Il piccolo colonnello

THE LITTLE COLONEL (Fox, 1935), directed by David Butler, stars Shirley Temple in one of her more famous movie roles during her early years as a young performer. Aside from her initial teaming with legendary dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (4th billed during opening credits, bottom billed in the closing), with whom she does a memorable "stair" dance, it places her against odds with the crusty Lionel Barrymore, on loan out assignment from MGM, sporting white hair, bushy eyebrows and droopy mustache in the old Southerner/ or Claude Gillingwater Sr. tradition, and what a pair they make.

Based on a story by Annie Fellows Johnston, the plot opens with a prologue set in 1870s Kentucky on a Southern plantation where Colonel Lloyd (Lionel Barrymore) disowns his beloved daughter, Elizabeth (Evelyn Venable) for eloping with a "Yankee", Jack Sherman (John Lodge). During their six years in Philadelphia, Jack and Elizabeth have been blessed with a child, Lloyd (Shirley Temple), whom they witness being commissioned as a "little colonel" by soldiers on a western outpost. With John remaining at the post, Elizabeth returns to Kentucky where she and Lloyd settle in an old cottage left to her by her late mother that happens to be next door to her father. After meeting his granddaughter with an introduction of getting mud thrown on him, he finds her to be just as stubborn and quick tempered as he. In spite of their rugged start and similar personality traits, Grandpa eventually warms up to Lloyd, though his stubbornness keeps him from having anything to do with his daughter, even when learning of swindlers Swazey (Sidney Blackmer) and Hull (Aden Chase) in their home threatening the ailing Jack and Elizabeth to turn over the deed to worthless property they sold him that has been proved valuable.

THE LITTLE COLONEL, a leisurely paced story with familiar theme, relies mostly on the strength of its leading players, Temple and Barrymore. It's also one of the better films in which Temple does not typically play an orphan. Evelyn Venable, whose career failed to take off after a promising start opposite Fredric March in DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY (Paramount, 1934), provides the opening playing the harp and singing "Love's Young Dream" to her guests. The song is later reprized by Temple serenading to her grandfather as he envisions his daughter at the harp. John Lodge, virtually forgotten but better known for his performance as Count Alexi in THE SCARLET EMPRESS (Paramount, 1934) starring Marlene Dietrich, has little to do until the final half of the story. Hattie McDaniel, four years away her Academy Award winning performance in GONE WITH THE WIND (1939), supports as the Sherman maid, Mom Beck. Dressed in "Aunt Jemima" attire, she shares amusing moments with Colonel Lloyd's butler (Robinson), sharing time together with the "little colonel" at a spiritual gathering witnessing a woman getting dunked in the river where she's having her sins washed away as Negroes sing "The Sun Shines Brighter." Aside from the aforementioned "stair dance," Temple and Robinson do an encore tap dancing to Stephen Foster's "Oh, Susannah" in the stable to harmonica playing by May Lily (Avonne Johnson). Johnson, along with Nyamza Potts as her little brother, Henry Clay, support as Temple's playmates. As in many Temple films, there's a pet dog, this time a pooch named Fritzi. Others in the cast include William Burress (Doctor Scott); Geneva Williams (Maria); and Robert Warwick (Colonel Gray).

Priot to 1985, THE LITTLE COLONEL played frequently on commercial television with the closing segment, filmed in Technicolor, usually absent, with story coming to an abrupt conclusion either after Barrymore's closing line or next scene of McDaniel successfully breaking down the door after being locked in by one of Sherman's "guests." When distributed on video in 1988, the closing Technicolor segment was restored, and shown intact at 82 minutes on cable TV broadcasts on the Disney Channel (early 1990s), American Movie Classics (1996-2001) and finally the Fox Movie Channel. THE LITTLE COLONEL is currently available on DVD in black and white or colorized versions.

The success of THE LITTLE COLONEL brought forth a similar theme and title of THE LITTLEST REBEL (1935), reuniting Temple with Bill Robinson once again, with plot set during the Civll War instead of after-wards. Both classic films with Temple (and Robinson) at the peak of their careers. (***1/2)

