Reviews (39)

Not Particularly Good - But Entertaining...
I was about to write a review that so many people on this site have repeated: "Shirley Temple is SO cute in this film! She is beleivable and makes you think as a child might about the world. The film was made in lush technicolor and the sets and costumes are lavish!" Then, I thought that I should write a review, honestly stating what I felt about this film. This movie is a popular one, and a very good Shirley Temple vehicle, but it is not a particularly good movie.

I grew up with the Francis Hodgeson Burnett(The Secret Garden) book. I loved it's charm and message. The characters were priceless and the tale was brilliant, melancholy, but beautiful. The tale was about a young girl of seven named Sara Crewe, who has always had a wonderful relationship with her young and wealthy papa, Captain Crewe. When she is seven, she is left with a dissagreeable caretaker named Ms. Minchin in her seminary for 'distinguished young ladies.' As the years pass she makes friendships with the dumpy, comic, and sweet Ermangarde, and the cockny maid, Becky. She is pampered, and treated quite royaly, and is given the nickname of the 'little princess.' On her birthday, it is found out that her papa has passed away, and she is left to work as a scullery maid with nothing but a black frock, and a doll named Emily. Throughout her left as a miserable maid, she keeps her dignity, and the theme of the novel becomes not to let the hate around you make you bitter, and hateful. Sara is eventualy saved, in the end.

The plot of this movie is not at all faithful to the novel. Shirley Temple is only Shirley Temple throughout the film. Her dimples and teary eyes are, in comparison to the Sara of the novel, a baby. Sara of the novel was one 'who never cried' and was 'always dreaming and making up stories.' Temple's Sara cries often throughout the film, and it never dreams as the Sara of the book does. She is just a regular seven year old girl. The characters of Ermengarde, and Ms. Minchin's sister, Miss Amelia, have been either removed completly, or replaced with new characters. This leaves for a very miscast and confused film, that does not offer any of the beautiful lessons of the novel.

As a movie, it might seem entertaining. Throughout the film, a dance sequence with Sara and Miss Minchin's brother, Bertrand, appears. It is commonplace for Temple, also, to have a dance sequence of some sort. This has a 'fairy tale' dance sequence. The script has small bits of humor, but not anything quite so nice.

This is a nice movie, but not a good one to offer the lessons of the original book. All the same, it is best to watch it, as it will offer family entertainment. But, those who read the book will be disapointed.

A candidate for a restoration
The Little Princess remains one of my favorite childhood movie memories. Finding the DVD version was simple enough. I was unaware of how widely the quality varied between the different versions available. The first version I purchased from a Canadian group was horrible. This DVD presentation was reasonable but not striking. The image was grainy and lacked that "Technicolor" brilliance I had hoped for. All of the DVD and VHS versions seem to be made from one film transfer made from an old print. The color rendering is poor. Some scenes appear almost Black and White. Unlike "The WIzard of Oz" or "The Secret Garden" I don't think this was intentional. This version is not transfered from Technicolor stock. I wonder if it was even made from 35 millimeter film. The quality if any in this DVD is from some digital processing available to old video. It does not appear a flying spot scanner or any film restoration equipment was used to create this DVD. The only really nice color image was the cover of the DVD package. I wish someone could find the real Technicolor masters, either the negative or positive film. If you were going to restore one Shirley Temple work, this film would be the one. It is a classic of the time with a glimpse at that time. And Shirley Temple was good in this film. You wipe tears away from your eyes at least twice. And Temple sings a great little song. Did I mention she dances a little too.

watch the remake, please?
This is one of those few times when I like a remake better than the original of a motion picture. I'll confess that, based on this movie, I'm not a Shirley Temple fan (her voice alone is annoying, not to mention her acting ability). She is utterly unconvincing as Sara Crew, and that American accent! Please, can we stop making movies of British literature where all the characters except the main one are truly British? I know this is done so as to appease and appeal to the idiots on our side of the pond, but really, are we so uncultured and stupid, not to mension spoiled, that we won't watch a movie unless it has at least one American actor playing a prominent role? If I had to choose between these two movies, I'd definitely see the 1990's version of this one; at least there, all the characters are Americanized, so one doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Lisel Matthews' performance is enchanting, and the movie all around is delightful.

Dreadful Audio
This review is of the Madacy DVD of "The Little Princess." The picture quality of this DVD is acceptable, more or less, but the audio portion is another thing. The sound is limited to a very narrow band in the midrange. Shirley's voice, for example, is quite tinny throughout the film. At times the sound volume changes abruptly or even disappears completely. One has the impression that the DVD audio engineer tried to regulate the sound volume at a single sitting by turning the knob in real time as he listened to the film. This movie has always sounded quite good on broadcast TV, which obviously wasn't playing back this Madacy disaster.

Unfortunately, it would seem that this writer's experience with "The Little Princess" is not unlike others' experiences with Madacy products. Read Doug Pratt's review of "Two Women" in his Video and DVD Guide (available from amazon.com but also readable on DVDLaser.com) and be forewarned. I now avoid Madacy DVDs.

This is one of my favorite Shirley Temple movies
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I absolutely adore this Shirley Temple movie. It is one that brings back many memories of watching Shirley Temple movies with my sister when we were little. My favorite parts are when Shirley and her little friend wake up and see all the beautiful gifts that were given to her by the Indian guy, and when she throws the bucket of soot on the snotty Clarissa, but most of all, when she finds her "Daddy" at the end,as he keeps calling "Sara, Sara."
This one is excellent, and I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

One Of Clark Gables Best
This is one of the funniest movies I've seen and of the thirty or so Clark Gable movies I own is one of the top five to me. Gable plays his age perfectly and the rest of the cast does such a great job at playing with him. The funniest scene to me is the glossy photo scene in Carrol Baker's dressing room, but the wit thrown around between Gable and ex-wife Lilli Palmer is as good as male-female interaction gets in the movies, and lines regarding the "chicago fire..." and the dangers of a women being alone in the park made me laugh hysterically. Wholesome and entertaining. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Shirley Temple in the Great Northwest.
20th Century Fox tried to rework the plot of "Wee Willie Winkie" in this Shirley Temple flick. One key person missing from the picture was director John Ford. The product suffers without Ford's vision of humor, action, and sentiment. Don't get me wrong. Shirley Temple is still America's Sweetheart. She is the lone survivor of a wagon train massacre, and RCMP Randolph Scott comes to her aid. This time it's American Indians on the warpath. Shirley almost single-handed prevents war on the Canadian frontier, while charming everybody in sight. By 1939, Shirley was starting to show definite signs of growing up, dangerous in a child star. She has a crush on Scott and tries to keep him from mooning around a good-looking woman visiting the outpost. As usual, Shirley's "isn't that cute" antics are amusing. Her culture clashes with the deadpan Indian kid, Little Chief, are comic. There is even some Western style action-adventure. Victor Jory is menacing if somewhat cliched as a villainous Indian. The usual elements just don't jell as well as they did in "Wee Willie Winkie." As wholesome family entertainment, all Shirley Temple films are a success, regardless. This one is pleasant, but not Shirley's best. ;-)

Susannah of the Mounties
10-year-old Shirley stars with Randolph Scott in this powerful movie about a young girl, orphaned after a group of Native Americans kill the rest of her wagon train. She is then taken in to live with Randolph Scott at a military base. When a different group of Native Americans want to gain their trust their cheif gives his son to live with them. After learning to cope with the 'little cheif's' behavior, he and shirley become friends and together must save the life of a dear friend. This is not one of Shirley's best films with only one song. She shows her dramatic acting talent and is not always her sweet little self. Don't forget, this 1939 movie was after she was #1 in box office cumes and was only #5, soon to be pushed aff the top 10 list, completely. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Not Particularly Good - But Entertaining...
I was about to write a review that so many people on this site have repeated: "Shirley Temple is SO cute in this film! She is beleivable and makes you think as a child might about the world. The film was made in lush technicolor and the sets and costumes are lavish!" Then, I thought that I should write a review, honestly stating what I felt about this film. This movie is a popular one, and a very good Shirley Temple vehicle, but it is not a particularly good movie.

