Heidi (1937)

Wow! Such a good movie.

Fresh and Exciting

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

With all the Moppets running around in the mid-late 1930's, I bet none of their mothers could say that they never had a temper tantrum. On her movies, she only got mad when she needed to defend herself. Here, she must go up against a scheming aunt, a vindictive housekeeper and evil gypsies. She is able to charm embittered grandfather Jean Hersholt and win an entire Swiss mountain community over.Yet, in spite of all the sappiness, this is the best of Temple's movies and is both heart-warming and sweet. There are plenty of pathos and a bit of humor, especially the presence of an organ grinder's monkey who creates chaos in the Frankfurt house that Heidi is taken to against her will. It is obvious that depression era audiences needed someone like Shirley to brighten things up, so her talents can't be denied in that respect. If FDR hadn't been do popular, somebody might have endorsed Temple for president!As usual, there are evil grown-ups and in this case, it is Mary Nash as the nastiest housekeeper outside of "Rebecca's" Mrs. Danvers. Mady Christians is nasty as her self- serving aunt. On the good side, there is Helen Westley as a sweet blind mountain woman, Delmar Watson as her grandson who quickly befriends Heidi, Marcia Mae Jones as Clara, the Frankfurt girl whom Heidi is brought to serve as her companion, and Sidney Blackmer as Clara's kind father. Arthur Treachet offers some comical buttling and Thomas Beck is the kindly minister whom Temple tried to find a wife for.There's an unnecessarily cloying musical number that comes as part of a dream sequence rather than a plot device. It's fine for what it is bit perhaps one or two numbers in the course of the film would have served it better. Still, it is truly an enjoyable film and remains the best of the "Heidi's".

Heidi as a book was a childhood favourite and still is a timeless classic. This version with Shirley Temple was also a favourite as a child and is still a delight, whether you've read the book or not. It is true that it is not the truest to the book, with some darker elements that didn't feel shoe-horned and far from traumatising, but that really doesn't matter, you can still love the book and also love the film. There could have been more of the relationship between Heidi and her grandfather(but it is still really touching) and the musical number In Our Little Wooden Shoes while catchy, well-staged and cute didn't add a whole lot to the story, in fact really it was irrelevant. Everything else is fine, and I found it superior to the 1993 Noley Thornton version(which was still good), it doesn't feel over-dramatic even with the added darker parts, the characters are far more truthfully and sympathetically written with much more of a character journey with the grandfather and there's more heart. Heidi is a lovely film to look at, being crisply and lovingly filmed, scenery that makes you wish you were right there and the costumes give a genuine sense of time and place(they look good too, yes even Heidi's poor clothes). The music is whimsical and sparkling, the dialogue has a very good balance of funny and meaningful and the story essentially has every bit the charm, heart-warming sentiment and emotion that the book has, the ending is well and truly sweet and not tacky. The sled chase, any scene with Fraulein Rottenmeier and the monkey are standout scenes. Heidi is briskly directed with enough time for the story to resonate and for the actors to really go for it. Jean Hersholt plays grumpy and heartfelt beautifully, while reclusive there is a real sense that he cares for Heidi and she for him. Mary Nash is the very meaning of beastly- living aptly up to her character's name- and absolutely relishes it, while Arthur Treacher is hilarious as the butler Andrews and Marcia Mae Jones is an affecting Klara. But it's Shirley Temple's film, she's adorable and while she manages to be charming and have wonderful comic timing she is equally good at displaying an emotional side, her acting in the scene in the police station(another memorable scene) is just heart-breaking. While she is the main attraction of the film, the other characters and actors are just as believable to not make Heidi too much of a Shirley Temple show. All in all, delightful and a Shirley Temple classic, one of her best possibly. 9/10 Bethany Cox

The news came out today that Shirley Temple has died. And so, as is my custom when an actor I admire dies, I try to watch one of their films. And, for my money, "Heidi" is the best of the Temple childhood films. I loved it when I was a kid, and I still love...and I'm 64 years old now! And, despite the "unrealness" of it, I actually prefer the colorized version.This film is a treat for so many reasons. In the early scenes, much is seen, but not spoken...and it works very well. And then there are the classic scenes -- the breaking of the snow globe by the rotten Fraulein Rottenmeier (what a delicious name for her), the monkey, the sled chase...and so many more.Another treat, aside from Shirley Temple at her best, is the fine old actor Jean Hersholt as the grandfather; the Academy Award's Humanitarian Award is dedicated to him. Marcia Mae Jones was fine as the invalid rich girl, and this film was where I first noticed the fine character actor Sidney Blackmer as Herr Sesemann, Clara's doting father. Arthur Treacher is fun -- again here -- as (who else) the butler. And Mary Nash has her most memorable role as Fräulein Rottenmeier. Worth mentioning is Helen Westley as the old blind woman. Now to those who complain that the film doesn't follow the original story. So what? That was a book. This is a film. Two different mediums, each with its own talent of telling a story. Get over it.The film is a gem.

I am no expert on "Heidi". I know it's a super-famous book and I've seen a few of the movies. But what I do know is that this Twentieth Century-Fox version was FAR from the original tale. It's still entertaining, but it's not "Heidi".The story begins in the German mountains. This is odd, as it was actually supposed to be Switzerland and I wonder why the studio changed this--especially in light of the rising oppression in Nazi Germany. It begins with Heidi's aunt bringing the girl to live with her Grandfather. He has no interest in the child or anyone else, as he long ago disowned his child and became a hermit. But, VERY quickly (much more quickly than it should), Heidi brings out the man's love and humanity and all is well. However, the aunt returns to kidnap the child (not in the original story) and the rest of the tale is set in Frankfurt--where Heidi becomes the companion of a disabled girl. This portion of the story is somewhat like the original, though there was no kidnapping and the housekeeper was NOTHING like the original--and instead of just being stuffy, she's evil and a criminal who eventually tries to sell Heidi to gypsies!!! Again, certainly NOT in the original story. But, in the end, all is finally well and Heidi is returned to her loving grandfather.If you have never read or seen a film based on the original story, the 1937 version is wonderful. As usual, Shirley Temple is great and I can even forgive the totally unnecessary song and dance number inexplicably inserted into the movie. Having watched the 1993 Noley Thornton version which closely follows the story, however, I know that the story can be a lot better. Decent but see the 1993 version instead...or in addition.