production values - note especially the scenes of village life in Dorfli - and a fine supporting cast: gentle Jean Hersholt, perfect as the old Grandfather, gruff & lovable; droll Arthur Treacher, his comic English butler is definitely not in the original book, but he is hilarious nonetheless; Marcia Mae Jones as crippled Klara; Sidney Blackmer as her wealthy father; Sig Ruman as a police captain and elderly Helen Westley as the blind Grandmother.

There are often she dragons in Shirley Temple films, bitter women who try to thwart the innocent joys of the Mighty Moppet and end up either converted or punished. HEIDI boasts two villainesses, Mady Christians as hardhearted Aunt Dete & imperious Mary Nash as the strangely evil Fräulein Rottenmeier. So well do these ladies play their parts that they are able to grab some of the attention of the audience away from Miss Temple.

Movie mavens should recognize Greta Meyer as a Dorfli villager & Frank Reicher as a Frankfurt police lieutenant, both uncredited.