''The Littlest Rebel'' is a 1935 American

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by David Butler. The screenplay by Edwin J. Burke was adapted from a play of the same name by Edward Peple.

Plot

Virgie (Temple) and her father,

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

captain Herbert Cary (Boles) are a slaveowning family in the

Antebellum South The ''Antebellum'' South era (from ) was a period in the history of the Southern United States that extended from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. This era was marked by the prevalent practic ...

. During her sixth birthday party, Cary learns that the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

has begun and that he must immediately report for duty, leaving Virgie at home. Worried about her father, Virgie asks her

slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, Uncle Billy (Robinson), about the war, and he tells her that he has heard that a man up North wants to free the slaves, but that he does not know what that will mean. Shortly after Cary's departure with the other enlisted Confederate men, Union soldiers arrive at the Cary

plantation Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

and Virgie hits their leader, Colonel Morrison, with her

slingshot A slingshot or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame, with two tubes or strips made from either a natural rubber or synthetic elastic material. These are attached to the upper two ends ...

, a move he admires for its audacity but warns her not to try again. In response, she tauntingly sings "Dixie" as he leaves. Cary is nearly caught behind enemy lines by Seargant Dudley (Williams) on a clandestine visit to his family, since the plantation is now in Union-controlled territory. Dudley's men loot the plantation house of hidden food and valuables, and Virgie puts on

blackface Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...

out of fear of what Union soldiers might do to whites, causing Dudley to chase her through the house and push her mother down a set of stairs in the struggle. At the end of the scuffle, Morrison arrives, and makes Dudley apologize to Virgie and her mother, assigns him lashes as punishment, and makes his men return what they looted. Virgie hits him with another rock from her slingshot as he leaves. As active combat approaches the house, Mrs. Cary and Uncle Billy leave with Virgie through the woods during a heavy rainstorm, and Mrs. Cary covers Virgie with her cloak to protect her, allowing herself to become soaked and become ill. Despite sheltering in Uncle Billy's cabin for a month after the plantation house was burned down, she is on her deathbed and Uncle Billy sends for Cary. Upon being assured that Cary will look after Virgie, she dies. Union troops arrive shortly after the funeral, forcing Cary to hide in an attic, but he is quickly discovered by Colonel Morrison. Morrison originally believes Cary is on a scouting mission, but Cary explains he is trying to take Virgie to his sister in Richmond, Virginia, swaying the colonel who has a daughter the same age. Morrison writes a pass allowing their safe travel and furnishes Cary with a Yankee uniform, and Cary makes a promise to Morrison that he and Virgie will not tell anyone what they see in Richmond. Virgie is recognized by Sgt. Dudley as they're being questioned in a Union camp, and Cary whips him before being surrounded by soldiers. Cary and Morrison are

court-martialed A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the mili ...

and sentenced to

hanging Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...

, but a sympathetic officer attempts to secure them a pardon by giving Uncle Billy a letter to bring to

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Having no money for the train ticket, Uncle Billy and Virgie dance in the town square to raise funds. The D.C. judge is so moved by the letter that they are seen by President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

, and Virgie recounts their story, convincing the President that her father and Morrison are not spies after he learns of her father's promise. Lincoln orders a pardon for the two men to be issued immediately. Virgie sings " Polly Wolly Doodle" with the Union soldiers upon her return to the barracks and hugs her father and Morrison.

Cast

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

as Virgie Cary * John Boles as Herbert Cary * Jack Holt as Colonel Morrison * Karen Morley as Mrs. Cary * Guinn Williams as Sergeant Dudley *

Frank McGlynn Sr. Frank McGlynn Sr. (October 26, 1866 – May 18, 1951) was an American stage and screen actor who, in a career that spanned more than half a century, is best known for his convincing Impersonator, impersonations and performances as Abraham L ...

as President

Bill Robinson Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid black entertainer in the United States during the first half of the 20 ...

as Uncle Billy *

Willie Best William Best (May 27, 1916 – February 27, 1962), known professionally as Willie Best or Sleep 'n' Eat, was an American television and film actor. Best was one of the first African American film actors and comedians to become well known ...

as James Henry *Bessie Lyle as Mammy Rosabelle * Hannah Washington as Sally Ann * Karl Hackett as

John Hay John Milton Hay (October 8, 1838July 1, 1905) was an American statesman and official whose career in government stretched over almost half a century. Beginning as a Secretary to the President of the United States, private secretary for Abraha ...

(uncredited) *

Jack Mower Jack Mower (September 5, 1890 – January 6, 1965) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 520 films between 1914 and 1965. He was born in Honolulu and died in Hollywood. After studying at Punahou College, in Honolulu, Mower moved ...

as Yankee Lt. Hart (uncredited)

Production

The slingshot scene was written into the movie by screenwriter Edwin Burke after he learned of Temple's natural ability to use the slingshot. She was perfectly on target and needed only one take for the scene. Temple made international headlines when in the context of trying to keep noisy doves on the prison set (which the director explained did not belong in war) she asked "Why doesn't someone make Mussolini stop?" Someone overheard her comment and it made it into the newspapers, angering Mussolini.

Critical reception

Upon release

Writing for ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...

'' in 1936,

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

gave the film a mildly poor review, explaining that he had "expected there ould bethe usual sentimental exploitation of childhood", but that he "had not expected emple'stremendous energy" which he criticized as "a little too enervating".

Modern criticism

Bill Gibron, of the

Online Film Critics Society The Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) is an international professional association of online film journalists, historians and scholars who publish their work on the World Wide Web. The organization was founded in January 1997 by Harvey S. Karten ...

, wrote: "The racism present in ''The Littlest Rebel'', '' The Little Colonel'' and '' Dimples'' is enough to warrant a clear critical caveat." However, Gibron, echoing most film critics who continue to see value in Temple's work despite the racism that is present in some of it, also wrote: "Thankfully, the talent at the center of these troubling takes is still worthwhile for some, anyway."

Adaptations

''The Littlest Rebel'' was dramatized as an hour-long radio play on the October 14, 1940, broadcast of ''

Lux Radio Theatre ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a old-time radio, classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the Blue Network, NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of A ...

'', with Shirley Temple and

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Supp ...

References

;Footnotes ;Works cited * * ;Bibliography * The author expounds upon father figures in Temple films. * In the essay, "Cuteness and Commodity Aesthetics: Tom Thumb and Shirley Temple", author Lori Merish examines the cult of cuteness in America.

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Littlest Rebel, The 1935 films 1930s historical films American Civil War films American historical films American black-and-white films Films directed by David Butler Films scored by Cyril J. Mockridge Films set in Virginia 20th Century Fox films American films based on plays 1930s English-language films 1930s American films English-language historical films