The Little 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.

This is one movie everyone should watch, if only to see the remarkable Shirley Temple. Who's the child star to end all child stars! Not only is her talent for acting amazing in a seven-year-old, but she sings and dances so incredibly! (If her parents bragged about her, they had every right to.) There's also the outstanding performances of Lionel Barrymore, Hattie McDaniel, and Bill (Bojangles) Robinson to add to the picture. With all this talent, you won't be bored!

The story itself is typical of 1930's melodrama. It takes place in Kentucky in the 1870's, where widower Colonel Lloyd (Barrymore) is still fighting the Civil War in his heart after losing his son, and won't except his daughter, Elizabeth's engagement to "Yankee" Jack. Nothing will change his mind, but Elizabeth won't give up the man she loves and leaves to marry him, despite her father's intent to cut her out of his life. Six years later, Elizabeth returns to the south (after living in Philadelphia and out west) with her daughter (also "Colonel" Lloyd, her first name being her mother's maiden name and the "Colonel" an honorary title given by the men at the army base where they stayed, who she completely charmed), Jack having stayed out west to try his hand at prospecting. They stay at the cottage which was willed to Elizabeth by her mother, and it soon becomes apparent that her father has not forgiven her. There're problems ahead, with lack of money (Elizabeth's too proud to ask for her father's help), Jack returning, after being swindled in a prospecting deal and then falling ill, villains turning up to cause more trouble, and resolutions and reconciliations to come.

But the story takes a back seat to Shirley, as she makes her way into her grandfather's life and his heart. The scenes between her and Lionel are priceless, especially when they argue, and the hot-tempered little miss throws mud on him! (Well, he did say some unkind words about her mother.) It's so touching when they get to be friends, though each has a bit of trouble from time to time controlling their temper. These two were very well matched!

Nothing tops the show-stopping scene of Shirley dancing on the stairs with Bill Robinson, who plays the Colonel's butler. And any scenes with Hattie McDaniel are superb. (When is she not?) The two children who become friends with Shirley deserve a mention, for their acting was good, and the little boy was so adorable!

It's a short movie (less than 90 minutes), good for a time when you just want to sit and relax, and shut out the crazy world of today, by spending some time in yesterday.,

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."

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

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.