Amazon.com essential video: Shirley Temple is at her plucky peak in this film. She bests legend Lionel Barrymore: literally (her credit is above his) and figuratively (as her character softens his). The Little Colonel is set in the post-Civil War South. Little Lloyd Sherman hopes to reunite her mother, Elizabeth Lloyd (Evelyn Venable), with her stern Confederate Civil War veteran grandfather, Colonel Lloyd (Barrymore). Six years earlier, Lloyd's mother had run away to marry Yankee Jack Sherman (John Lodge). Now the young family hopes to return to Elizabeth's plantation home.
Like The Littlest Rebel, made the same year (1935), the film has questionable politics, featuring a supplicant Mom Becky (the formidable future Oscar-winner Hattie McDaniel) and a poor-spelling butler, Walker (Bill "BoJangles" Robinson). But Temple, as sweetly energetic little Lloyd, is affectionate with both, as well as with her African American playmates, May Lily (Avonnie Jackson) and Henry Clay (Nyanza Potts). (Temple apparently shared the sentiment in real life, and once said Robinson was her favorite costar.) The Little Colonel features the amazing dance number with Temple and Robinson merrily tapping up and down a staircase. --N.F. Mendoza
Shirley Temple video This item arrived in a very timely manner, was in mint condition and was enjoyed immensely by my granddaughter and myself!
"The Little Colonel (1935) ... Shirley Temple ... 20th Century Fox" 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)
Shirley as a pint-sized Southern belle 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.
TOP NOTCH SHIRLEY TEMPLE AT HER BEST! This is a classic Temple film! The Tap Dance on the stairs sequence is now legendary and it is amazing to see this talented kid keep up with Bill" Bo Jangles" Robinson. One of my favorits Shirley Temple movies for sure! There are only a hand full of her films that I will always remember and this is one of them. Heidi,Bright Eyes and Curly Top were the others. The DVD has both Black and White and Colorized version. I am not a fan of colorizing anything,but since they kept the original intact, I did enjoy watching both.
Another Shirley Temple Classic Comes To DVD in Restored Versions ! 1935's "The Little Colonel" is one of four feature films Shirley Temple made for Fox Studios and is also one of my favorites of her films ! Set in the Civil War,Temple plays a young girl to her already gruff,but lovable grandfather colonel (played well by Lionel Barrymore) as they try to patch up their troubled family,but things get in the way with Temple's father in a bad loan deal with his so-called 'friends'.This is the film that features the classic and much-imitated dancing on the stairs routine with Temple and co-star Bill Robinson,the first of four films they would do together."Gone With The Wind" it isn't,but with a stellar cast,good solid direction by David Butler,and the classic dance sequence,this is a very good and well-made film with careful pace,hilarious scenes,and serious moments that will appeal to any member of the family old or new ! Recommended !
ABOUT THE DVD: This is the very first time that Fox has released this very good film on DVD as part of the Volume 3 Collection of Temple's films which contains both a restored black & white version of the film (with the original Technicolor ending) and a brand-new digitally remastered colorized version as well. The restored black & white print used here on this disc is superb,if not very very good with a few instances of film grain and scratches.Speaking of the Technicolor ending,previous video releases of this film inexplicably edit out the ending of the film,notably in the original 1994 colorized VHS version,but here its been beautifully restored and shows signs of grain and very seldom contrast.As for the new colorized version,it completely blows away the horrendously bad original colorized version from a few decades before as Legend Films always does an excellent job restoring and remastering their colorized films to DVD,it too retains the original Technicolor ending from the original release,but the Legend colorized version is more saturated and well-balanced and carefully recolorized as the original version.The extras (hence the four star rating) include the two same unrestored trailers for both "Heidi" and "Little Miss Broadway" that also appear on other recent Fox Temple DVD's,but it also has a rare Fox Movietone Newsreel excerpt that celebrates the star's 7th birthday and runs one whole minute.Purists will definitely stick to the original b&w,but this film's colorized appeal will bring back a dejavu dream to "Gone With The Wind" in terms of the Civil War backdrop and oh,of course that too co-starred Hattie MacDaniel who plays the maid in "Colonel".Well recommended by film buffs and classic family film fans alike !
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