I grew up with the Francis Hodgeson Burnett(The Secret Garden) book. I loved it's charm and message. The characters were priceless and the tale was brilliant, melancholy, but beautiful. The tale was about a young girl of seven named Sara Crewe, who has always had a wonderful relationship with her young and wealthy papa, Captain Crewe. When she is seven, she is left with a dissagreeable caretaker named Ms. Minchin in her seminary for 'distinguished young ladies.' As the years pass she makes friendships with the dumpy, comic, and sweet Ermangarde, and the cockny maid, Becky. She is pampered, and treated quite royaly, and is given the nickname of the 'little princess.' On her birthday, it is found out that her papa has passed away, and she is left to work as a scullery maid with nothing but a black frock, and a doll named Emily. Throughout her left as a miserable maid, she keeps her dignity, and the theme of the novel becomes not to let the hate around you make you bitter, and hateful. Sara is eventualy saved, in the end.

The plot of this movie is not at all faithful to the novel. Shirley Temple is only Shirley Temple throughout the film. Her dimples and teary eyes are, in comparison to the Sara of the novel, a baby. Sara of the novel was one 'who never cried' and was 'always dreaming and making up stories.' Temple's Sara cries often throughout the film, and it never dreams as the Sara of the book does. She is just a regular seven year old girl. The characters of Ermengarde, and Ms. Minchin's sister, Miss Amelia, have been either removed completly, or replaced with new characters. This leaves for a very miscast and confused film, that does not offer any of the beautiful lessons of the novel.

As a movie, it might seem entertaining. Throughout the film, a dance sequence with Sara and Miss Minchin's brother, Bertrand, appears. It is commonplace for Temple, also, to have a dance sequence of some sort. This has a 'fairy tale' dance sequence. The script has small bits of humor, but not anything quite so nice.

This is a nice movie, but not a good one to offer the lessons of the original book. All the same, it is best to watch it, as it will offer family entertainment. But, those who read the book will be disapointed.

A candidate for a restoration
The Little Princess remains one of my favorite childhood movie memories. Finding the DVD version was simple enough. I was unaware of how widely the quality varied between the different versions available. The first version I purchased from a Canadian group was horrible. This DVD presentation was reasonable but not striking. The image was grainy and lacked that "Technicolor" brilliance I had hoped for. All of the DVD and VHS versions seem to be made from one film transfer made from an old print. The color rendering is poor. Some scenes appear almost Black and White. Unlike "The WIzard of Oz" or "The Secret Garden" I don't think this was intentional. This version is not transfered from Technicolor stock. I wonder if it was even made from 35 millimeter film. The quality if any in this DVD is from some digital processing available to old video. It does not appear a flying spot scanner or any film restoration equipment was used to create this DVD. The only really nice color image was the cover of the DVD package. I wish someone could find the real Technicolor masters, either the negative or positive film. If you were going to restore one Shirley Temple work, this film would be the one. It is a classic of the time with a glimpse at that time. And Shirley Temple was good in this film. You wipe tears away from your eyes at least twice. And Temple sings a great little song. Did I mention she dances a little too.

watch the remake, please?
This is one of those few times when I like a remake better than the original of a motion picture. I'll confess that, based on this movie, I'm not a Shirley Temple fan (her voice alone is annoying, not to mention her acting ability). She is utterly unconvincing as Sara Crew, and that American accent! Please, can we stop making movies of British literature where all the characters except the main one are truly British? I know this is done so as to appease and appeal to the idiots on our side of the pond, but really, are we so uncultured and stupid, not to mension spoiled, that we won't watch a movie unless it has at least one American actor playing a prominent role? If I had to choose between these two movies, I'd definitely see the 1990's version of this one; at least there, all the characters are Americanized, so one doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Lisel Matthews' performance is enchanting, and the movie all around is delightful.

Dreadful Audio
This review is of the Madacy DVD of "The Little Princess." The picture quality of this DVD is acceptable, more or less, but the audio portion is another thing. The sound is limited to a very narrow band in the midrange. Shirley's voice, for example, is quite tinny throughout the film. At times the sound volume changes abruptly or even disappears completely. One has the impression that the DVD audio engineer tried to regulate the sound volume at a single sitting by turning the knob in real time as he listened to the film. This movie has always sounded quite good on broadcast TV, which obviously wasn't playing back this Madacy disaster.

Unfortunately, it would seem that this writer's experience with "The Little Princess" is not unlike others' experiences with Madacy products. Read Doug Pratt's review of "Two Women" in his Video and DVD Guide (available from amazon.com but also readable on DVDLaser.com) and be forewarned. I now avoid Madacy DVDs.

This is one of my favorite Shirley Temple movies
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I absolutely adore this Shirley Temple movie. It is one that brings back many memories of watching Shirley Temple movies with my sister when we were little. My favorite parts are when Shirley and her little friend wake up and see all the beautiful gifts that were given to her by the Indian guy, and when she throws the bucket of soot on the snotty Clarissa, but most of all, when she finds her "Daddy" at the end,as he keeps calling "Sara, Sara."
This one is excellent, and I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Reviews (67)

BEAUTY, MAJESTY AND SPLENDOR
One of the grandest, most entertaining musicals ever committed to the silver screen, "The King And I" is one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest achievements. From the film's excellent performances by two beloved screen icons, Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, to the splendid score, to the breathtakingly beautiful cinematography and set direction and elegant costuming... all come together to create an indelible movie masterpiece.

Loosely based on the real-life story of British schoolteacher Anna Leonowens, the film begins in the year 1860, when Leonowens (Kerr, at her most beautiful and most charming) comes to Siam with her young son to educate the many children of His Majesty the King of Siam (Yul Brynner, in an oustanding Academy-Award winning performance). Although Anna enjoys very friendly relationships with her charges, she has many conflicts with the stubborn King, at first refusing to live in the palace, in the King's "harem". He questions her culture and customs, but many of which he readily adopts, including the phrase: "Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera," (which becomes an oft-repeated line in the film). Although wary of the proper Englishwoman, he is intrigued by her teaching methods and her sly sense of humor and her pronounced propriety. Anna soon finds herself developing a deeper relationship with her employer... and the unspoken feeling is mutual.

Another romantic drama is also unfolding behind the scenes: Tuptim, the King's favorite courtesan, has fallen in love with Lun Tha, a young slave. They wish to run away together, but to forever seal their love, they would have to defy the King... or be separated forever.

With underlined with unspoken emotions, vain pride, and biting humor, "The King And I" is glorious entertainment, not only for its fine performances and glamorous spectacle, but for its legendary music: Kerr and the children perform a delightful rendition of the classic "Getting To Know You", Kerr sings the praises of young love in "Hello, Young Lovers", Brynner shines with his pronounced staccato "Confusion", and the film's most memorable scene has Kerr and Brynner waltzing and singing to the film's masterpiece, "Shall We Dance?".

The film is also full of many golden scenes: the King's wives giggling at the sight of Kerr in a billowy petticoated gown (believing that is how she is shaped!), Kerr teaching the inquisitive Siamese youngsters about falling lace from the sky called snow, and one scene in particular, a royal banquet given for an English ambassador, with a performance by the King's dancers of an interpretive version of "Uncle Tom's Cabin", reworked as "Small House of Uncle Thomas", which is very entertaining. And the film's final, memorable scene will not be forgotten quickly.

Rodgers and Hammerstein work their incredible magic and Hollywood works its own magic in this beloved movie musical, which has delighted and entertained audiences for years, and lives on in this celebrated film classic.

