The Little Colonel (1935 film)

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The Little Colonel
Theatrical release poster
Directed byDavid Butler
Written byScreenplay:
William M. Conselman
Novel:
Annie Fellows Johnston
Produced byBuddy G. DeSylva
StarringShirley Temple
Lionel Barrymore
Evelyn Venable
John Lodge
Bill Robinson
Hattie McDaniel
CinematographyArthur C. Miller
Music byCyril J. Mockridge
Production
company
Distributed byFox Film
Release date
  • February 22, 1935 (1935-02-22)
Running time
80 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.2 million[1]

The Little Colonel is a 1935 American comedy drama film directed by David Butler. The screenplay by William M. Conselman was adapted from the children's novel of the same name by Annie Fellows Johnston, originally published in 1895. It focuses on the reconciliation of an estranged father and daughter in the years following the American Civil War. The film stars Shirley Temple, Lionel Barrymore, Evelyn Venable, John Lodge, Bill Robinson and Hattie McDaniel.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Temple and Robinson in the staircase tap dance
Shirley Temple with U.S. Marines on the set of The Little Colonel (1935)

The Little Colonel is best known for the famous staircase tap dance between Robinson and Temple. It was the first interracial dance pairing in Hollywood history and was so controversial that it was cut out in the Southern United States. The idea was actually first proposed by Fox head Winfield Sheehan after a discussion with D. W. Griffith. Sheehan set his sights on Robinson, but unsure of his ability as an actor, arranged for a contract that would be voided if Robinson failed the dramatic test. Robinson passed the test and was brought in to star with Temple and teach her tap dancing.[2] They quickly hit it off, as Temple recounted years later:

Robinson walked a step ahead of us, but when he noticed me hurrying to catch up, he shortened his stride to accommodate mine. I kept reaching up for his hand, but he hadn't looked down and seemed unaware. Fannie called his attention to what I was doing, so he stopped short, bent low over me, his eyes wide and rows of brilliant teeth showing in a wide smile. When he took my hand in his, it felt large and cool. For a few moments, we continued walking in silence. "Can I call you Uncle Billy?" I asked. "Why sure you can," he replied... "But then I get to call you darlin′." It was a deal. From then on, whenever we walked together it was hand in hand, and I was always his "darlin′."[3]

During the filming, Temple drew the ire of veteran actor Lionel Barrymore when she prompted him for one of his lines after he forgot it, causing him to storm off in a fit of anger. Temple was sent off to apologize to Barrymore, but, instead of directly apologizing, told him she thought he was the best actor in the world and asked for his autograph, defusing the situation and bringing Barrymore back to the set.[4]

This film made brief usage of early Technicolor film, which required heavy usage of red-hued makeup for the actors. It would be the only time that Temple would wear makeup on the set of her Fox films.[5]

Release[edit]

For screenings in Southern states, Fox removed the staircase scene where Temple and Robinson touch hands.[6]

In 2009, video cassettes and DVDs were released, including versions with colorization, theatrical trailers and other special features.

Critical response[edit]

VHS cover

Andre Sennwald in his New York Times review of March 22, 1935, thought the film "[a]ll adrip with magnolia whimsy and vast, unashamed portions of synthetic Dixie atmosphere". He further wrote that the film was "so ruthless in its exploitation of Miss Temple's great talent for infant charm that it seldom succeeds in being properly lively and gay". He finished his review noting the audience applauded for a full eleven seconds after the final fade-out, and that the film "ought to bring out the best in every one who sees it".[7]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Footnotes
  1. ^ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century-Fox: A Corporate and Financial History Rowman & Littlefield, 2002 p 217
  2. ^ Shirley Temple Black, Child Star: An Autobiography (New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1988), 90-91.
  3. ^ Shirley Temple Black, Child Star: An Autobiography (New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1988), 91.
  4. ^ Shirley Temple Black, Child Star: An Autobiography (New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1988), 93-94.
  5. ^ Shirley Temple Black, Child Star: An Autobiography (New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1988), 97.
  6. ^ Osterweil, Ara (2009). "Reconstructing Shirley: Pedophilia and Interracial Romance in Hollywood's Age of Innocence". Camera Obscura. 24 (3). Duke University Press: 14. doi:10.1215/02705346-2009-008. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
  7. ^ Sennwald, Andre (March 22, 1935). "Shirley Temple and Lionel Barrymore in 'The Little Colonel,' the New Film at the Music Hall". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-08. [dead link]
Works cited
  • Windeler, Robert (1992) [1978], The Films of Shirley Temple, New York: Carol Publishing Group, ISBN 0-8065-0725-X
Bibliography
  • Thomson, Rosemarie Garland, ed. (1996), Freakery: Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body, New York: New York University Press, pp. 185–203, ISBN 0-8147-8217-5 In her essay "Cuteness and Commodity Aesthetics: Tom Thumb and Shirley Temple", Lori Merish examines 'the cult of cuteness' in America.

External links[edit]

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