Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786303049069
Format: Closed-captioned
ISBN: 6303049060
Label: 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: 2000-04-18
Running Time: 88
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Theatrical Release Date: 1937-10-15

One thing Shirley Temple did extremely well (besides sing, dance, and act) was turn the cranky cuddly. She'd done it effectively, two years prior, in 1935's The Little Colonel with grandfather Lionel Barrymore. Now in Heidi she turns her reclusive grumpy grandfather, Adolf (Jean Hersholt), into the loving sort she knows he really is. Heidi is an orphan, dumped into the Swiss Alps by self-centered Aunt Dete (Mady Christians) onto a grandfather she's never known, but they soon learn to love each other. Heidi's mercenary aunt returns and sells (!) Heidi to a cruel woman, appropriately named Fraulein Rottenmeier (Mary Nash). Adolf sets out on a quest to find his granddaughter. Meanwhile, Heidi charms Klara Sesemann (Marcia Mae Jones), the wealthy handicapped girl in Fraulein Rottenmeier's care. Look for a delightful Arthur Treacher as the Sesemann butler. There's a cute fantasy production number, "In Our Little Wooden Shoes," featuring Temple in various period costumes. Throughout Heidi, Temple is, as always, wonderfully joyful. This is perhaps the best-known rendering of the popular children's story by Johanna Spyri (it's been filmed some 10 times). --N.F. Mendoza

Customer Rating:
Summary: wonderful classic
Comment: This is one of the best of the Shirley Temple films. Remarkable is the fact that she did not overact and that all the supporting cast is supberb.
For those not familiar with the story it is easy to follow and is a pleasure for young ones who have never seen this, and for the older ones who remember seeing it as children

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Heidi heads home
Comment: I purchased this video for my mother who will be giving it as a Christmas gift. We were blessed with getting to know a young lady from Germany who spent the year with my brother as a foreign exchange student. While here, she and another student from Austria watched our video of Heidi so they could compare it to their version. They enjoyed it so much that my mother decided to get her a copy. We are very happy with our purchase - the quick shipment and great packaging got it to us in A-1 condition. Thank you.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Far more than just a movie for little girls...
Comment: I never watched Shirley Temple growing up. My sister did, but she was not my cup of tea (as is to be expected with any young boy really). Now that I am older and I have a young daughter of my own I have found that I watch, and enjoy, quite a few films that I would have generally avoided.

`Heidi' is one of my favorites.

The film tells the familiar story (it's been told an upwards of ten times already) of young Heidi Kramer, an orphan who is left at her grandfathers doorstep by her selfish aunt. Her grandfather is a bit of a grouch, but Heidi's warm demeanor soon melts his heart and he becomes as sweet and gentle as a teddy bear. Just as the two are forming an unbreakable family bond, Heidi's wicked aunt comes back to whisk Heidi away in an attempt to sell her to a wealthy man in search of a companion for his crippled daughter Klara. Despite the adamant dissatisfaction on the part of Klara's caretaker Fraulein Rottenmeier, Heidi is permitted to stay. Heidi longs to go home to her grandfather but is not allowed to leave, especially after her cheerful attitude causes positive changes in Klara. Adolph, Heidi's grandfather, begins a desperate search for her, but will they ever be reunited?

Well, we know the answer, but getting there is half the fun.

Shirley Temple is a sweetheart, a truly charming and sensational little actress and she paints each scene red with her gigantic personality. There has not been a child star since that has been able to really excite all the sense like this little spitfire could. Yes, those Olsen girls tried, but honesty; no.

Temple's mother, like all crazy child actor parents, was afraid that young Marcia Mae Jones would steal the limelight from her daughter, but what happened instead was an equalizing of talent here. Both Temple and Jones shine brightly and work so well together. Sure, Temple is the star and that is undeniable, but she is able to allow Jones to get in her dues as well, which is commendable. Jean Hersholt is effective as Adolph, even if he is not used too much. Arthur Treacher is delightful as the butler Andrews and Sidney Blackmer is sincere and just plain wonderful as Herr Sesemann, Klara's elated father. Both Mary Nash and Mady Christians are brilliantly dastardly as the evil Rottenmeier and Aunt Dete. In fact, the entire cast really works beautifully here.

In the end I have to say that `Heidi' is not just for little girls. This is a wonderful film for families, for it is a charming movie that the whole family can enjoy; mother, father, daughter and son. It's sweet, it's boisterous and it's a pure delight.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Heidi
Comment: After 5 tries with 3 other sellers, this one got it right the first time and delivered fast!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Classic Shirley Temple
Comment: HeidiThis was such a great story and as always Shirley Temple proves that she was a phenomenal actress.

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