Fantastic movie. But missing too many great songs!
The King And I, Is a fantastic film. A great adaption from stage to film. The peformances by Brynner and Kerr are simply amazing, and the beautiful Rita Moreno does a spectacular job as playing the slave Tuptim. I'm sure you know the story, so I won't go on about that. I am most dissapointed with the cut of so many great songs, I understand the film was very long, but cutting many great songs makes the movie less enjoyable for me.

The songs cut for the film are Tuptim's beautiful "My Lord And Master", "The Royal Bangkok Academy", "A Puzzlement REPRISE", "Shall I Tell You What I Think Of You?", "Western People Funny", and Tuptim's and Lun Tha's "I Have Dreamed". In my opinion the two most drastic cuts are the beautiful "My Lord And Master", and "I have Dreamed", which are considered two of the most beautiful and powerful songs in the whole score. LUCKILY! Those two songs were recorded along with "Shall I Tell you..." So its great we get to hear Rita Moreno on Tuptim's other songs, even though Rita had slight augmenting done with her high notes by another woman, for most part it was Rita's voice, and her voice was beautiful indeed. Sadly, songs like Lady Thiang's and Wive's hilarious "Western People Funny" was not recorded, And I think the song is fantastic.

Otherwise, the cut of those wonderful songs, are the only dissapointment for me. So this movie is amazing. I highly recommend this masterpiece. The DVD is great, with great bonus features, and being remastered..the picture quality is great.

Get this DVD, and enjoy a classic musical!

Great Movie; DVD *not* Anamorphic
I confess I only chapter-skipped through this DVD. After I put it on and discovered it is *not* anamorphically formatted (i.e. not specially formatted for wide screen tv's), then I "boycotted" this Fox release by not watching it.

Come on, Fox. In 2004 more people own wide screen tvs than ever before. I *hate* popping in a disk that would look gorgeous on my wide screen, only to discover that I must watch it in "square" format with a letterbox.

The gorgeous KING AND I deserves a good, anamorphic transfer to DVD. And while you're at it, please send a memo to Universal to release VERTIGO in anamorphic format as well.

Yes, there is a large segment of the DVD population who don't care about anamorphic format. But there are also a lot of us who *do*. And I'll stop renting and buying your films until you release them that way.

One of the Greatest Musicals of All Time!
Rodgers and Hammerstein's THE KING AND I (1956) is a wonderous movie musical, an incredible adaption of the Broadway musical that premiered on stage in 1951 (and has been performed tens of thousands of times since). It tells a timeless story about tradition vs. modernity, Eastern vs. Western culture and men vs. women. This story was first written as the first-hand account of Anna Leonowens' experiences in Siam in the mid-19th Century, where she had been hired by King Mongkut to teach his many children, in his hopes to push Siam into the modern age. This account was first adapted for the big screen as ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM (1946); unseen by me, it has been highly regarded in its own right, and starred Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison. THE KING AND I stars Deborah Kerr (last name pronounced "Carr") and Yul Brynner. Deborah Kerr completely embodies the strong-willed but emotionally fragile young widow Anna Leonowens; she makes Anna into a character with whom we identify and sympathize. We side with her in all disputes, from demanding that she be given her own house in which to stay as part of the original deal, to calling King Mongkut to task for enforcing double-standard sexual laws that were outdated and demeaning to women even at that time. As the equally strong-willed King Mongkut, Yul Brynner commands the screen in every scene he's in. You simply cannot look away. His King Mongkut is someone who wants to change Siam for the better, yet struggles to cling to many of the same traditions that he slowly begins to realize is partly responsible *for* holding Siam back. His heartbreak by film's end is emotionally gut-wrenching, and never fails to bring me to tears. The Russian-born, half-Mongolian Yul Brynner makes you believe he is a Siamese King; his performance is so brilliant that his transformation into this character appears to be almost effortless. And, of course, it won him a very well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor. Deborah Kerr gives a wide-ranged performance that spans all emotions throughout the course of this film. She was deservedly nominated for Best Actress, but unfortunately didn't win.

This film would have given us enough meat to chew on just in the complex relationship between our two principals alone. However, it is not content with just doing that for us. It gives us two spellbinding subplots, one of the forbidden love between Tuptim (a virtually unrecognizable Rita Moreno, in a truly marvelous performance) one of King Mongkut's many wives, and Lun Tha (Carlos Rivas), and the visit by the British Ambassador Sir John Hay (Alan Mowbray) whom King Mongkut wants to impress with how civilized he, and the Kingdom of Siam, is. Also, the "play within the play"; namely, the hypnotic Siamese theater performance of Harriet Beecher Stowe's epic American tale of oppression and cruelty UNCLE TOM'S CABIN, is just so incredible that words fail me as how else to describe it. Anna's young son Louis (Rex Thompson) provides us with an effective sounding-board onto whom Anna reveals the kind of feelings about the situation that she cannot express to the King.

Unfortunately, this or any other Western film treatment of this truly fascinating story continues to be banned in Thailand today, namely they feel that King Mongkut, whom I understand was one of their most beloved monarchs, is portrayed as a barbarian. I have two beefs with that sentiment: 1) King Mongkut is most decidedly *not* portrayed as a barbarian in this treatment (or in the 1999 non-musical ANNA AND THE KING, which is quite a brilliant film in its own right)---rather, he is shown to be a deeply conflicted man who agonizes at the prospect of losing centuries-old Siamese traditions, even as he expresses himself as one who wants to help his country modernize; 2) If they want to get the story right in their eyes, then where is the *Thai* version of the story?

Controversies aside, this is just a splendid, gorgeous film. It has great period costumes, in both Eastern and Western traditions. It has a huge, ornate set used for the Palace. It has great music ("Getting To Know You" and "Shall We Dance" are my two favorites). And it has incredible acting from all involved, especially Brynner, Kerr and Moreno (who should have been at least nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her sensitive and delicate protrayal of Tuptim). It is a joy to revisit every now & then. Parents, please do your children a favor and *keep them away* from the HORRENDOUS 1999 animated version, insultingly called THE KING AND I. That simpleminded, stereotype-laden, lamebrained version is a complete insult to anyone of decent intelligence. Just show your kids the 1956 original; it is the only version they will ever need to see!

MOST RECOMMENDED, AGES 6 & UP

Disappointed At What's Missing
I recall seeing the original road show engagement of this in the mid-1950's and recall vividly seeing the "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You" (with Anna combing her hair as she sings it) and "My Lord and Master" in that showing and being disappointed that the subsequent theatre, television, and video showings did not have those performances included. I was hoping the DVD would include all of the original material and am disappointed that it evidently does not. Still and all, I love the film and still love watching it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Shirley Temple in the Great Northwest.
20th Century Fox tried to rework the plot of "Wee Willie Winkie" in this Shirley Temple flick. One key person missing from the picture was director John Ford. The product suffers without Ford's vision of humor, action, and sentiment. Don't get me wrong. Shirley Temple is still America's Sweetheart. She is the lone survivor of a wagon train massacre, and RCMP Randolph Scott comes to her aid. This time it's American Indians on the warpath. Shirley almost single-handed prevents war on the Canadian frontier, while charming everybody in sight. By 1939, Shirley was starting to show definite signs of growing up, dangerous in a child star. She has a crush on Scott and tries to keep him from mooning around a good-looking woman visiting the outpost. As usual, Shirley's "isn't that cute" antics are amusing. Her culture clashes with the deadpan Indian kid, Little Chief, are comic. There is even some Western style action-adventure. Victor Jory is menacing if somewhat cliched as a villainous Indian. The usual elements just don't jell as well as they did in "Wee Willie Winkie." As wholesome family entertainment, all Shirley Temple films are a success, regardless. This one is pleasant, but not Shirley's best. ;-)

Susannah of the Mounties
10-year-old Shirley stars with Randolph Scott in this powerful movie about a young girl, orphaned after a group of Native Americans kill the rest of her wagon train. She is then taken in to live with Randolph Scott at a military base. When a different group of Native Americans want to gain their trust their cheif gives his son to live with them. After learning to cope with the 'little cheif's' behavior, he and shirley become friends and together must save the life of a dear friend. This is not one of Shirley's best films with only one song. She shows her dramatic acting talent and is not always her sweet little self. Don't forget, this 1939 movie was after she was #1 in box office cumes and was only #5, soon to be pushed aff the top 10 list, completely. ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Not Particularly Good - But Entertaining...
I was about to write a review that so many people on this site have repeated: "Shirley Temple is SO cute in this film! She is beleivable and makes you think as a child might about the world. The film was made in lush technicolor and the sets and costumes are lavish!" Then, I thought that I should write a review, honestly stating what I felt about this film. This movie is a popular one, and a very good Shirley Temple vehicle, but it is not a particularly good movie.

