A Little Princess
"Mary Pickford in the Most Wonderful Role of Her Career"
Plot
Young Sara Crewe is sent by her wealthy father Captain Crewe to a prestigious London boarding school while he goes to fight in the Second Boer War. Despite her privileged status, the cruel headmistress Miss Minchin immediately resents Sara's kind nature and vivid imagination. When news arrives that Captain Crewe has died and lost his fortune, Sara is stripped of her fine clothes and forced to work as a servant in the school. Despite her harsh treatment and near-starvation, Sara maintains her dignity and imagination, befriending the other servant girl Becky and sharing her meager food. The story culminates when Sara's father's business partner, Mr. Carrisford, who has been searching for her, discovers her identity and restores her fortune, revealing that her father had actually invested wisely before his death.
About the Production
Mary Pickford took great personal interest in this adaptation, as she identified strongly with the character of Sara. The film was one of the most expensive productions of 1917, featuring elaborate sets including a detailed recreation of a London boarding school. Pickford's performance required her to play both the wealthy young girl and the downtrodden servant, showcasing her remarkable range as an actress.
Historical Background
The film was produced during World War I, a time when audiences were seeking escapist entertainment and uplifting stories. The Boer War setting in the story resonated with contemporary audiences who were experiencing the current European conflict. 1917 was also a pivotal year in cinema history, as the industry was transitioning from short films to feature-length productions. Mary Pickford was at the height of her fame and was instrumental in establishing the star system and the concept of the feature film as the industry standard. The film's release coincided with America's full entry into World War I, making its themes of separation, loss, and reunion particularly poignant for audiences.
Why This Film Matters
'A Little Princess' was significant in establishing Mary Pickford as 'America's Sweetheart' and cementing her status as the most powerful woman in early Hollywood. The film demonstrated the commercial viability of literary adaptations and helped establish the family film as a profitable genre. It also showcased Pickford's unique ability to appeal to both children and adults, a rare quality in silent cinema. The film's success contributed to the growing recognition of cinema as a legitimate art form capable of conveying complex emotions and narratives. It influenced countless subsequent adaptations of children's literature and established many tropes that would become standard in orphan/boarding school stories.
Making Of
The production of 'A Little Princess' was a major undertaking for 1917, with Mary Pickford exercising unprecedented creative control. She personally selected Marshall Neilan to direct, having worked with him successfully on previous films. The casting process was meticulous, with Pickford insisting on Norman Kerry for the role of Captain Crewe due to his aristocratic appearance. The boarding school set was one of the most detailed interiors constructed in Hollywood up to that time, featuring multiple rooms and a grand staircase. Pickford, known for her perfectionism, rehearsed scenes extensively and often demanded multiple takes to achieve the emotional authenticity she wanted. The transformation scenes where Sara goes from wealthy to impoverished required hours of makeup and costume changes each day. The film's emotional climax, where Sara is reunited with her father's friend, was shot over two days to capture the perfect emotional intensity.
Visual Style
The cinematography by Walter Stradling and Charles Rosher was considered groundbreaking for its time. The film employed sophisticated lighting techniques to create dramatic contrasts between Sara's wealthy and impoverished states. The boarding school scenes used soft, diffused lighting to create a dreamlike quality, while the servant quarters were shot with harsher, more dramatic lighting. The film also made innovative use of close-ups, particularly for Pickford's emotional reactions, which was still a relatively new technique in 1917. The cinematography helped establish the emotional tone of each scene and contributed significantly to the film's narrative power.
Innovations
The film was notable for its sophisticated use of editing techniques, including cross-cutting between parallel storylines to build suspense. The makeup and costume effects used to show Sara's transformation from wealthy to impoverished were particularly advanced for the period. The film also employed innovative set design techniques, including forced perspective to make the boarding school appear larger and more imposing. The production used multiple cameras for some scenes, which was still uncommon in 1917, allowing for more dynamic coverage of important moments.
Music
As a silent film, 'A Little Princess' had no recorded soundtrack but was accompanied by live musical performances in theaters. The original cue sheet suggested classical pieces including works by Chopin and Beethoven for emotional scenes. The music was typically performed by a theater organist or small orchestra, with different themes for Sara, Miss Minchin, and various emotional moments. The score was designed to enhance the film's emotional impact, with lighter, more playful music during Sara's wealthy scenes and more somber, dramatic music during her hardship.
Famous Quotes
Sara: 'I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny old attics. Even if they dress in rags, even if they aren't pretty, or smart, or young. They're still princesses.'
Miss Minchin: 'You will learn your place, young lady!'
Memorable Scenes
- The transformation scene where Sara's fine clothes are replaced with rags and she's forced to become a servant
- The attic scene where Sara shares her meager food with the other servant girl Becky despite her own hunger
- The emotional climax where Sara is discovered by her father's friend and her fortune is restored
Did You Know?
- This was Mary Pickford's first film after forming her own production company, Mary Pickford Film Corporation, in partnership with Famous Players
- The film was so successful that it helped establish Pickford as the highest-paid actress in Hollywood, earning $10,000 per week
- Pickford was 25 years old when she played the child character Sara Crewe, demonstrating her famous ability to convincingly portray young girls
- The film's success led to Pickford adapting more children's literature, including 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm' (1917) and 'Pollyanna' (1920)
- Original prints of the film were tinted in various colors to enhance the emotional impact of different scenes
- This was one of the first films to use intertitles extensively to convey dialogue and narrative progression
- The film's sets were so elaborate that they were reused in several other productions at the Famous Players studio
- Pickford insisted on having real children in the classroom scenes rather than using adult actors
- The film's success helped establish the practice of adapting classic children's literature for the screen
- A complete 35mm print of the film exists in the Library of Congress collection
What Critics Said
Contemporary critics overwhelmingly praised the film, with Variety calling it 'one of the finest productions of the year' and specifically highlighting Pickford's 'remarkable performance' that 'transcends the limitations of the medium.' The Motion Picture News wrote that Pickford 'has never been better' and predicted the film would be 'enormously popular with audiences of all ages.' Modern critics have recognized the film as a masterpiece of silent cinema, with the American Film Institute including it in their list of important American films. The film is particularly praised for Pickford's nuanced performance and the production's elaborate sets and cinematography.
What Audiences Thought
The film was a massive commercial success, playing to packed theaters across the United States for months. Audiences were particularly moved by Pickford's emotional performance and the film's themes of perseverance and hope. The film's success was such that it was re-released several times in subsequent years, unusual for a film of this era. Contemporary audience reports indicate that many viewers were moved to tears during the film's emotional scenes, particularly when Sara is reduced to servitude and when she is finally reunited with her father's friend. The film's popularity helped establish Pickford as the most bankable star in Hollywood.
Film Connections
Influenced By
- Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1905 novel 'A Little Princess'
- Victorian children's literature conventions
- Pickford's previous successful roles in 'Poor Little Rich Girl' (1917) and 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm' (1917)
This Film Influenced
- The 1939 Shirley Temple version of 'A Little Princess'
- Various orphan and boarding school films of the 1930s-1950s
- Pickford's later literary adaptations including 'Pollyanna' (1920)
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Film Restoration
The film is preserved in its complete form in the Library of Congress and the Museum of Modern Art. A 35mm nitrate print was restored in the 1990s and has been shown at various film festivals. The film is considered to be in good condition for a film of its age, though some scenes show signs of nitrate deterioration. Color-tinted versions from the original release also exist in archival collections.