Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980 film)
Encyclopedia
Little Lord Fauntleroy is a 1980 British
family film
directed by Jack Gold
and starring Alec Guiness, Rick Schroder
and Eric Porter
. It is based on the children's novel of the same name
.
after the death of his father. Cedric's grandfather, the Earl
of Dorincourt, has long ago disowned his son for marrying an American.
After his other two sons die, leaving Cedric technically the heir to the earldom, Lord Dorincourt sends Mr. Havisham, his lawyer, to America to bring Cedric to England. Mrs. Errol accompanies her son, but is not allowed to live at Dorincourt castle nor meet the Earl, although she will receive a house and a large allowance. She does not tell Cedric of his grandfather's bigotry. The Earl's lawyer is impressed with the young widow's dignity and intelligence, especially after she begins to take care of the poor in the neighbourhood.
Cedric soon wins the heart of his stern grandfather. All his tenants and nearby villagers are also taken by him, especially as he inspires his grandfather to be more caring about his tenants. Slowly thawing, the Earl hosts a grand party to proudly introduce his grandson to British society, notably his sister, Lady Constantia Lorridaile.
After the party, Havisham tells the Earl that Cedric may not be the heir apparent. American dancer Minna Tipton has approched him, insisting that her son Tom is the offspring of her late husband, the Earl's second son, Bevis. Heartbroken, the Earl is forced to accept her apparently valid claim. Tipton proves to be uneducated and openly mercenary.
Fortunately for Cedric, his American friend Dick Tipton recognises Minna from her newspaper picture, as the ex-wife of his brother Ben, and Tom's real father. They travel to England, confront Minna and thus disprove her claim.
The overjoyed Earl apologises to Cedric's mother and brings her to live with the delighted Cedric on his estate. The small family has a festive Christmas dinner with all their friends and servants.
every year.
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
family film
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
directed by Jack Gold
Jack Gold
Jack Gold is a British film and television director. He was part of the British Realist Tradition that followed Free Cinema.-Career:...
and starring Alec Guiness, Rick Schroder
Rick Schroder
Richard Bartlett "Rick" Schroder, Jr. is an American actor and film director.He debuted in the 1979 hit film The Champ, going on to become a child star on the sitcom Silver Spoons...
and Eric Porter
Eric Porter
Eric Richard Porter was an English actor of stage, film and television.-Early life:Porter was born in Shepherd's Bush, London, to Richard John Porter and Phoebe Elizabeth Spall...
. It is based on the children's novel of the same name
Little Lord Fauntleroy
Little Lord Fauntleroy is the first children's novel written by English playwright and author Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was originally published as a serial in the St. Nicholas Magazine between November 1885 and October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's in 1886...
.
Plot synopsis
Young Cedric 'Ceddie' Errol and his widowed mother live in genteel poverty in 1880s BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
after the death of his father. Cedric's grandfather, the Earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
of Dorincourt, has long ago disowned his son for marrying an American.
After his other two sons die, leaving Cedric technically the heir to the earldom, Lord Dorincourt sends Mr. Havisham, his lawyer, to America to bring Cedric to England. Mrs. Errol accompanies her son, but is not allowed to live at Dorincourt castle nor meet the Earl, although she will receive a house and a large allowance. She does not tell Cedric of his grandfather's bigotry. The Earl's lawyer is impressed with the young widow's dignity and intelligence, especially after she begins to take care of the poor in the neighbourhood.
Cedric soon wins the heart of his stern grandfather. All his tenants and nearby villagers are also taken by him, especially as he inspires his grandfather to be more caring about his tenants. Slowly thawing, the Earl hosts a grand party to proudly introduce his grandson to British society, notably his sister, Lady Constantia Lorridaile.
After the party, Havisham tells the Earl that Cedric may not be the heir apparent. American dancer Minna Tipton has approched him, insisting that her son Tom is the offspring of her late husband, the Earl's second son, Bevis. Heartbroken, the Earl is forced to accept her apparently valid claim. Tipton proves to be uneducated and openly mercenary.
