The Little Colonel - 1935

Shirley Temple memorized every line of dialogue in this movie, and while filming a scene with Lionel Barrymore, the veteran actor forgot a line. When Temple prompted him, Barrymore flew into a such a rage that one crew member took Temple away for fear that Barrymore might harm her. He later apologized to her, and they remained friends for many years.

This movie features Shirley Temple's famous "staircase dance" with Bill Robinson.

Bill Robinson claimed that the idea for his "staircase dance" with Shirley Temple came to him in a dream. He later recalled of the dream, "I was being made a lord by the King of England and he was standing at the head of a flight of stairs. Rather than walk, I danced up."

Nyanza Potts was so nervous about acting with Shirley Temple that he often missed his cues and forgot his lines. Temple took him aside and helped him rehearse, and afterward, no longer nervous around her, Potts performed perfectly.

Performing their "staircase dance" together in this film made Bill Robinson and Shirley Temple the first interracial dancing couple in American movie history. This scene was cut when the film played in the southern United States.

The party scene at the end of the movie was the first time that Shirley Temple was filmed in color. Color shooting required Temple to wear makeup for the first time in any of her films.

To market the movie, the original book by Johnston, Annie Fellows was re-printed by the A.L. Burt Company. Called "the Shirley Temple Edition", the book contained nearly a dozen photos from the movie, including a production still of Shirley siting on Barrymore's lap while wearing a costume not featured in the film.

Cast of The Little Colonel

Shirley Temple as Lloyd Sherman, the daughter of Elizabeth and Jack Sherman, and granddaughter to Colonel Lloyd
Lionel Barrymore as Colonel Lloyd
Evelyn Venable as Elizabeth Lloyd Sherman, Jack Sherman’s wife, little Lloyd’s mother, and Colonel Lloyd’s daughter
John Lodge as Jack Sherman, Elizabeth’s husband and little Lloyd’s father
Bill Robinson as Walker, Colonel Lloyd’s butler
Hattie McDaniel as Mom Beck, Elizabeth’s housekeeper
Avonnie Jackson as May Lily, little Lloyd’s friend
Nyanza Potts as Henry Clay, little Lloyd’s friend