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Bupp Filmology
Week Fourteen

"Little Lord Fauntleroy" 1936

MOVIE NAME: LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY
STUDIO: SELZNICK INTERNATIONAL PICTURES
PRODUCER: DAVID O. SELZNICK
DIRECTOR: JOHN CROMWELL
DATE: 1936
TYPE: DRAMA
CAST:
FREDDIE BARTHOLOMEW as Ceddie Errol, DOLORES COSTELLO BARRYMORE as "Dearest" Errol, C. AUBREY SMITH as The Earl of Dorincourt, GUY KIBBEE as Mr. Hobbs, HENRY STEPHENSON as Havisham,MICKEY ROONEY as Dick, CONSTANCE COLLIER as Lady Lorridaile, E.E. CLIVE Sir Harry LorridaileUNA O’CONNOR as Mary JACKIE SEARL as Tommy TOMMY BUPP as One of the Boy in a fight
SOURCE: A F I, Catalog of Feature Films 1931-1940
STORY: I n Brooklyn, in the 1880’s, after Captain Errol, an Englishman dies, his American widow and son live frugally, but happily devoted to each other. The Earl of Dorincourt, Ceddie’s miserly grandfather, who had earlier denounced his son because he married a n American, calls Ceddie to England to take the title of Lord Fauntleroy. Ceddie’s best friend Mr. Hobbs, the grocer, believes all aristocracy are pretentious and unkind. This causes Ceddie to be reluctant to accept is new title. When Haversham, the Earl’s lawyer gives Ceddie money that he uses to help his friends. He believes that the Earl is generous. When Ceddie and his mother, who he calls "Dearest," arrive in England, he learns that his mother will not be living with him in the castle. Dearest doesn’t tell him that it is the Earl’s bigotry that separates them, not wanting him to think ill of his grandfather. Ceddie soon softens the Earl’s heart, causing the Earl’s family and tenants to kindly of him for the first time. Trouble comes when Minna, a fortune-hunting woman comes to say she was married to the Earl’s son and claims the title for her ill mannered son, Tom. Ceddie swears his devotion to the Earl, with or without the title. Broken hearted the Earl apologizes for his cruelty to Dearest. Mr. Hobbs reads about the story and realizes Minna is a fraud. He and Dick and Dick’s brother Ben, who is Minna’s husband head for England. Ben and his son are reunited. Dearest moves into the castle and Mr. Hobbs changes his mind about the Earl.
Note:
This was David O. Selznick’s first movie after leaving MGM, and starting his own production company, Selznick International.

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