Fortunately for Cedric, his American friend Dick Tipton recognises Minna from her newspaper picture, as the ex-wife of his brother Ben, and Tom's real father. They travel to England, confront Minna and thus disprove her claim.
The overjoyed Earl apologises to Cedric's mother and brings her to live with the delighted Cedric on his estate. The small family has a festive Christmas dinner with all their friends and servants.
Cast
- Rick SchroderRick SchroderRichard Bartlett "Rick" Schroder, Jr. is an American actor and film director.He debuted in the 1979 hit film The Champ, going on to become a child star on the sitcom Silver Spoons...
... Cedric Errol, Lord Fauntleroy - Alec GuinnessAlec GuinnessSir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
... John Arthur Molyneux Errol, Earl of Dorincourt - Eric PorterEric PorterEric Richard Porter was an English actor of stage, film and television.-Early life:Porter was born in Shepherd's Bush, London, to Richard John Porter and Phoebe Elizabeth Spall...
... Havisham - Colin BlakelyColin BlakelyColin George Blakely was a Northern Irish character actor. He was considered an actor of great range.-Early life:...
... Silas Hobbs - Connie BoothConnie BoothConstance "Connie" Booth is an American-born writer and actress, known for appearances on British television and particularly for her portrayal of Polly Sherman in the popular 1970s television show Fawlty Towers, which she co-wrote with her then-husband John Cleese.-Biography:Booth's father was a...
... Mrs. Errol - Rachel KempsonRachel KempsonRachel, Lady Redgrave , known primarily by her birth name as Rachel Kempson, was an English actress. She married Sir Michael Redgrave, and was the matriarch of the famous acting dynasty.-Career:...
... Lady Lorradaile - Carmel McSharryCarmel McSharryCarmel McSharry is an Irish character actress, best-known for her roles portrayals of Beryl Humphries in Beryl's Lot, and as Mrs. Hollingbery in In Sickness and in Health....
... Mary - Antonia Pemberton ... Dawson
- Rolf SaxonRolf SaxonRolf Saxon , is an American actor living in London.Saxon was born in Alexandria, Virginia. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England where he was awarded the Gold Medal on his graduation, and also studied acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco,...
... Dick Tipton - John CaterJohn CaterJohn Edward Cater was an English actor.His television credits include: Danger Man, Z Cars, The Avengers, The Baron, Doctor Who , Follyfoot, Softly, Softly, Department S, Up Pompeii!, Dad's Army, The Naked Civil Servant, I, Claudius, Alcock and Gander, The Duchess of...
... Thomas - Peter CopleyPeter CopleyPeter Copley was a British television, film and stage actor.-Biography:Copley was born in Bushey, Hertfordshire, son of the printmakers, John Copley and Ethel Gabain....
... Rev. Muldaur - Patsy RowlandsPatsy RowlandsPatsy Rowlands was an English actress who is best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films, as Betty in the popular ITV Thames sitcom Bless This House, and as Alice Meredith in the Yorkshire Television sitcom Hallelujah!.-Early years:She was born in Palmers Green, London and attended a...
... Mrs. Dibble - Ann WayAnn WayAnn Way was an English character actress in film and television. Born in Wiveliscombe, she began her career in repertory in Dundee in the 1960s....
... Miss Smith - Patrick StewartPatrick StewartSir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
... Wilkins - Gerry CowperGerry CowperGeraldine Cowper is an English actress who is best known for playing Rosie Miller in EastEnders. In the mid 1980s she took the part of Clare France in After Henry on BBC radio and also appeared on television as Jim Hacker's daughter in Yes Minister.-Career:Cowper was Clare France, the youngest of...
... Mellon - Kate Harper ... Minna Tipton
Distribution
Little Lord Fauntleroy was released in the United Kingdom in December of 1980, and a German-dubbed version was first screened in Germany on Dezember 26, 1982. The film has since become a Christmas classic in Germany, and is shown on the national broadcast network Das ErsteDas Erste
Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen , marketed as Das Erste , is the principal publicly owned television channel in Germany...
every year.