The Little Colonel

1935

Action / Comedy / Family / Music / Musical / Romance

5
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 79% · 3 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 79% · 1K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.0/10 10 1991 2K

civil war musical colonel little girl yankee dancing on a staircase

Plot summary

After Southern belle Elizabeth Lloyd runs off to marry Yankee Jack Sherman, her father, a former Confederate colonel during the Civil War, vows to never speak to her again. Several years pass and Elizabeth returns to her home town with her husband and young daughter. The little girl charms her crusty grandfather and tries to patch things up between him and her mother.

Director

David Butler Photo
David Butler

Top cast

Lionel Barrymore Photo
Lionel Barrymore as Colonel Lloyd
Evelyn Venable Photo
Evelyn Venable as Elizabeth Sherman
Hattie McDaniel Photo
Hattie McDaniel as Mom Beck
Shirley Temple Photo
Shirley Temple as Lloyd Sherman
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
748.23 MB
968*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 21 min
Seeds ...
1.36 GB
1440*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 21 min
Seeds 2

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by ldeangelis-75708 8 / 10

So much talent in one little girl

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.,
Reviewed by ccthemovieman-1 6 / 10

Okay, But Weaker Of Two Civil War Efforts Of 1935

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.
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