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Little Man, What Now?

  • 1934
  • Passed
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
601
YOUR RATING
Douglass Montgomery and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
DramaMusicRomance

A young couple struggling against poverty must keep their marriage a secret in order for the husband to keep his job, as his boss doesn't like to hire married men.A young couple struggling against poverty must keep their marriage a secret in order for the husband to keep his job, as his boss doesn't like to hire married men.A young couple struggling against poverty must keep their marriage a secret in order for the husband to keep his job, as his boss doesn't like to hire married men.

  • Director
    • Frank Borzage
  • Writers
    • William Anthony McGuire
    • Hans Fallada
  • Stars
    • Margaret Sullavan
    • Douglass Montgomery
    • Alan Hale
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    601
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Frank Borzage
    • Writers
      • William Anthony McGuire
      • Hans Fallada
    • Stars
      • Margaret Sullavan
      • Douglass Montgomery
      • Alan Hale
    • 17User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos27

    Window Card, 14 x 22
    Alan Hale and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
    Douglass Montgomery and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
    Douglass Montgomery and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
    Douglass Montgomery and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
    Douglass Montgomery and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
    Catherine Doucet, Muriel Kirkland, and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
    Alan Hale, Carlos De Valdez, Catherine Doucet, Paul Fix, DeWitt Jennings, Muriel Kirkland, Fred Kohler, Mae Marsh, George Meeker, Douglass Montgomery, Sarah Padden, Frank Reicher, Bodil Rosing, and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
    Douglass Montgomery and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
    Douglass Montgomery and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
    Alan Hale, Douglass Montgomery, and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
    Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Margaret Sullavan
    Margaret Sullavan
    • Emma 'Lammchen' Pinneberg
    Douglass Montgomery
    Douglass Montgomery
    • Hans Pinneberg
    Alan Hale
    Alan Hale
    • Holger Jachman
    Catherine Doucet
    Catherine Doucet
    • Mia Pinneberg
    DeWitt Jennings
    DeWitt Jennings
    • Emil Kleinholz
    Bodil Rosing
    Bodil Rosing
    • Frau Kleinholz
    Muriel Kirkland
    Muriel Kirkland
    • Marie Kleinholz
    Donald Haines
    • Emil Kleinholz Jr.
    George Meeker
    George Meeker
    • Schultz
    Paul Fix
    Paul Fix
    • Lauderback
    Carlos De Valdez
    • Dr. Sesam
    Hedda Hopper
    Hedda Hopper
    • Nurse
    Fred Kohler
    Fred Kohler
    • Karl Goebbler
    Mae Marsh
    Mae Marsh
    • Wife of Karl Goebbler
    Sarah Padden
    Sarah Padden
    • Widow Scharrenhofer
    Frank Reicher
    Frank Reicher
    • Lehmann
    Tom Ricketts
    Tom Ricketts
    • Mr. Sesam
    Monroe Owsley
    Monroe Owsley
    • Kessler
    • Director
      • Frank Borzage
    • Writers
      • William Anthony McGuire
      • Hans Fallada
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film takes place from 1930 to 1932.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Wake Up and Dream (1934)

    User reviews17

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    One of Borzage's greatest love stories
    This is a sadly unknown and obscure film classic from the 1930s and one of my own favorites of all Frank Borzage's love stories.

    A very sad and heartbreaking tale of a German couple surviving in a Nazi-occupied town in 1920s Germany, "Little Man, What Now?" was the first Borzage film to attack Hitler and the horrors of Nazism, prefiguring the director's later anti-Nazi masterpieces like "Three Comrades"(1938), "The Mortal Storm"(1940) and "Till We Meet Again"(1944).

    "Little Man" is a painfully realistic and terrifying experience, especially the second half; and yet strangely full of hope and affirmation. Margaret Sullavan is as always luminous and touching in her portrayal of Lammchen Pinneberg. It is interesting to compare "Little Man" with Sullavan's other Borzage films like "Three Comrades" and "The Mortal Storm." There's something about her sweet innocence, devotion, and luminosity that works well with Borzage's soft-focus, anti-Nazi attitude. The glittering white dress she wears half-way throughout the film seems to suggest a symbol of light and hope (however transient) for Montgomery and against the brutal 1920s depression milieu, the same way Loretta Young's heartbreaking devotion and sweetness are intended to rescue Spencer Tracy's tough, smart-alecky personality in Borzage's 1933 masterwork "Man's Castle."

    As with "Man's Castle", the Depression and, particularly in this case, Nazism are less physical than a spiritual or emotional threats to Borzage's lovers. Despite the bleak, depressing reality the characters have to surpass, both "Little Man" and "Man's Castle" retain Borzage's tender touch and humanity, inviting audience forgiveness for his characters' fragility and vulnerability.

    This film will break your heart and should never be missed.
    helpful•30
    4
    • Kalaman
    • Oct 1, 2002

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • June 4, 1934 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • ¿Y ahora, qué?
    • Filming locations
      • Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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    Douglass Montgomery and Margaret Sullavan in Little Man, What Now? (1934)
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    By what name was Little Man, What Now? (1934) officially released in Canada in English?
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