Heidi

As my grandmother will tell you, when I was little I loved this movie. It basically started my love of movies, especially old ones. It also was why I idolized Shirley Temple when I was little.

What's not to love about this movie? Although it is slightly cheesy, it's an incredibly sweet movie that, today, never fails to make me cry! It also has its funny points. I always loved the part where Heidi and Klara steal the organ grinder's monkey. The choas it causes in the house is incredible!

These are one of the best movies I like for the rest of my life since I was little. In that movie, Heidi (who was played by Shirley Temple) lived with her grandfather then has been kidnapped by her nasty Aunt Dete then been threatened by that stupid Frauline Rottenmeier. It has really great scenes that takes place in the Alps of Germany and then Frankfurt. Since when I saw that movie, I thought it wouldn't be interesting but, now it is. By the way, the video of the movie is now in a colorized version.

One of my top 40 favorite films, of all time. Can watch this movie over and over again. My Grandson will watch the entire movie with me, and he is just four years old. From the moment Heidi arrives on the mountain to live with her Grandfather, the film captures ones imagination. The spirit of Heidi, the bond she develops with her Grandfather. Her finding a bed in the straw with the coverlet, milking the goat, carrying a load of firewood on her back, and my Grandson's favorite scene, sledding down the snow covered mountain on a sled, all show the child's perfect life with her Grandfather. When disrupted by her mean-spirited Aunt, and taken to live in the city, Heidi is instantly a favorite of Clara, the Butler and Clara's father. Once again, heart warming scenes capture the spirit of the girl. The monkey shines, the school lessons, the manners taught, all paint a vivid picture. None the less, Heidi and the Grandfather can not be kept apart, and each fights a mighty battle to be rejoined. Don't miss this fabulous film, a favorite around the holidays, when Heidi sings "Silent Night", I challenge you to keep a tear from your eye. Beautiful film.

"Heidi" is a childhood classic. It was only natural that Darryl F. Zanuck should choose to have his number one star play the title role in what has become a classic Shirley Temple film. Watching it, one has to be aware of just why this girl was one of the most famous of all the child stars. She has more charisma than the law allows!

While not completely faithful to the book, it is adapted to make it suitable to fit Shirley Temple's growing expertise as a child actress--and for good measure, a song sequence is included--"My Little Dutch Shoes"--to keep Shirley's fans happy. Jean Hersholt makes a perfect Grandfather, living in the Alps and at first resistant to Shirley's charm, stern and strict in behavior. Of course his heart soon melts and soon he's even attending church again. When Heidi is kidnapped, we see her in a rich man's household. Here she helps the crippled Klara to walk again and brightens up a gloomy household. In the end, of course, she is reunited with her grandfather for a teary reunion.

Perfect entertainment for youngsters who will probably fall under Temple's spell by the time the movie is over. Mary Nash is a standout as Fraulein Rottenmeier--although even meaner to Shirley in "The Little Princess". Too bad this one wasn't filmed in color. There is a colorized version available on video but I'm not partial to the colorization of black and white films. The colors are often distorted and unreal.

Little orphaned HEIDI is abandoned at the Alpine home of her stern Grandfather - only the beginning in a series of remarkable changes in both their lives.

Shirley Temple had one of her greatest triumphs as the diminutive heroine of Johanna Spyri's classic children's novel. So well does she fill the role - eyes bright, tremendous smile & bouncing curls - that it is difficult to imagine any other young American actress of the era playing the part.

Some might grumble at the various incongruities - the jumble of accents, the Dutch musical number - but that is beside the point. This was meant to be quality family entertainment and to earn Fox Studios a great deal of money. The film was a success on both scores.

Director Allan Dwan ensured that the book's high points were included in the film & Fox gave HEIDI very good production values - note especially the scenes of village life in Dorfli - and a fine supporting cast: gentle Jean Hersholt, perfect as the old Grandfather, gruff & lovable; droll Arthur Treacher, his comic English butler is definitely not in the original book, but he is hilarious nonetheless; Marcia Mae Jones as crippled Klara; Sidney Blackmer as her wealthy father; Sig Ruman as a police captain and elderly Helen Westley as the blind Grandmother.

There are often she dragons in Shirley Temple films, bitter women who try to thwart the innocent joys of the Mighty Moppet and end up either converted or punished. HEIDI boasts two villainesses, Mady Christians as hardhearted Aunt Dete & imperious Mary Nash as the strangely evil Fräulein Rottenmeier. So well do these ladies play their parts that they are able to grab some of the attention of the audience away from Miss Temple.

Movie mavens should recognize Greta Meyer as a Dorfli villager & Frank Reicher as a Frankfurt police lieutenant, both uncredited.