I grew up with the Francis Hodgeson Burnett(The Secret Garden) book. I loved it's charm and message. The characters were priceless and the tale was brilliant, melancholy, but beautiful. The tale was about a young girl of seven named Sara Crewe, who has always had a wonderful relationship with her young and wealthy papa, Captain Crewe. When she is seven, she is left with a dissagreeable caretaker named Ms. Minchin in her seminary for 'distinguished young ladies.' As the years pass she makes friendships with the dumpy, comic, and sweet Ermangarde, and the cockny maid, Becky. She is pampered, and treated quite royaly, and is given the nickname of the 'little princess.' On her birthday, it is found out that her papa has passed away, and she is left to work as a scullery maid with nothing but a black frock, and a doll named Emily. Throughout her left as a miserable maid, she keeps her dignity, and the theme of the novel becomes not to let the hate around you make you bitter, and hateful. Sara is eventualy saved, in the end.

The plot of this movie is not at all faithful to the novel. Shirley Temple is only Shirley Temple throughout the film. Her dimples and teary eyes are, in comparison to the Sara of the novel, a baby. Sara of the novel was one 'who never cried' and was 'always dreaming and making up stories.' Temple's Sara cries often throughout the film, and it never dreams as the Sara of the book does. She is just a regular seven year old girl. The characters of Ermengarde, and Ms. Minchin's sister, Miss Amelia, have been either removed completly, or replaced with new characters. This leaves for a very miscast and confused film, that does not offer any of the beautiful lessons of the novel.

As a movie, it might seem entertaining. Throughout the film, a dance sequence with Sara and Miss Minchin's brother, Bertrand, appears. It is commonplace for Temple, also, to have a dance sequence of some sort. This has a 'fairy tale' dance sequence. The script has small bits of humor, but not anything quite so nice.

This is a nice movie, but not a good one to offer the lessons of the original book. All the same, it is best to watch it, as it will offer family entertainment. But, those who read the book will be disapointed.

A candidate for a restoration
The Little Princess remains one of my favorite childhood movie memories. Finding the DVD version was simple enough. I was unaware of how widely the quality varied between the different versions available. The first version I purchased from a Canadian group was horrible. This DVD presentation was reasonable but not striking. The image was grainy and lacked that "Technicolor" brilliance I had hoped for. All of the DVD and VHS versions seem to be made from one film transfer made from an old print. The color rendering is poor. Some scenes appear almost Black and White. Unlike "The WIzard of Oz" or "The Secret Garden" I don't think this was intentional. This version is not transfered from Technicolor stock. I wonder if it was even made from 35 millimeter film. The quality if any in this DVD is from some digital processing available to old video. It does not appear a flying spot scanner or any film restoration equipment was used to create this DVD. The only really nice color image was the cover of the DVD package. I wish someone could find the real Technicolor masters, either the negative or positive film. If you were going to restore one Shirley Temple work, this film would be the one. It is a classic of the time with a glimpse at that time. And Shirley Temple was good in this film. You wipe tears away from your eyes at least twice. And Temple sings a great little song. Did I mention she dances a little too.

watch the remake, please?
This is one of those few times when I like a remake better than the original of a motion picture. I'll confess that, based on this movie, I'm not a Shirley Temple fan (her voice alone is annoying, not to mention her acting ability). She is utterly unconvincing as Sara Crew, and that American accent! Please, can we stop making movies of British literature where all the characters except the main one are truly British? I know this is done so as to appease and appeal to the idiots on our side of the pond, but really, are we so uncultured and stupid, not to mension spoiled, that we won't watch a movie unless it has at least one American actor playing a prominent role? If I had to choose between these two movies, I'd definitely see the 1990's version of this one; at least there, all the characters are Americanized, so one doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Lisel Matthews' performance is enchanting, and the movie all around is delightful.

Dreadful Audio
This review is of the Madacy DVD of "The Little Princess." The picture quality of this DVD is acceptable, more or less, but the audio portion is another thing. The sound is limited to a very narrow band in the midrange. Shirley's voice, for example, is quite tinny throughout the film. At times the sound volume changes abruptly or even disappears completely. One has the impression that the DVD audio engineer tried to regulate the sound volume at a single sitting by turning the knob in real time as he listened to the film. This movie has always sounded quite good on broadcast TV, which obviously wasn't playing back this Madacy disaster.

Unfortunately, it would seem that this writer's experience with "The Little Princess" is not unlike others' experiences with Madacy products. Read Doug Pratt's review of "Two Women" in his Video and DVD Guide (available from amazon.com but also readable on DVDLaser.com) and be forewarned. I now avoid Madacy DVDs.

This is one of my favorite Shirley Temple movies
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I absolutely adore this Shirley Temple movie. It is one that brings back many memories of watching Shirley Temple movies with my sister when we were little. My favorite parts are when Shirley and her little friend wake up and see all the beautiful gifts that were given to her by the Indian guy, and when she throws the bucket of soot on the snotty Clarissa, but most of all, when she finds her "Daddy" at the end,as he keeps calling "Sara, Sara."
This one is excellent, and I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A beautiful film musical!
I really loved this movie. It has auch beautiful songs and is a great romance story as well. I highly recommend it. It's a movie the entire family can watch.

A grand night
This was the first movie I ever saw, at the age of four at the Victory Theatre in Wellston, Missouri (The Victory, a new name for the Mikado, dumped when World War II broke out for obvious reasons). During "It Might As Well Be Spring" I was horribly worried Jeanne Crain was going to fall out of the windowsill of her second story bedroom window. I was so relieved when the song was over. This is a colorful, sweet film, though it does demonstrate as so often was demonstrated that only M-G-M could make M-G-M musicals. Jeanne Crain, the mother of many, always seemed to be acting with her mind on what the kids would have for dinner that evening, but she was lovely, so totally natural (my favorite Jeanne Crain film is the totally forgotten "Take Care Of My Little Girl," about college sorority life). Poor Dick Haymes is totally out of his element, though a wonderful singer. Vivian Blaine pretty much steals the show. She should have enjoyed a much bigger movie career; it's Broadway that won her heart. I love the roller coaster scenes. The coaster in the closeups is not the coaster in the far shots. The studio had a limited budget and, because of World War II, even more limited resources to build the darned sets with. "State Fair" has a lot of pasted-together elements, consequently, but if you don't look close (so much doesn't match from shot to shot and the big, overall shots of the Fair clearly are shooting a miniature that if you think too much doesn't make any sense at all) you'll feel you are at the State Fair.

Isn't the film kinda fun?
This is a better film for families to see, despite the kissing. It is better than Carousel(a nightmare,) but not as good as Chicago. The first time I saw it, it was fast, but now that I almost know it by heart, truthfully, it is going slower despite the running time being 100 minutes. Overall, an entertaing yet so-so film.

A kinder, gentler era
This movie is pure delight. Yes, it has some of the corniest moments ever put on film -- but isn't that part of the charm of these old movies? The music is lovely (I just can't agree with those critics who call it weak), and even though Jeanne Crain and Dick Haymes look far too worldly and sophisticated to be smalltown Iowa farm kids, the movie has a colorful and homey feeling to it. It is about a time when people got excited about spending three days at a county fair, riding on ferris wheels and eating candy apples. Our world may be a lot more sophisticated and technologically savvy nowadays, but I can't help thinking that we've lost a lot of the fun that our grandparents had. This movie brings it back. Enjoy!

