The Little Princess (1939)
Directed by Walter Lang and based loosely on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s beloved novel A Little Princess, this 1939 adaptation marked a major milestone in Shirley Temple’s career—it was her first film shot entirely in Technicolor, and her last major box office success as a child star.
Plot Summary
Set during the Second Boer War, the story follows Sara Crewe (Shirley Temple), a wealthy young girl left at Miss Minchin’s School for Girls while her father, Captain Crewe (Ian Hunter), goes off to war. When news arrives that he’s been killed and his fortune lost, Sara is forced into servitude at the school. Despite hardship, she maintains her dignity and kindness, befriending servants and helping others. In a dramatic twist, Sara discovers her father is alive but injured and suffering from amnesia in a nearby hospital.
Cast Highlights
- Shirley Temple as Sara Crewe
- Richard Greene as Geoffrey Hamilton
- Anita Louise as Rose
- Ian Hunter as Captain Crewe
- Cesar Romero as Ram Dass
- Mary Nash as Amanda Minchin
- Arthur Treacher, Sybil Jason, and Marcia Mae Jones in supporting roles
Behind-the-Scenes Trivia
- Originally, a monkey was supposed to accompany Ram Dass, but it kept trying to bite Shirley Temple—so it was replaced with a parrot
- Technicolor required extremely bright lighting—up to 1,000 foot-candles—but cinematographer Arthur C. Miller worked with the Technicolor company to reduce it to 400–500, making it safe for Temple and the child actors
- Shirley Temple requested her own time card to punch in and out like the crew. IBM sent her a custom machine with her name and photo, but she preferred using the studio-issued cards
Musical Moments
Temple performs the lively number “Knocked ’Em in the Old Kent Road” with Arthur Treacher, and appears in an extended ballet sequence, showcasing her versatility as a performer.
