The Little Lord (1980)

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Movie
German title The little Lord
Original title Little Lord Fauntleroy
Country of production Great Britain
original language English
Publishing year 1980
length 99 minutes
Age rating FSK 0
Rod
Director Jack Gold
script Blanche Hanalis
production Norman Rosemont
music Allyn Ferguson
camera Arthur Ibbetson
cut Keith Palmer
occupation
synchronization

The Little Lord (Original Title: Little Lord Fauntleroy) is a British television film directed by Jack Gold from 1980. Ricky Schroder and Alec Guinness play the leading roles . The novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett from 1886 served as a template . Since 1982, the film has always been broadcast shortly before Christmas (often on the Friday before) on ARD .

action

The action takes place in 1872. Cedric Errol, aged eight, whose late father was English, lives with his American mother and midwife Mary in very modest circumstances in a busy part of New York City .

One day, Mr. Havisham, the ambassador of his English grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, shows up and makes Cedric's mother an offer to move to England with her son, since Cedric has become the only heir to the nobility and property of his English grandfather. He should receive the title "Lord Fauntleroy" and be brought up in preparation for his later duties at the family castle.

Sullen and widowed, convention and conceit, Earl, who has great resentment against the United States and disapproved of the youngest of his three sons - Cedric's father - for marrying a US citizen, will not allow Cedric's mother to come along lives in the castle, but demands that she be accommodated in a nearby guest house. In order not to stand in the way of her son's future, the mother accepts the offer, but on the condition that her son does not learn of the grandfather's dislike for her. A prerogative of the Earl rejects it.

The withdrawn grandfather initially receives his grandson in a reserved manner. With his open-minded and direct manner, Cedric quickly succeeds not only in gaining recognition from the residents of the county, but also in softening the hardened heart of the aged earl: he visibly blossoms, develops a proud love for his grandson and heir, takes over for the first time also responsibility for his poor tenants and begins to revive old family and social contacts. This happy change is only disturbed when an actress named Minna Tipton appears who tries to dispute Cedric's title and future inheritance in favor of her own son by claiming to be the widow of the earl's second eldest son.

The story of the likeable little American who is about to be deprived of his British inheritance is spreading widely and is also picked up by the American press. This is how Cedric's New York friends, Mr. Hobbs the general store and the shoeshine boy Dick learn about it . In a newspaper photo in Minna, Dick recognizes the former wife of his brother Ben, who emigrated to England with her child a long time ago. Immediately, Mr. Hobbs, Dick and Ben travel to England and are able to expose the cheater.

It is easier to prepare for Christmas in a large group. Old Earl Cedric's mother asks for the lock, opens it to her and recognizes her as his daughter-in-law. Cedric is celebrated as the rightful heir and future earl at mealtimes.

background

The production was filmed for the British television broadcaster BBC as a Christmas program. Filming took place at Shepperton Studios and Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire . The score is by Allyn Ferguson . At the end of the film there are also classic English Christmas carols like Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and We Wish You a Merry Christmas . They also dance to the American folk song Oh, Dem Golden Slippers .

The novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett from 1886 served as a template . This had already been filmed several times, so the version from 1980 is often referred to as a remake of the film from 1936 , although the films are different in many places. Apart from a few omissions and different accents - the film ends e.g. B. not with Cedric's eighth birthday party, but with a Christmas party - the film largely follows the content of the novel.

The script of the film shows a mistake at the point in which Mr. Hobbs and Dick inform themselves in the New York Tribune about the new events surrounding the alleged new title claim: The issue of the newspaper is dated January 24, 1872. In view of the fact that the action takes place in the run-up to Christmas, this cannot be true. In addition, the song Oh, Dem Golden Slippers played in the film was not written until 1879.

In Germany, the film was broadcast for the first time on December 26, 1982 in the program of the First German Television . Since then, it has been shown shortly before Christmas every year.

synchronization

role actor Voice actor
Cedric Errol - Lord Fauntleroy Ricky Schroder Kai Brückner
Earl of Dorincourt Alec Guinness Wilhelm Borchert
Mrs. Errol Connie Booth Hallgard Bruckhaus
Mr. Havisham Eric Porter Lothar Blumhagen
Silas Hobbs Colin Blakely Gerd Duwner
Mary Carmel McSharry Inge Wolffberg
Dick Tipton Rolf Saxon Helmut Gauss
Reverend Muldaur Peter Copley Friedrich W. Building School
Ben Tipton Edward Wylie Ronald Nitschke
Wilkins Patrick Stewart Friedrich Georg Beckhaus

Reviews

“A detailed film adaptation of a youth novel from the 19th century, located between poetic unreality and humorous distance. Despite a soulful and melodramatic staging, a successful appeal to kindness and humanity. "

- Lexicon of international film

“With its beautiful pictures, its calm narrative attitude, which is especially suitable for the young audience to follow the story, and its life-affirming message, THE LITTLE LORD is still the perfect film to convey important and correct values ​​not only for Christmas . An absolute classic that still inspires, enchants and touches today. "

- German film and media rating (FBW)

Trivia

The title "Lord Fauntleroy" is a so-called courtesy titles (English courtesy title that are) common in the British nobility. British aristocrats usually have several titles of different ranks and only use the highest ranking in everyday life; in the case of Cedric's grandfather, it is the Earl of Dorincourt . During the lifetime of the title holder, the second highest title in rank will be held by his heirs; the heir is not yet entitled to the title (it is only transferred with the death of the previous owner), but it is already used by the heir. Cedric can therefore hold the second highest title of his grandfather and is addressed as such. " Lord " is not itself a title of nobility, but a form of address for nobles; the courtesy title "Fauntleroy" is expected to this system - although it is never mentioned in the film - either a Barony or viscountcy be because both barons ( baron ) and Viscount ( Viscount ) rank among Earl stand and be addressed as "Lord" .

Awards

Best Cinematography - Arthur Ibbetson
Nominated for Best Young Actor in a Movie Made for Television - Ricky Schroder

Blu-ray release

EuroVideo Medien GmbH (ed.): The little Lord. Geiselgasteig 2016. (Restored version with an eight-page brochure)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Certificate of Release for The Little Lord . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF). Template: FSK / maintenance / type not set and Par. 1 longer than 4 characters
  2. ↑ The little lord. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  3. ↑ The Little Lord - The Original. In: FBW-Film Rating.com Retrieved June 11, 2019 .