Don't forget Vivian Blaine
Unlike Jeanne Crain's, Vivian Blaine's singing voice is her own and she outclasses everyone in the film. Compare her magnetism and composure to her partner, Dick Haymes, in their duet "Isn't it Kinda Fun." Real talent shines through and Vivian's delivery of a song is the only thing in this movie that doesn't seem naive, contrived, and dated. And to the reviewer who told us to "listen for Harry Morgan's voice over as the barker," look closely: that's no voice over... that young face IS the young Harry (billed as Henry Morgan). ... Read more

Reviews (67)

BEAUTY, MAJESTY AND SPLENDOR
One of the grandest, most entertaining musicals ever committed to the silver screen, "The King And I" is one of Rodgers and Hammerstein's greatest achievements. From the film's excellent performances by two beloved screen icons, Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, to the splendid score, to the breathtakingly beautiful cinematography and set direction and elegant costuming... all come together to create an indelible movie masterpiece.

Loosely based on the real-life story of British schoolteacher Anna Leonowens, the film begins in the year 1860, when Leonowens (Kerr, at her most beautiful and most charming) comes to Siam with her young son to educate the many children of His Majesty the King of Siam (Yul Brynner, in an oustanding Academy-Award winning performance). Although Anna enjoys very friendly relationships with her charges, she has many conflicts with the stubborn King, at first refusing to live in the palace, in the King's "harem". He questions her culture and customs, but many of which he readily adopts, including the phrase: "Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera," (which becomes an oft-repeated line in the film). Although wary of the proper Englishwoman, he is intrigued by her teaching methods and her sly sense of humor and her pronounced propriety. Anna soon finds herself developing a deeper relationship with her employer... and the unspoken feeling is mutual.

Another romantic drama is also unfolding behind the scenes: Tuptim, the King's favorite courtesan, has fallen in love with Lun Tha, a young slave. They wish to run away together, but to forever seal their love, they would have to defy the King... or be separated forever.

With underlined with unspoken emotions, vain pride, and biting humor, "The King And I" is glorious entertainment, not only for its fine performances and glamorous spectacle, but for its legendary music: Kerr and the children perform a delightful rendition of the classic "Getting To Know You", Kerr sings the praises of young love in "Hello, Young Lovers", Brynner shines with his pronounced staccato "Confusion", and the film's most memorable scene has Kerr and Brynner waltzing and singing to the film's masterpiece, "Shall We Dance?".

The film is also full of many golden scenes: the King's wives giggling at the sight of Kerr in a billowy petticoated gown (believing that is how she is shaped!), Kerr teaching the inquisitive Siamese youngsters about falling lace from the sky called snow, and one scene in particular, a royal banquet given for an English ambassador, with a performance by the King's dancers of an interpretive version of "Uncle Tom's Cabin", reworked as "Small House of Uncle Thomas", which is very entertaining. And the film's final, memorable scene will not be forgotten quickly.

Rodgers and Hammerstein work their incredible magic and Hollywood works its own magic in this beloved movie musical, which has delighted and entertained audiences for years, and lives on in this celebrated film classic.

Fantastic movie. But missing too many great songs!
The King And I, Is a fantastic film. A great adaption from stage to film. The peformances by Brynner and Kerr are simply amazing, and the beautiful Rita Moreno does a spectacular job as playing the slave Tuptim. I'm sure you know the story, so I won't go on about that. I am most dissapointed with the cut of so many great songs, I understand the film was very long, but cutting many great songs makes the movie less enjoyable for me.

The songs cut for the film are Tuptim's beautiful "My Lord And Master", "The Royal Bangkok Academy", "A Puzzlement REPRISE", "Shall I Tell You What I Think Of You?", "Western People Funny", and Tuptim's and Lun Tha's "I Have Dreamed". In my opinion the two most drastic cuts are the beautiful "My Lord And Master", and "I have Dreamed", which are considered two of the most beautiful and powerful songs in the whole score. LUCKILY! Those two songs were recorded along with "Shall I Tell you..." So its great we get to hear Rita Moreno on Tuptim's other songs, even though Rita had slight augmenting done with her high notes by another woman, for most part it was Rita's voice, and her voice was beautiful indeed. Sadly, songs like Lady Thiang's and Wive's hilarious "Western People Funny" was not recorded, And I think the song is fantastic.

Otherwise, the cut of those wonderful songs, are the only dissapointment for me. So this movie is amazing. I highly recommend this masterpiece. The DVD is great, with great bonus features, and being remastered..the picture quality is great.

Get this DVD, and enjoy a classic musical!

Great Movie; DVD *not* Anamorphic
I confess I only chapter-skipped through this DVD. After I put it on and discovered it is *not* anamorphically formatted (i.e. not specially formatted for wide screen tv's), then I "boycotted" this Fox release by not watching it.

Come on, Fox. In 2004 more people own wide screen tvs than ever before. I *hate* popping in a disk that would look gorgeous on my wide screen, only to discover that I must watch it in "square" format with a letterbox.

The gorgeous KING AND I deserves a good, anamorphic transfer to DVD. And while you're at it, please send a memo to Universal to release VERTIGO in anamorphic format as well.

Yes, there is a large segment of the DVD population who don't care about anamorphic format. But there are also a lot of us who *do*. And I'll stop renting and buying your films until you release them that way.

One of the Greatest Musicals of All Time!
Rodgers and Hammerstein's THE KING AND I (1956) is a wonderous movie musical, an incredible adaption of the Broadway musical that premiered on stage in 1951 (and has been performed tens of thousands of times since). It tells a timeless story about tradition vs. modernity, Eastern vs. Western culture and men vs. women. This story was first written as the first-hand account of Anna Leonowens' experiences in Siam in the mid-19th Century, where she had been hired by King Mongkut to teach his many children, in his hopes to push Siam into the modern age. This account was first adapted for the big screen as ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM (1946); unseen by me, it has been highly regarded in its own right, and starred Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison. THE KING AND I stars Deborah Kerr (last name pronounced "Carr") and Yul Brynner. Deborah Kerr completely embodies the strong-willed but emotionally fragile young widow Anna Leonowens; she makes Anna into a character with whom we identify and sympathize. We side with her in all disputes, from demanding that she be given her own house in which to stay as part of the original deal, to calling King Mongkut to task for enforcing double-standard sexual laws that were outdated and demeaning to women even at that time. As the equally strong-willed King Mongkut, Yul Brynner commands the screen in every scene he's in. You simply cannot look away. His King Mongkut is someone who wants to change Siam for the better, yet struggles to cling to many of the same traditions that he slowly begins to realize is partly responsible *for* holding Siam back. His heartbreak by film's end is emotionally gut-wrenching, and never fails to bring me to tears. The Russian-born, half-Mongolian Yul Brynner makes you believe he is a Siamese King; his performance is so brilliant that his transformation into this character appears to be almost effortless. And, of course, it won him a very well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor. Deborah Kerr gives a wide-ranged performance that spans all emotions throughout the course of this film. She was deservedly nominated for Best Actress, but unfortunately didn't win.

This film would have given us enough meat to chew on just in the complex relationship between our two principals alone. However, it is not content with just doing that for us. It gives us two spellbinding subplots, one of the forbidden love between Tuptim (a virtually unrecognizable Rita Moreno, in a truly marvelous performance) one of King Mongkut's many wives, and Lun Tha (Carlos Rivas), and the visit by the British Ambassador Sir John Hay (Alan Mowbray) whom King Mongkut wants to impress with how civilized he, and the Kingdom of Siam, is. Also, the "play within the play"; namely, the hypnotic Siamese theater performance of Harriet Beecher Stowe's epic American tale of oppression and cruelty UNCLE TOM'S CABIN, is just so incredible that words fail me as how else to describe it. Anna's young son Louis (Rex Thompson) provides us with an effective sounding-board onto whom Anna reveals the kind of feelings about the situation that she cannot express to the King.

