"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.
