Five Little Peppers and How They Grew (1939)

The Peppers - Mrs. Pepper and her five children Polly, Ben, Joey, Davie and Phronsie - are a poor family (the six of them sleep in a total of four beds in two rooms), but they love each ... See full summary »

Director:

Charles Barton

Writers:

Nathalie Bucknall (screenplay), Jefferson Parker (screenplay),

Stars:

Edith Fellows, Clarence Kolb, Dorothy Peterson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edith Fellows	...	Polly Pepper
Clarence Kolb	...	J.H. King
Dorothy Peterson	...	Mrs. Pepper
Ronald Sinclair	...	Jasper King
Charles Peck	...	Ben Pepper
Tommy Bond	...	Joey Pepper
Jimmy Leake	...	Davie Pepper
Dorothy Ann Seese	...	Phronsie Pepper
Leonard Carey	...	Martin

Storyline

The Peppers - Mrs. Pepper and her five children Polly, Ben, Joey, Davie and Phronsie - are a poor family (the six of them sleep in a total of four beds in two rooms), but they love each other and as a result are happy. Mrs. Pepper's husband, John Pepper, a mining engineer, died when the copper mine in which he had half ownership collapsed atop him. Mid-teen Polly was deeded his part of the mine, which her mother has told her her father wanted her to keep at least until she became of age, despite he never having found copper in it. Polly often acts as the family guardian to her siblings while Mrs. Pepper is at work. By chance, Polly and Joey meet well-off but lonely mid-teen Jasper King, who ends up befriending all the Pepper children. Jasper lives with his wealthy businessman grandfather, J.H. King, who pays his grandson no attention as he is all consumed with making money to the exclusion of all else. J.H. has no interest in Jasper befriending this poor family until he learns who ...

---

Plot Keywords:

copper mine | guest | grandson | five little peppers | financier | 

---

Taglines:

YOU ASKED TO MEET ALL OF THEM AGAIN...So here they are (original poster)

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Os Cinco Endiabrados

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

58 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Followed by Five Little Peppers at Home (1940)

---

Soundtracks

"Happy Birthday to You"
(1893) (uncredited)
Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill
Sung a cappella by Edith Fellows, Charles Peck, Tommy Bond, Jimmy Leake and Dorothy Ann Seese

User Reviews

Certainly not the book

I remember reading the novel as a child and becoming thoroughly entranced by it. Over the years I remembered it fondly; in the Nineties, when similar-themed films like "The Secret Garden", "A Little Princess", and "Little Women" were released, I thought a film version of this book would fit in nicely. I was unaware that a film version had already been produced. When I saw it listed on TCM a couple of weeks ago, I made a point of getting up early and watching it. I was first shocked to see --- gasp --- a car. Modern clothes (by 30s standards)! Although the film was certainly watchable and had its charm, it was clearly not the book I remembered. Someday someone will film the novel accurately.