Unfortunately, this or any other Western film treatment of this truly fascinating story continues to be banned in Thailand today, namely they feel that King Mongkut, whom I understand was one of their most beloved monarchs, is portrayed as a barbarian. I have two beefs with that sentiment: 1) King Mongkut is most decidedly *not* portrayed as a barbarian in this treatment (or in the 1999 non-musical ANNA AND THE KING, which is quite a brilliant film in its own right)---rather, he is shown to be a deeply conflicted man who agonizes at the prospect of losing centuries-old Siamese traditions, even as he expresses himself as one who wants to help his country modernize; 2) If they want to get the story right in their eyes, then where is the *Thai* version of the story?

Controversies aside, this is just a splendid, gorgeous film. It has great period costumes, in both Eastern and Western traditions. It has a huge, ornate set used for the Palace. It has great music ("Getting To Know You" and "Shall We Dance" are my two favorites). And it has incredible acting from all involved, especially Brynner, Kerr and Moreno (who should have been at least nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her sensitive and delicate protrayal of Tuptim). It is a joy to revisit every now & then. Parents, please do your children a favor and *keep them away* from the HORRENDOUS 1999 animated version, insultingly called THE KING AND I. That simpleminded, stereotype-laden, lamebrained version is a complete insult to anyone of decent intelligence. Just show your kids the 1956 original; it is the only version they will ever need to see!

MOST RECOMMENDED, AGES 6 & UP

Disappointed At What's Missing
I recall seeing the original road show engagement of this in the mid-1950's and recall vividly seeing the "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You" (with Anna combing her hair as she sings it) and "My Lord and Master" in that showing and being disappointed that the subsequent theatre, television, and video showings did not have those performances included. I was hoping the DVD would include all of the original material and am disappointed that it evidently does not. Still and all, I love the film and still love watching it. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A beautiful film musical!
I really loved this movie. It has auch beautiful songs and is a great romance story as well. I highly recommend it. It's a movie the entire family can watch.

A grand night
This was the first movie I ever saw, at the age of four at the Victory Theatre in Wellston, Missouri (The Victory, a new name for the Mikado, dumped when World War II broke out for obvious reasons). During "It Might As Well Be Spring" I was horribly worried Jeanne Crain was going to fall out of the windowsill of her second story bedroom window. I was so relieved when the song was over. This is a colorful, sweet film, though it does demonstrate as so often was demonstrated that only M-G-M could make M-G-M musicals. Jeanne Crain, the mother of many, always seemed to be acting with her mind on what the kids would have for dinner that evening, but she was lovely, so totally natural (my favorite Jeanne Crain film is the totally forgotten "Take Care Of My Little Girl," about college sorority life). Poor Dick Haymes is totally out of his element, though a wonderful singer. Vivian Blaine pretty much steals the show. She should have enjoyed a much bigger movie career; it's Broadway that won her heart. I love the roller coaster scenes. The coaster in the closeups is not the coaster in the far shots. The studio had a limited budget and, because of World War II, even more limited resources to build the darned sets with. "State Fair" has a lot of pasted-together elements, consequently, but if you don't look close (so much doesn't match from shot to shot and the big, overall shots of the Fair clearly are shooting a miniature that if you think too much doesn't make any sense at all) you'll feel you are at the State Fair.

Isn't the film kinda fun?
This is a better film for families to see, despite the kissing. It is better than Carousel(a nightmare,) but not as good as Chicago. The first time I saw it, it was fast, but now that I almost know it by heart, truthfully, it is going slower despite the running time being 100 minutes. Overall, an entertaing yet so-so film.

A kinder, gentler era
This movie is pure delight. Yes, it has some of the corniest moments ever put on film -- but isn't that part of the charm of these old movies? The music is lovely (I just can't agree with those critics who call it weak), and even though Jeanne Crain and Dick Haymes look far too worldly and sophisticated to be smalltown Iowa farm kids, the movie has a colorful and homey feeling to it. It is about a time when people got excited about spending three days at a county fair, riding on ferris wheels and eating candy apples. Our world may be a lot more sophisticated and technologically savvy nowadays, but I can't help thinking that we've lost a lot of the fun that our grandparents had. This movie brings it back. Enjoy!

Don't forget Vivian Blaine
Unlike Jeanne Crain's, Vivian Blaine's singing voice is her own and she outclasses everyone in the film. Compare her magnetism and composure to her partner, Dick Haymes, in their duet "Isn't it Kinda Fun." Real talent shines through and Vivian's delivery of a song is the only thing in this movie that doesn't seem naive, contrived, and dated. And to the reviewer who told us to "listen for Harry Morgan's voice over as the barker," look closely: that's no voice over... that young face IS the young Harry (billed as Henry Morgan). ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Not Particularly Good - But Entertaining...
I was about to write a review that so many people on this site have repeated: "Shirley Temple is SO cute in this film! She is beleivable and makes you think as a child might about the world. The film was made in lush technicolor and the sets and costumes are lavish!" Then, I thought that I should write a review, honestly stating what I felt about this film. This movie is a popular one, and a very good Shirley Temple vehicle, but it is not a particularly good movie.

I grew up with the Francis Hodgeson Burnett(The Secret Garden) book. I loved it's charm and message. The characters were priceless and the tale was brilliant, melancholy, but beautiful. The tale was about a young girl of seven named Sara Crewe, who has always had a wonderful relationship with her young and wealthy papa, Captain Crewe. When she is seven, she is left with a dissagreeable caretaker named Ms. Minchin in her seminary for 'distinguished young ladies.' As the years pass she makes friendships with the dumpy, comic, and sweet Ermangarde, and the cockny maid, Becky. She is pampered, and treated quite royaly, and is given the nickname of the 'little princess.' On her birthday, it is found out that her papa has passed away, and she is left to work as a scullery maid with nothing but a black frock, and a doll named Emily. Throughout her left as a miserable maid, she keeps her dignity, and the theme of the novel becomes not to let the hate around you make you bitter, and hateful. Sara is eventualy saved, in the end.

The plot of this movie is not at all faithful to the novel. Shirley Temple is only Shirley Temple throughout the film. Her dimples and teary eyes are, in comparison to the Sara of the novel, a baby. Sara of the novel was one 'who never cried' and was 'always dreaming and making up stories.' Temple's Sara cries often throughout the film, and it never dreams as the Sara of the book does. She is just a regular seven year old girl. The characters of Ermengarde, and Ms. Minchin's sister, Miss Amelia, have been either removed completly, or replaced with new characters. This leaves for a very miscast and confused film, that does not offer any of the beautiful lessons of the novel.

As a movie, it might seem entertaining. Throughout the film, a dance sequence with Sara and Miss Minchin's brother, Bertrand, appears. It is commonplace for Temple, also, to have a dance sequence of some sort. This has a 'fairy tale' dance sequence. The script has small bits of humor, but not anything quite so nice.

This is a nice movie, but not a good one to offer the lessons of the original book. All the same, it is best to watch it, as it will offer family entertainment. But, those who read the book will be disapointed.

