The Little Colonel

It's odd that Shirley Temple made two similar movies in the same year, both involving Civil War-type story lines and her character being very similar. "The Littlest Rebel" took place during the Civil War and "The Little Colonel" took place right after the war.

For some reason, I get an extra feeling being choked up seeing Shirley melting a crabby old man's heart as she did in some of her films, this being one of them. Here, it's Lionel Barrymore who was fun to watch in any film.

The lead female role was played by Evelyn Venable and she really wasn't up to the standards, beauty-wise, set by previous Temple adult feminine leads such s Gloria Stuart, Karen Moreley, Rochelle Hudson, etc. But, that's not important.

The story was more important and in case - surprise - I found this to run a distant second to the aforementioned "The Littlest Rebel." This movie was, frankly, boring in comparison.

I am not one of the crying Liberals who boycott Temple''s films because blacks in these movies were denigrated. Unfortunately, that's what you saw in 1930s films....and what's done is done. However, the black characters in here are just plain treated embarrassingly bad. Everyone's Mr. Nice Guy (mine, too) Bill Robinson, didn't come on the scene and dance with Shirley until later in the film when I had lost interest.

Temple, meanwhile, is so cute that she's even likable when she's a brat, as she acts several times with the old man (but apologizes later for her behavior).

It's still a good film but I prefer the "Rebel" over the "Colonel" in the battle of these 1935 Civil War-themed stories.

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.

America's favorite moppet Shirley Temple may have met her match in scene stealing with Lionel Barrymore playing her grandfather. Just watching Barrymore taking back his scenes from Temple makes The Little Colonel an enjoyable film to watch.

Barrymore complete with white suit, Panatella, and goatee with long white hair looks like the spitting image of Colonel Sanders. He's one reconstructed old rebel and what Lee and Grant signed at Appomattox has no bearing on him. All he has to hear is that his daughter Evelyn Venable has taken unto herself a Yankee for a husband and he disowns her. So she and John Davis Lodge go first north and west and have themselves a daughter.

When Lodge goes into the west with a couple of shifty partners in a prospecting deal, he sends Venable and the little girl they have now back south to live with grandfather. Well kind of, as they take a gate cottage to live in.

But as these Shirley Temple movies go, you know it's Shirley who brings all the warring parties together. Who could resist.

The Little Colonel is known for that famous dance that Bill Robinson does with Shirley Temple on the staircase. It's still as entertaining as it ever was. The last couple of minutes are in color in which all the principal players appeared in that for the first time.

The scenes with Barrymore and Temple are absolutely precious. Just who was the best capturer of the audience's attention. Judge for yourself.

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