More than a step above
Added 6/8/2009
I like the movie, but I really bought the film for Mr. Bogangles dancing down the stairs.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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A very mixed bag
Added 5/31/2009
There are several things to like about this movie. There's the multi-talented little Shirley Temple who easily dominates almost every scene she's in and the picture in total. And there's the remarkable dancing of Bill Robinson. The two dance scenes he has with Shirley Temple save the picture.
The film attempts to perpetuate the idyllic myth. I can't recall a movie about the differences between North and South wherein the sympathy is not all for the South and, by inference, ante bellum slavery. This film is set in Kentucky, a border state that produced more Union soldiers than Confederates, but you never get a hint of that in the stupid ramblings of the Lionel Barrymore character. Then there is the way that black people were portrayed, subservient and happy to be so, taking no offense at the gross insults from whites. At one point Barrymore threatens physical harm at Bill Robinson's character for almost breaking a knicknack, and in another scene calls black children "pickaninnies." Hattie McDaniel plays another Mammy, complete with bandana tied around her head and with supposedly amusing glitches in syntax.
I realize that this was made long ago, under a different ethos. Few moviegoers would have protested. But that doesn't change the morality of it.
The setting more resembles Tara than any place I ever saw of Kentucky. There's the grand mansion, filled with huge paintings of ancestors, fine china whatnots, a library, etc. Then there's the cottage in which Shirley and her mother live. They just moved in that morning, but it is clean and tidy and very nicely furnished after a vacancy of years.
Unfortunately innocent viewers will be misled by all this. This wasn't the real Kentucky or the way blacks felt about Ole Massa. Movies always take poetic license with history, but this movie goes too far. Only the performances of Temple and Robinson save this from the trash heap. I realize that Southern romantics and apologists will disagree. Let 'em.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Shirley Temple video
Added 11/19/2008
This item arrived in a very timely manner, was in mint condition and was enjoyed immensely by my granddaughter and myself!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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"The Little Colonel (1935) ... Shirley Temple ... 20th Century Fox"
Added 8/13/2007
20th Century Fox presents "THE LITTLE COLONEL" (released: 22 February 1935) (80 mins) (B&W/Color Versions) - Under David Butler (Director), Buddy G. DeSylva (Producer), William Conselman (Screenwriter), Annie Fellows Johnston (Book Author), Arthur C. Miller (Cinematographer), William Skall (Cinematographer), Art Lange (Musical Direction/Supervision), Thomas Moore (Composer (Music Score), Irene Morra (Editor) - - - - - - our story line opens with crusty old Colonel Lloyd (Lionel Barrymore) is used to having his ornery way so when he finds out his daughter Elizabeth (Evelyn Venable) who is determined to run off with Yankee Jack Shermon (John Lodge) to be married, he confronts her in a heated exchange and vows never to see her again if she does, and then she leaves --- years later Elizabeth, with her husband and their young daughter Miss Lloyd (Shirley Temple), decides to return to a small house that belonged to her mother and which happens to be next door to her stubborn father's home --- they soon have an accidental meeting, with a few clashes of granddaughter and the elderly Colonel just to see who is the most stubborn! --- Troubles descend on the Sherman family through some persuasive dishonest men who are out to rob them of their legal rights, and things start to get serious but grandpa comes to the rescue --- some highlights with Becky (Hattie McDaniel) and Walker (Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson) certainly add some amusing dialog and Robinson's tap dancing is superb --- Not surprisingly, little Shirley is right in there keeping pace with him as they both tap dance up the stairs --- There will never be a child star to match Shirley Temple: A born actress, dancer, and entertainer --- but if you need a feel good moment checkout a Shirley Temple film.