A candidate for a restoration
The Little Princess remains one of my favorite childhood movie memories. Finding the DVD version was simple enough. I was unaware of how widely the quality varied between the different versions available. The first version I purchased from a Canadian group was horrible. This DVD presentation was reasonable but not striking. The image was grainy and lacked that "Technicolor" brilliance I had hoped for. All of the DVD and VHS versions seem to be made from one film transfer made from an old print. The color rendering is poor. Some scenes appear almost Black and White. Unlike "The WIzard of Oz" or "The Secret Garden" I don't think this was intentional. This version is not transfered from Technicolor stock. I wonder if it was even made from 35 millimeter film. The quality if any in this DVD is from some digital processing available to old video. It does not appear a flying spot scanner or any film restoration equipment was used to create this DVD. The only really nice color image was the cover of the DVD package. I wish someone could find the real Technicolor masters, either the negative or positive film. If you were going to restore one Shirley Temple work, this film would be the one. It is a classic of the time with a glimpse at that time. And Shirley Temple was good in this film. You wipe tears away from your eyes at least twice. And Temple sings a great little song. Did I mention she dances a little too.

watch the remake, please?
This is one of those few times when I like a remake better than the original of a motion picture. I'll confess that, based on this movie, I'm not a Shirley Temple fan (her voice alone is annoying, not to mention her acting ability). She is utterly unconvincing as Sara Crew, and that American accent! Please, can we stop making movies of British literature where all the characters except the main one are truly British? I know this is done so as to appease and appeal to the idiots on our side of the pond, but really, are we so uncultured and stupid, not to mension spoiled, that we won't watch a movie unless it has at least one American actor playing a prominent role? If I had to choose between these two movies, I'd definitely see the 1990's version of this one; at least there, all the characters are Americanized, so one doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Lisel Matthews' performance is enchanting, and the movie all around is delightful.

Dreadful Audio
This review is of the Madacy DVD of "The Little Princess." The picture quality of this DVD is acceptable, more or less, but the audio portion is another thing. The sound is limited to a very narrow band in the midrange. Shirley's voice, for example, is quite tinny throughout the film. At times the sound volume changes abruptly or even disappears completely. One has the impression that the DVD audio engineer tried to regulate the sound volume at a single sitting by turning the knob in real time as he listened to the film. This movie has always sounded quite good on broadcast TV, which obviously wasn't playing back this Madacy disaster.

Unfortunately, it would seem that this writer's experience with "The Little Princess" is not unlike others' experiences with Madacy products. Read Doug Pratt's review of "Two Women" in his Video and DVD Guide (available from amazon.com but also readable on DVDLaser.com) and be forewarned. I now avoid Madacy DVDs.

This is one of my favorite Shirley Temple movies
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I absolutely adore this Shirley Temple movie. It is one that brings back many memories of watching Shirley Temple movies with my sister when we were little. My favorite parts are when Shirley and her little friend wake up and see all the beautiful gifts that were given to her by the Indian guy, and when she throws the bucket of soot on the snotty Clarissa, but most of all, when she finds her "Daddy" at the end,as he keeps calling "Sara, Sara."
This one is excellent, and I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Not Particularly Good - But Entertaining...
I was about to write a review that so many people on this site have repeated: "Shirley Temple is SO cute in this film! She is beleivable and makes you think as a child might about the world. The film was made in lush technicolor and the sets and costumes are lavish!" Then, I thought that I should write a review, honestly stating what I felt about this film. This movie is a popular one, and a very good Shirley Temple vehicle, but it is not a particularly good movie.

I grew up with the Francis Hodgeson Burnett(The Secret Garden) book. I loved it's charm and message. The characters were priceless and the tale was brilliant, melancholy, but beautiful. The tale was about a young girl of seven named Sara Crewe, who has always had a wonderful relationship with her young and wealthy papa, Captain Crewe. When she is seven, she is left with a dissagreeable caretaker named Ms. Minchin in her seminary for 'distinguished young ladies.' As the years pass she makes friendships with the dumpy, comic, and sweet Ermangarde, and the cockny maid, Becky. She is pampered, and treated quite royaly, and is given the nickname of the 'little princess.' On her birthday, it is found out that her papa has passed away, and she is left to work as a scullery maid with nothing but a black frock, and a doll named Emily. Throughout her left as a miserable maid, she keeps her dignity, and the theme of the novel becomes not to let the hate around you make you bitter, and hateful. Sara is eventualy saved, in the end.

The plot of this movie is not at all faithful to the novel. Shirley Temple is only Shirley Temple throughout the film. Her dimples and teary eyes are, in comparison to the Sara of the novel, a baby. Sara of the novel was one 'who never cried' and was 'always dreaming and making up stories.' Temple's Sara cries often throughout the film, and it never dreams as the Sara of the book does. She is just a regular seven year old girl. The characters of Ermengarde, and Ms. Minchin's sister, Miss Amelia, have been either removed completly, or replaced with new characters. This leaves for a very miscast and confused film, that does not offer any of the beautiful lessons of the novel.

As a movie, it might seem entertaining. Throughout the film, a dance sequence with Sara and Miss Minchin's brother, Bertrand, appears. It is commonplace for Temple, also, to have a dance sequence of some sort. This has a 'fairy tale' dance sequence. The script has small bits of humor, but not anything quite so nice.

This is a nice movie, but not a good one to offer the lessons of the original book. All the same, it is best to watch it, as it will offer family entertainment. But, those who read the book will be disapointed.

A candidate for a restoration
The Little Princess remains one of my favorite childhood movie memories. Finding the DVD version was simple enough. I was unaware of how widely the quality varied between the different versions available. The first version I purchased from a Canadian group was horrible. This DVD presentation was reasonable but not striking. The image was grainy and lacked that "Technicolor" brilliance I had hoped for. All of the DVD and VHS versions seem to be made from one film transfer made from an old print. The color rendering is poor. Some scenes appear almost Black and White. Unlike "The WIzard of Oz" or "The Secret Garden" I don't think this was intentional. This version is not transfered from Technicolor stock. I wonder if it was even made from 35 millimeter film. The quality if any in this DVD is from some digital processing available to old video. It does not appear a flying spot scanner or any film restoration equipment was used to create this DVD. The only really nice color image was the cover of the DVD package. I wish someone could find the real Technicolor masters, either the negative or positive film. If you were going to restore one Shirley Temple work, this film would be the one. It is a classic of the time with a glimpse at that time. And Shirley Temple was good in this film. You wipe tears away from your eyes at least twice. And Temple sings a great little song. Did I mention she dances a little too.

watch the remake, please?
This is one of those few times when I like a remake better than the original of a motion picture. I'll confess that, based on this movie, I'm not a Shirley Temple fan (her voice alone is annoying, not to mention her acting ability). She is utterly unconvincing as Sara Crew, and that American accent! Please, can we stop making movies of British literature where all the characters except the main one are truly British? I know this is done so as to appease and appeal to the idiots on our side of the pond, but really, are we so uncultured and stupid, not to mension spoiled, that we won't watch a movie unless it has at least one American actor playing a prominent role? If I had to choose between these two movies, I'd definitely see the 1990's version of this one; at least there, all the characters are Americanized, so one doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Lisel Matthews' performance is enchanting, and the movie all around is delightful.

Dreadful Audio
This review is of the Madacy DVD of "The Little Princess." The picture quality of this DVD is acceptable, more or less, but the audio portion is another thing. The sound is limited to a very narrow band in the midrange. Shirley's voice, for example, is quite tinny throughout the film. At times the sound volume changes abruptly or even disappears completely. One has the impression that the DVD audio engineer tried to regulate the sound volume at a single sitting by turning the knob in real time as he listened to the film. This movie has always sounded quite good on broadcast TV, which obviously wasn't playing back this Madacy disaster.

Unfortunately, it would seem that this writer's experience with "The Little Princess" is not unlike others' experiences with Madacy products. Read Doug Pratt's review of "Two Women" in his Video and DVD Guide (available from amazon.com but also readable on DVDLaser.com) and be forewarned. I now avoid Madacy DVDs.

This is one of my favorite Shirley Temple movies
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I absolutely adore this Shirley Temple movie. It is one that brings back many memories of watching Shirley Temple movies with my sister when we were little. My favorite parts are when Shirley and her little friend wake up and see all the beautiful gifts that were given to her by the Indian guy, and when she throws the bucket of soot on the snotty Clarissa, but most of all, when she finds her "Daddy" at the end,as he keeps calling "Sara, Sara."
This one is excellent, and I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A beautiful film musical!
I really loved this movie. It has auch beautiful songs and is a great romance story as well. I highly recommend it. It's a movie the entire family can watch.

