It's 1899 England. Captain Crewe is off to fight the Boer War. He leave his daughter Sara (Shirley Temple) with Amanda Minchin (Mary Nash) at a private school for girls. She's treated royally while her father pays handsomely. The top girl Lavinia is jealous calling her "The Little Princess". When her father is reported dead and his property confiscated by the enemy, Minchin wants to kick Sara out into the streets but reluctantly agrees to keep her in the cold attic as a house maid. Despite it all, she never gives up hope for her father and always treats the servant girl Becky with kindness. Meanwhile Minchin keeps the sweet teacher Rose under her control with lies.
It's the first Technicolor film for Temple but I don't have the original prints. I do see enough to tell the unreal brilliant bright colors this film is meant to be. Little Shirley Temple is doing her adorable best with her song and dance. Mary Nash is always a good villain. The story is fine although it is done very melodramatically. The super sweet nature and the Temple mannerism do push it to the limit of corniness. It even has a ballet fairy-tale dream sequence which is so adorable and so cheesy good.
It's the first Technicolor film for Temple but I don't have the original prints. I do see enough to tell the unreal brilliant bright colors this film is meant to be. Little Shirley Temple is doing her adorable best with her song and dance. Mary Nash is always a good villain. The story is fine although it is done very melodramatically. The super sweet nature and the Temple mannerism do push it to the limit of corniness. It even has a ballet fairy-tale dream sequence which is so adorable and so cheesy good.