Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

MARIO GAUCI This, along with several other Shirley Temple vehicles, has been an Italian TV perennial for years – particularly over the Christmas period – but I never bothered with it, despite the involvement of director Dwan. Just a couple of weeks ago, it turned up again and I even recorded it – despite being both dubbed and colorized! However, since I managed to find it on DVD, I opted to watch HEIDI 'as intended'. Incidentally, not only have I recently acquired – or watched – a number of the director's later efforts, but I've even watched a later TV adaptation of the Johanna Spyri novel.As it turned out, the film is an utterly professional (and typically handsome) Darryl F. Zanuck production but I think that the story was tailored far too much to suit the ebullient child star's usual formula: not only do we get Arthur Treacher (receiving unwarranted third billing!) as a typically bemused butler, but Temple is made to act as cupid between the new parson and the local schoolmarm; besides, we're treated to a totally irrelevant fantasy song-and-dance number, two separate antagonists in the shape of her aunt and jealous governess – not to mention the apparently requisite corny final close-up! Among the differences I noticed from the 1968 version (which is probably more faithful to the source material) is the fact that Temple befriends the invalid child immediately and even gets to be the one who cures her psychosomatic ailment! Besides, the incidents which climax the later version i.e. Grandfather's religious redemption and Clara's 'cure' itself occur earlier here, whereas the highlight of the film is taken up by a sleigh-chase in the snow with the Police pursuing the hysterical Grandfather! The overly made-up Jean Hersholt is fine as the latter, while the supporting cast also includes Mary Nash as the overbearing Governess, Sidney Blackmer as Clara's father (whose role is much reduced here) and Sig Rumann in a bit part as a police official. All in all, then, I found the 1968 TV adaptation to be the superior effort.

jootes-garland Yes, another very good Shirley Temple movie. I must say I love all Shirley movies, I don't have a "favorite" one(except for the very first movie of hers I saw, which is very close to my heart), but Heidi is a great movie and I think everybody must see it.Heidi's an orphaned girl who lived with her aunt for six years. Then the aunt got a job and she had to live with her grandfather, a very unsociable man, who have a terrible humor and hates everyone. He lives in the mountains. Later, the aunt comes back to take Heidi to the big city to be the playmate of a girl that can't walk.I think this is one of the greatest(if it's not the best)Shirley's acting performances. In that movie she shows that she's not just a cute little girl that can tap dance and smile! She shows she's a good actress. A very good actress. I just think that only one sing-and-dance number's not enough for a Shirley Temple movie -- but the only sing-and-dance number in that film is great("In our little Wooden shoes").That story was adored by me when I was a kid. I saw an animated version, the 1970's movie version and I read the book. When I became a Shirley Temple fan and noticed that she'd played Heidi, I said "WOW! Shirley played Heidi!" and after I saw that movie I absolutely 'fell in love' with Shirley.There are some parts of the film that make me cry, like the Christmas scene and the ending scene(apart from Shirley's cute smile of course!).Anyway, a very good movie. Enjoyable, happy, and with the great Child-Star Shirley Temple starring in it. Anyone who wants to watch this film with the kids but think they won't like because it's black-and-white, just try. I'm sure they'll get into the story and that they'll love it!

JoeKarlosi (possible spoilers)Shirley Temple is perfectly cast in this touching version of the oft-told tale. As the uplifting Heidi, she is bounced around from relative to relative before her cruel aunt winds up giving her off to live in a shack in the Swiss mountains with her grumpy old grandfather (Jean Hersholt). Through Heidi's lovable nature, the grandfather eventually learns to abandon his bitterness and becomes a much more pleasant person who is liked by his fellow villagers who once shunned him. But just when things are looking up, the aunt returns to steal Heidi and sell her off to a wealthy family whose wheelchair-bound daughter needs a friend. A good film with a great deal of heart. *** out of ****

moonspinner55 The tale of "Heidi" is such a groaner that it manages to defeat any little, bright-eyed young actress who stars in it, yet they keep trying. Here, it's Shirley Temple's turn at the waterworks playing a spunky young orphan living with her kindly grandpa in a Swiss village, kidnapped by a scheming relative and taken off to live with a rich, unpleasant brood in Germany. Was there ever a more contemptible or manipulative kids' story than this? Treacly hokum is mixed with melodramatic hysteria, with enough story contrivances to fill up several pictures. Kids seem to get caught up in it; adults may go a little batty. *1/2 from ****