Classic Movies - Famous Child Star: Shirley Temple 1937

Starring

Shirley Temple
Jean Hersholt

Arthur Treacher

Helen Westley

Sidney Blackmer

Mary Nash

Marcia Mae Jones

Delmar Watson

This week let’s continue to talk Classic Movie Child Star – Shirley Temple. Last week we highlighted some of Shirley’s classics from 1934, 1935, and 1936. This week we are moving on to 1937-1940. Only two movies were credited to Shirley in 1937, Wee Willie Winkie, and Heidi. She also made two cameo appearances, one in Ali Baba Goes to Town and the other in Stand-In, singing "On the Good Ship Lollipop". Today we are going to feature Shirley as a little Swiss Miss in the loveliest story of her career, Heidi.

Directed by Allan Dwan and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, Heidi was based on the 1880 children's story of the same name by Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The film stars Shirley Temple, Jean Hersholt, Arthur Treacher, Helen Westley, Thomas Beck, Sidney Blackmer, Mary Nash, Mady Christians, Marcia Mae Jones, and Delmar Watson. Shirley suggested the idea and placement of the "In Our Little Wooden Shoes" sequence because she felt the song would liven up the movie. The film was a huge success and Shirley enjoyed her third year in a row as number one box office draw.

Eight-year-old Heidi Kramer (Temple) is orphaned and her selfish maternal Aunt Dete (Christians) takes her to the village of Dorfli, south of the Black Forest in Germany in the beautiful Alps, to live with her grumpy old Grandfather Kramer (Hersholt). The old man has been living alone for many years and still holds a grudge against Heidi's parents for marrying against his wishes. There she meets and befriends Peter (Watson), the goat general, after his goat Church has butted into Heidi knocking her to the ground. Soon Heidi brings her grandfather back into mountain society...through her angelic ways, sheer love, and her adorable personality. Grandfather grows to love the child and provides her with a loving, caring home. Aunt Dete returns unexpectedly and steals Heidi away and takes her to Frankfurt to be the companion of Herr Seseman’s (Blackmer) daughter, Klara (Jones), who is confined to a wheelchair. Grandfather is enraged when he finds Heidi gone! He sells his most cherished personal belongings as he sets out to find her.

In the meantime, Heidi and Klara become fast friends but Heidi is not welcomed by the head housekeeper, Fraulein Rottenmeier (Nash). Loved and adored by everyone she touches except the villainous housekeeper, Heidi thrives but is inwardly very sad and lonely. No matter what anyone tells her, Heidi knows that some day she will be reunited with her grandfather. As a Christmas gift to Herr Seseman from Klara, Heidi encourages Klara by helping her to learn to walk again. Fraulein Rottenmeier (who has tried to keep Klara dependent upon her) sees her future employment threatened and tries to sell Heidi to the gypsies. Heidi is rescued by her grandfather and taken back to their mountain home.

We recommend watching 1937’s Heidi where Shirley Temple once again saves the day. It is a very heart-warming story that we have seen several times. Read “Let’s Talk Classic Movies” every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for more classic movie presentations and trivia.

**Trivia Question for Today: There was scene in Heidi that was planned without Shirley Temple's knowledge, and her surprised reaction was genuine. In which scene did this happen?

Trivia Answer for Previous Post: The item Shirley Temple lost during the filming of Poor Little Rich Girl was her first baby tooth.