A grand night
This was the first movie I ever saw, at the age of four at the Victory Theatre in Wellston, Missouri (The Victory, a new name for the Mikado, dumped when World War II broke out for obvious reasons). During "It Might As Well Be Spring" I was horribly worried Jeanne Crain was going to fall out of the windowsill of her second story bedroom window. I was so relieved when the song was over. This is a colorful, sweet film, though it does demonstrate as so often was demonstrated that only M-G-M could make M-G-M musicals. Jeanne Crain, the mother of many, always seemed to be acting with her mind on what the kids would have for dinner that evening, but she was lovely, so totally natural (my favorite Jeanne Crain film is the totally forgotten "Take Care Of My Little Girl," about college sorority life). Poor Dick Haymes is totally out of his element, though a wonderful singer. Vivian Blaine pretty much steals the show. She should have enjoyed a much bigger movie career; it's Broadway that won her heart. I love the roller coaster scenes. The coaster in the closeups is not the coaster in the far shots. The studio had a limited budget and, because of World War II, even more limited resources to build the darned sets with. "State Fair" has a lot of pasted-together elements, consequently, but if you don't look close (so much doesn't match from shot to shot and the big, overall shots of the Fair clearly are shooting a miniature that if you think too much doesn't make any sense at all) you'll feel you are at the State Fair.

Isn't the film kinda fun?
This is a better film for families to see, despite the kissing. It is better than Carousel(a nightmare,) but not as good as Chicago. The first time I saw it, it was fast, but now that I almost know it by heart, truthfully, it is going slower despite the running time being 100 minutes. Overall, an entertaing yet so-so film.

A kinder, gentler era
This movie is pure delight. Yes, it has some of the corniest moments ever put on film -- but isn't that part of the charm of these old movies? The music is lovely (I just can't agree with those critics who call it weak), and even though Jeanne Crain and Dick Haymes look far too worldly and sophisticated to be smalltown Iowa farm kids, the movie has a colorful and homey feeling to it. It is about a time when people got excited about spending three days at a county fair, riding on ferris wheels and eating candy apples. Our world may be a lot more sophisticated and technologically savvy nowadays, but I can't help thinking that we've lost a lot of the fun that our grandparents had. This movie brings it back. Enjoy!

Don't forget Vivian Blaine
Unlike Jeanne Crain's, Vivian Blaine's singing voice is her own and she outclasses everyone in the film. Compare her magnetism and composure to her partner, Dick Haymes, in their duet "Isn't it Kinda Fun." Real talent shines through and Vivian's delivery of a song is the only thing in this movie that doesn't seem naive, contrived, and dated. And to the reviewer who told us to "listen for Harry Morgan's voice over as the barker," look closely: that's no voice over... that young face IS the young Harry (billed as Henry Morgan). ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Not Particularly Good - But Entertaining...
I was about to write a review that so many people on this site have repeated: "Shirley Temple is SO cute in this film! She is beleivable and makes you think as a child might about the world. The film was made in lush technicolor and the sets and costumes are lavish!" Then, I thought that I should write a review, honestly stating what I felt about this film. This movie is a popular one, and a very good Shirley Temple vehicle, but it is not a particularly good movie.

I grew up with the Francis Hodgeson Burnett(The Secret Garden) book. I loved it's charm and message. The characters were priceless and the tale was brilliant, melancholy, but beautiful. The tale was about a young girl of seven named Sara Crewe, who has always had a wonderful relationship with her young and wealthy papa, Captain Crewe. When she is seven, she is left with a dissagreeable caretaker named Ms. Minchin in her seminary for 'distinguished young ladies.' As the years pass she makes friendships with the dumpy, comic, and sweet Ermangarde, and the cockny maid, Becky. She is pampered, and treated quite royaly, and is given the nickname of the 'little princess.' On her birthday, it is found out that her papa has passed away, and she is left to work as a scullery maid with nothing but a black frock, and a doll named Emily. Throughout her left as a miserable maid, she keeps her dignity, and the theme of the novel becomes not to let the hate around you make you bitter, and hateful. Sara is eventualy saved, in the end.

The plot of this movie is not at all faithful to the novel. Shirley Temple is only Shirley Temple throughout the film. Her dimples and teary eyes are, in comparison to the Sara of the novel, a baby. Sara of the novel was one 'who never cried' and was 'always dreaming and making up stories.' Temple's Sara cries often throughout the film, and it never dreams as the Sara of the book does. She is just a regular seven year old girl. The characters of Ermengarde, and Ms. Minchin's sister, Miss Amelia, have been either removed completly, or replaced with new characters. This leaves for a very miscast and confused film, that does not offer any of the beautiful lessons of the novel.

As a movie, it might seem entertaining. Throughout the film, a dance sequence with Sara and Miss Minchin's brother, Bertrand, appears. It is commonplace for Temple, also, to have a dance sequence of some sort. This has a 'fairy tale' dance sequence. The script has small bits of humor, but not anything quite so nice.

This is a nice movie, but not a good one to offer the lessons of the original book. All the same, it is best to watch it, as it will offer family entertainment. But, those who read the book will be disapointed.

A candidate for a restoration
The Little Princess remains one of my favorite childhood movie memories. Finding the DVD version was simple enough. I was unaware of how widely the quality varied between the different versions available. The first version I purchased from a Canadian group was horrible. This DVD presentation was reasonable but not striking. The image was grainy and lacked that "Technicolor" brilliance I had hoped for. All of the DVD and VHS versions seem to be made from one film transfer made from an old print. The color rendering is poor. Some scenes appear almost Black and White. Unlike "The WIzard of Oz" or "The Secret Garden" I don't think this was intentional. This version is not transfered from Technicolor stock. I wonder if it was even made from 35 millimeter film. The quality if any in this DVD is from some digital processing available to old video. It does not appear a flying spot scanner or any film restoration equipment was used to create this DVD. The only really nice color image was the cover of the DVD package. I wish someone could find the real Technicolor masters, either the negative or positive film. If you were going to restore one Shirley Temple work, this film would be the one. It is a classic of the time with a glimpse at that time. And Shirley Temple was good in this film. You wipe tears away from your eyes at least twice. And Temple sings a great little song. Did I mention she dances a little too.

watch the remake, please?
This is one of those few times when I like a remake better than the original of a motion picture. I'll confess that, based on this movie, I'm not a Shirley Temple fan (her voice alone is annoying, not to mention her acting ability). She is utterly unconvincing as Sara Crew, and that American accent! Please, can we stop making movies of British literature where all the characters except the main one are truly British? I know this is done so as to appease and appeal to the idiots on our side of the pond, but really, are we so uncultured and stupid, not to mension spoiled, that we won't watch a movie unless it has at least one American actor playing a prominent role? If I had to choose between these two movies, I'd definitely see the 1990's version of this one; at least there, all the characters are Americanized, so one doesn't stick out like a sore thumb. Lisel Matthews' performance is enchanting, and the movie all around is delightful.

Dreadful Audio
This review is of the Madacy DVD of "The Little Princess." The picture quality of this DVD is acceptable, more or less, but the audio portion is another thing. The sound is limited to a very narrow band in the midrange. Shirley's voice, for example, is quite tinny throughout the film. At times the sound volume changes abruptly or even disappears completely. One has the impression that the DVD audio engineer tried to regulate the sound volume at a single sitting by turning the knob in real time as he listened to the film. This movie has always sounded quite good on broadcast TV, which obviously wasn't playing back this Madacy disaster.

Unfortunately, it would seem that this writer's experience with "The Little Princess" is not unlike others' experiences with Madacy products. Read Doug Pratt's review of "Two Women" in his Video and DVD Guide (available from amazon.com but also readable on DVDLaser.com) and be forewarned. I now avoid Madacy DVDs.

This is one of my