Little Lord Fauntleroy

TV Movie
1980
1h 43m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

5.7K

YOUR RATING

Alec Guinness, Ricky Schroder, and Connie Booth in Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980)

Drama Family Romance

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.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.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.

Director
- Jack Gold
Writers
- Blanche Hanalis
- Frances Hodgson Burnett
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

5.7K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Jack Gold
Writers
- Blanche Hanalis
- Frances Hodgson Burnett
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 1 win & 1 nomination total

Trivia
This movie has become a Christmas classic on German television and has been shown their broadcast network Das Erste almost annually, attracting millions of viewers every time.

Goofs
Towards the end, Mr Hobbs and Dick read Cedric's letter in New York, informing them of Minna's competing claim. Mr Hobbs shows Dick a newspaper article stating that the legitimate heir to Dorincourt had been found. The newspaper is dated January 24, 1872. This implies that the conversation between the two takes place after Christmas. In the following sequences, however, Mr Hobbs and the Tipton brothers travel to Dorincourt and spend Christmas there. Of course it is possible that the stay of the three at Dorincourt occurs over the next Christmas, but this would require almost a year to pass between Dick's discovery that Minna is a fraud and the revelation. This would be unlikely, given Havisham's and the Earl's urgency to resolve the matter.

Quotes
Earl of Dorincourt: Tell the lady that like all Americans she is exceedingly rude.
Mrs. Errol: Tell his Lordship it is obvious Americans do not have a monopoly on rudeness.
Earl of Dorincourt: Tell the lady she offends me.
Mrs. Errol: Tell his Lordship I certainly hope so.

Connections
Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Ricky Schroder/Sean Morey/Jeana Tomasino (1980)

Soundtracks
Oh, Dem Golden Slippers
(uncredited)
Traditional
Written by James Alan Bland (as James A. Bland)
[Ceddie dances at the ball]

User reviews31

Featured review

A Christmas Jewel

The young Rick(y) Schroder is delightful as the displaced and uprooted Little Lord Fauntleroy/Ceddie. Consider the beautiful English countryside as an important member of a stellar cast; mixed together it would be difficult to make anything but an excellent film.

That innocent young Fauntleroy melts the heart of his cantankerous grandfather played by Alec Guinness is hardly surprising. It is the typical Christmas good overcoming evil theme in the best Charles Dickens tradition. It is the path of the film, the actors and the setting that make this a jewel. The plot goes something like this: Grandfather sends for grandson.

Grandson assumes love, Grandfather is looking for an heir.

Heir becomes loved grandson.

There are subplots of grandfather not liking American mother/daughter-in-law and refusing to acknowledge her; the deplorable conditions of the estate's workers; and a contender for heir to the title and estate.

I watched this gem when it first aired and have watched my poorly transferred VHS copy yearly since (in my household it wouldn't be Christmas without it).

I long for this made-for-TV movie to be released on a remastered DVD.