Product Description

Shirley Temple in a role that seems custom-made for her, portrays the spirited young heroine of the popular children's novel, giving her a rich emotional depth and infinite charm. When her aunt tires of caring for her, orphan Heidi is taken into the Swiss mountains to live with her gruff grandfather (Jean Hersholt), a hermit who comes to adore her. But the aunt returns to steal Heidi away, selling her to a family whose invalid daughter (Marcia Mae Jones) needs a companion. Bullied by an evil governess (Mary Nash), Heidi still charms the entire household and never stops trying to return to her beloved grandfather.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3267 in DVD
• Brand: TEMPLE,SHIRLEY
• Released on: 2005-08-30
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Color, Dubbed, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dubbed in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .24 pounds
• Running time: 88 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
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 Reviews

Heidi-low ... Charge Fox with Child Neglect
"Heidi" is a charming film, and one of Shirley Temple's best star vehicles. It was originally released in 1937, near the end of Temple's long reign as the Number One box office attraction in America. In addition to a captivating performance by Miss Temple in the title role, it features excellent supporting turns from Jean Hersholt as the Grandfather, and the wonderful character actress Mary Nash as Temple's vitriolic adult nemesis (she also did a masterful job of menacing poor Shirley in the 1939 version of "The Little Princess"). Give the movie ****1/2 for its endearing sentimentality and lush production.

But rate the DVD an utter BOMB, and a dud at that. Fox Home Video offers two versions of the film on this disc, neither one of which is an acceptable transfer of this fondly-remembered and eagerly-anticipated release. One is the wretched "colorized" version that was released during that dreadful time in film history when modern businessmen dared to tamper with the classic artistry of bona fide filmmakers from the Golden Era (an experiment which critics and consumers alike rejected ... how many black and white classics are being colorized today?). The other version offered on the DVD is a substandard transfer of a very poor black and white print that is an insult to consumers. It doesn't do the original film justice, and more importantly, it's NOT the best print currently available. I predict that in a couple of years, Fox will offer a "newly restored" edition, and make the public buy this title once again to get an improved copy that should be available NOW. (Can you say, "Disney's 'Little Mermaid'"?)

I recommend you wait, and hold on to your money. Do not encourage studios by purchasing whatever inferior product they toss into the marketplace. This DVD is an insult to both Miss Temple whose box office popularity saved 20th Century-Fox from ruin during the depths of the Depression, and to the public who wishes to enjoy her unique talents on DVD.

The Fox/Legend Films Version Is The Real Deal !!!
Finally,after about three years of suffering through a horrible-looking unrestored black & white/colorized version of Shirley Temple's 1937 version of "Heidi",Fox and co-partner Legend Films,an excellent company specializing in digital film restoration and digital film colorization,has now brought us for the very first time a brand-new,sparkling,and outstanding new restored b&w transfer of this great film which contains a brand-new color version,and it's the real deal ! Avoid seeing,renting,or owning the original DVD release ( mint green cover ) of this film that Fox has put out from 2002 which used a horrendously bad computer colorized version from 1986 that was also the same transfer later used for the 1994 video release that used a very grainy,dark,and murky print with extensive color shift from color-to-black & white-back to color and a great deal of reddish pink,gray,brown and blue tones.This new version made nearly 19 years later uses a brand new,digitally restored black & white version from a very good 35mm print that barely shows any wear,tear,splices,damages,or smear as well as including a very beautiful-looking new digitally made color version which looks very stunning,realistic,and almost storybook-like,especially the beautiful-looking shots of the Swiss Alps in the opening ! It really does look like it was filmed in Technicolor and is a much better comparision piece over the original color version.The only bonus features that are included,as it did with the original DVD release is an unrestored b&w theatrical trailer with a great deal of grain,dirt,and low contrast.Interestingly,the menu design used here in the new version is the exact same one as the original DVD version.All in all,I highly recommend this,one of Temple's last great Fox films,for any DVD collection and for any Shirley Temple fan and get rid of old colorized VHS and DVD release.This is the real deal here and you will not be dissappointed by the excellent restoration and coloring of this great family film !!

A wonderful movie
When eight-year-old Heidi (played by Shirley Temple) is orphaned, her maternal Aunt Dete (Mady Christians) takes her to live with her gruff and unsociable paternal grandfather, Adolph Kramer (Jean Hersholt). Through her sweetness and love, she brings the Grandfather out of his shell, and back into the company of men. Disaster strikes when Aunt Dete steals Heidi away to be the companion of a rich man's invalid daughter (Marcia Mae Jones). Showing nothing but kindness to all around her, she holds out hope that somehow she will be reunited with her grandfather and all of her friends. [Black-and-white, created in 1937, with a running time of 1 hour, 28 minutes.]

Perhaps a little saccharin compared to today's movies (thank God!), Heidi still has a powerful storyline. Combining rich dialogue with beautiful scenery, this movie even includes a sleigh-chase scene! I must also mention that this movie includes Arthur Treacher (playing Andrews the Butler), one of my personal favorites.

This movie is such a wonderful echo from another time. I must say that I doubt that the Hollywood of today could produce such an uplifting story, full of wonderful values. I have two children (7 and 10), and this was a great movie to watch with them, having nothing objectionable--in fact quite to the contrary. So, if you have children, then I can't recommend this movie enough!