Little Princess/Biggest Lil' Star In Hollywood

Amazon.com essential video

Shirley Temple stars in this 1939 version of the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel about a little, motherless girl left in the care of a girls boarding school by her soldier father, and then made into a servant there when he's missing in action during World War I. The fine tear-jerking film is a good vehicle for the famous moppet, and director Walter Lang (The King and I) makes a memorably lavish production of the Victorian milieu. The final scene, in which our Shirley is helped by one of the most famous women in history, brings down the house. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

A Little Girl's Unshakable Faith is Rewarded.......2007-08-22

Sara, played by Shirley Temple, is sent by her father to a boarding school. He is her only surviving parent. He tells her to remain strong. He says that, on her birthday, he will think of her at a specific hour, and he tells her to do the same about him at that hour. She does this.

So long as the father's wealth is relevant, the girl enjoys the status of a privileged child. She is treated to a lavish birthday party. But when news comes of her father's death in the Boer War, however, the party is stopped immediately, and she is henceforth treated as the lowest of servants. Other girls laugh at her. In a moment of rage, Sara dumps a bucket of coal-ashes over the head of one of her tormentors.

Sara never believes that her father is actually dead. Others try to convince her to "accept reality." She makes many desperate trips to a wounded-men's shelter in hopes of finding her father. The headmaster of the school realizes that Sara is skipping out of school.

The father indeed is not dead, but he is either wounded or very ill. He is in some sort of coma, and is unable to identify himself. There is no other identification on him. All the hospital staff can say about him is the fact that he keeps repeated the word, "Sara".

The suspense builds. Will Sara encounter and identify him before he is shipped away? Sara eventually gets an audience before Queen Victoria and begs that the entire premises be searched for her father. The Queen agrees, and gives the order for this to take place. Sara gets to examine every ward in the hospital. Meanwhile, her semi-comatose father is about to be taken away in an ambulance to another institution. At one point, they pass within a few feet of each other, unawares.

Sara's father is wheeled into a waiting room for the next ambulance. Sarah goes into hiding in the waiting room when she hears the headmaster and the police seeking her. At that point, Sara hears the word "Sara" uttered by her semi-comatose father. What happens next is a tear-jerker.

Shirley Temple's Version.......2007-05-28

Shirley Temple was in the waning years of being a child star when she starred as Sara Crewe in this movie, her first completely in Technicolor. Shirley brings her own interpretation to this classic story, and this movie has a lot of appeal to Shirley Temple fans.

Sara Crewe's father Captain Reginald Crewe (Ian Hunter) is off to fight in the Second Boer War and leaves Sara at Miss Minchin's academy. Mary Nash, who played Fräulein Rottenmeier in the 1937 Shirley Temple film "Heidi", plays Miss Minchin. Life is good for Sara until Captain Crewe appears on a list of those killed in the war. Suddenly Sara's life is thrown into turmoil as she is relegated to a dark cold attic and all her possessions are taken away.

Sara manages to persevere against adversity and continues to look for her father among the wounded returning from the war. One of the most charming scenes from the movie occurs around the point when Ram Dass (the late and always excellent Cesar Romero) aids Sara by providing her with food, blankets and coal for her usually unlit stove.

As this film goes into its final scenes, Miss Minchin accuses Sara of stealing, she meets the Queen of England, and the police and Miss Minchin chases Sara through a hospital, ever hopeful that she will find her father. How will Sara manage to avoid jail? Will she ever find her father? Watch and see!

There have been at least half a dozen versions of "A Little Princess" filmed. Shirley Temple's version deviates quite a bit from the Frances Hodgson Burnett classic. Excluding the vague relationship between this movie and Burnett's classic, this movie is enjoyable as a Shirley Temple movie. Shirley does a fine job of keeping her spirits up while suffering significant changes in her life. She always finds the sunny side even though she admits that it is sometimes difficult to do that.

If you are looking for a version of "A Little Princess" that is closer to the Burnett classic, try the 1995 version starring Liesel Matthews as Sara Crewe.

Good luck!

Couldn't Have Been Any Better!!!.......2007-02-18

This is an amazing film that shows love, friendship, and respect. Shirley Temple was so cute. She played a marvelous Sarah Crewe. At the part when she was by the window crying to say goodbye to her daddy. It was sad that he had to go to war. Ian Hunter was a great actor too. Now for Becky played by Sybil Jason. She was one of the cutest and best actress I've ever seen. I like it when Sarah gave Becky a wonderful present, and Becky almost fainted! I also like it when she says, Oh no, miss. She is so adorable. I felt so bad when Becky slipped in the street with the police after her and Sarah just because miss Minchin thought that Sarah stole a bunch of stuff. But they didn't, Sarah thought her dreams came true. That caring indian that owns the parrot snuck in and gave it to her. Well, this was a great movie, and I'll never lose this VHS. Well, bye actors, and actress.

~ DUB, DUB, DUB your movie . . . ~.......2006-10-27

FINALLY! It's nice to see people actually commenting on the Q U A L I T Y of a particular DVD release for a change; especially when it's a movie like this one that now has around 25 different DVD releases over the years!
Adding my 2 cents, this is one of the WORST quality DVDs of this title, right up (down?) there with UPC 798622308726 and UPC 645961100323. Don't bother with this release unless you'll be watching it on a 19" or smaller TV. It is horrid.

Little Priness.......2006-02-21

The DVD quality is bad, the original UK release is in much better quality.
This film has been released officially in Norway by Scan Box, Sweden. The picture and sound is in perfect quality.

Little Princess/Biggest Lil' Star In Hollywood

Average customer rating:

Little Princess/Biggest Lil' Star In Hollywood
Starring: Shirley Temple , Richard Greene , Anita Louise , Ian Hunter , and Cesar Romero
Director: Walter Lang , William A. Seiter , and Charles Lamont
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00000IC8H
Release Date: 2000-02-01

DVD:

DVD

DVD