Wow, I have not visited this film in ages. To see it again in the autumn of my days was a real eye opener. Ok, the story line is thin, yet the engagement of the actors WITH one another in the screen is palatable to this day. Hey, it may be cringeworthy by our standards in the context of race. Yet if one views this piece in its historical context, everyone had a job to do and was re-enacting a rosey vision of a Harmonious lifestyle post Civil War. If you get past that you can see a period of life re-enacted on the screen for what it was. The ACTING...is tremendous on such a thin story line. NO CHILD actor to this day comes CLOSE to holding her own with the likes of Lionel Barrymore, or Bill Robinson. This little Ball of talent allows you to sit back and WISH your child was as kind an reasonable as this little gal acts. All top shelf actors with this little gem...Evelyn Venable and the Lovely Hattie McDaniel help us to see that on good days in the South, most everythin' was fine. The story was taken from a novel that was based on REAL PEOPLE of that period in a REAL location called Peewee Valley, Kentucky. Ok so it's schmultzy. Yet... could a movie which encapsulates a time period so distinctly as this be made today? No way! The intensity of the actors, taking the subject matter seriously, giving it their all... pure FUN!

The opening scene of "The Little Colonel" is set somewhere in the Deep South in the 1870s. The Civil War had been over for years, but plantation owner, Colonel Lloyd, still carried a hatred for the Yankees. When his daughter, Elizabeth, plans to marry a man from the North, Jack Sherman, Lloyd disowns her. Segue to six years later, at an Army cavalry post somewhere in the Northwest, and a special formation has been called by Colonel Gray for the commissioning of a new officer. Six-year-old Lloyd Sherman is commissioned a colonel in the U. S. Army. She is the daughter of Jack and Elizabeth Sherman, and has endeared herself to the whole post.

So sets the stage for this movie that stars six-year-old Shirley Temple as Lloyd Sherman - that is, Colonel Lloyd Sherman. Lionel Barrymore plays her grandfather, Col. Lloyd, Evelyn Venable plays Elizabeth and John Lodge plays Jack Sherman. But the best of the supporting cast in this film - after Barrymore, are the black servants who have stayed on the Lloyd's plantation after the Civil War abolished slavery. Bill Robinson plays the colonel's butler, Walker, and Hattie McDaniel plays the cook, Mom Beck. They share of the singing and dancing with young Shirley that add the musical aspects to the comedy drama and family film.

Robinson's staircase dance routine is memorable, and one has to note that he was "no spring chicken" when this movie was made. Robinson was the same age as Barrymore, 57, with both actors having been borne in 1878. Barrymore had to don the white hair and beard to look older, and Robinson may have had some sprinkling of powder for the light touch of white in his hair. Robinson went by the nickname, Bojangles, and was one of the best tap dancers in the world. He started young and performed in vaudeville, on stage and in the movies. And, Hattie McDaniel would become the first African-American to win an Academy Award, in 1940. She won the best supporting actress for her role as Mammy, in the great 1939 production of "Gone With the Wind."

The plot for this film is a good story in which the young Colonel Lloyd Sherman resolves all the problems and disagreements and it ends happily for everyone - well, except for a couple of bad guys who, we assume get what's coming to 'em.

I enjoyed watching this film again - these many, many years after seeing it on late night TV in the 1950s-60s. And, this time in color. Here are a couple of favorite lines from the film.

Dr. Scott, "Marriage is a wonderful institution." Colonel Lloyd, "Yes, us, no family should be without it."

May Lily, "You can't be no colonel." Lloyd Sherman, "Why not?" May Lily, "Because you ain't got no whiskers." Lloyd Sherman, "I don't need to have whiskers. I've got a temper. That's all you need to be a colonel."

I grew up with Shirley Temple. In 1932 she made 12 movies as an adorable baby doll of four years old. In 1933 she made four films; in 1934 eleven films the best was "Stand Up & Cheer" and "Baby, Take A Bow". In 1935 four films; in 1936 Captain January", in 1937 "Heidi"; in 1938 "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" and "The Little Princess". In 1940 two movies, and in 1941 her first flop. 1944 she made a comeback in "Since You Went Away" and "I'll Be Seeing You". 1947 she made three films including "Bachelor & the Bobby Soxer". 1948 "Fort Apache" when she met her first husband John Agar. In 1949 she made four good films the best of which was "A Kiss for Corliss". Nobody wanted little Shirley to grow up, so I must say my favorite film of hers was "The Little Colonel" in which she sang and danced so well with the famed Bill Robinson. In that film she played against the great Lionel Barrymore.

A little girl tries to mend the relationship between her mother and grandfather.

The Little Colonel is Shirley Temple at her best. She does a wonderful tap routine with Bill Robinson. Lionel Barrymore is good as the curmudgeonly grandfather, and Hattie McDaniel gives a wonderful supporting performance.

Recmomended. First time viewing. 3.5/5