the cast includes:
Shirley Temple ... Miss Lloyd Sherman
Lionel Barrymore ... Col. Lloyd
Evelyn Venable ... Elizabeth Lloyd Sherman
John Lodge ... Jack Sherman
Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson ... Walker
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 'Bojangles' Robinson ... Walker
BIOS:
1. Shirley Temple
Date of Birth: 23 April 1928 - Santa Monica, California
Date of Death: Still Living
If you enjoyed this film, check out 20th Century Fox present "The Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 1" (Heidi/Curly Top/Little Miss Broadway) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- now in COLOR and Glorious Black and White --- In 2004, Shirley Temple teamed with Legend Films to restore, colorize and release her earliest black and white films, as well as episodes of her 1960 television series, The Shirley Temple Storybook Collection --- a patented coloring and remastering process makes her picture perfect charm more vivd than ever --- no one can resist Shirley's charm in all her heart warming films.
Hats off and thanks to Barry B. Sandrew Ph.D. (Founder, COO & CTO) and his Legend Films Staff --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage era of the '20s, '30s & '40s --- order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out Legend Films where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector --- all my heroes have been cowboys!
Total Time: 81 mins on DVD ~ 20th Century Fox. ~ (3/21/2006)
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Shirley as a pint-sized Southern belle
Added 5/12/2007
THE LITTLE COLONEL was the first of two movies, released in 1935, that featured Shirley Temple in a Civil War storyline.
Based on a story by Annie Fellows Johnston, Shirley Temple plays the strong-willed Miss Lloyd Sherman, trying to reconcile her mother (Evelyn Venable) with her embittered grandfather (Lionel Barrymore). Temple is especially appealing in this film, where she gets to wear some beautiful hoopskirt costumes.
It's also in this film where Temple performs the legendary "Staircase Dance" with Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, who would go on to appear in several more films with Temple based solely on his success here. This is one of the rare films where Shirley Temple doesn't sing; the only musical moment is provided with "Love's Young Dream", sung by a dubbed Evelyn Venable.
One of the all-time Temple greats, THE LITTLE COLONEL also features good work from Hattie McDaniel, John Lodge and Sidney Blackmer. The DVD inclues both B&W and computer-coloured versions of the film.
6 out of 6 people found this helpful.
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More than a step above
Added 6/8/2009
I like the movie, but I really bought the film for Mr. Bogangles dancing down the stairs.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
A very mixed bag
Added 5/31/2009
There are several things to like about this movie. There's the multi-talented little Shirley Temple who easily dominates almost every scene she's in and the picture in total. And there's the remarkable dancing of Bill Robinson. The two dance scenes he has with Shirley Temple save the picture.
The film attempts to perpetuate the idyllic myth. I can't recall a movie about the differences between North and South wherein the sympathy is not all for the South and, by inference, ante bellum slavery. This film is set in Kentucky, a border state that produced more Union soldiers than Confederates, but you never get a hint of that in the stupid ramblings of the Lionel Barrymore character. Then there is the way that black people were portrayed, subservient and happy to be so, taking no offense at the gross insults from whites. At one point Barrymore threatens physical harm at Bill Robinson's character for almost breaking a knicknack, and in another scene calls black children "pickaninnies." Hattie McDaniel plays another Mammy, complete with bandana tied around her head and with supposedly amusing glitches in syntax.
I realize that this was made long ago, under a different ethos. Few moviegoers would have protested. But that doesn't change the morality of it.
The setting more resembles Tara than any place I ever saw of Kentucky. There's the grand mansion, filled with huge paintings of ancestors, fine china whatnots, a library, etc. Then there's the cottage in which Shirley and her mother live. They just moved in that morning, but it is clean and tidy and very nicely furnished after a vacancy of years.
Unfortunately innocent viewers will be misled by all this. This wasn't the real Kentucky or the way blacks felt about Ole Massa. Movies always take poetic license with history, but this movie goes too far. Only the performances of Temple and Robinson save this from the trash heap. I realize that Southern romantics and apologists will disagree. Let 'em.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Shirley Temple video
Added 11/19/2008
This item arrived in a very timely manner, was in mint condition and was enjoyed immensely by my granddaughter and myself!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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