Review
Little Lord Fauntleroy is a thorough delight, one that should come as a surprise to many viewers. Most audiences are pre-conditioned to expect the title character to be an insufferable little prig; in fact, while there's more than a bit of Pollyanna to Cedric, he's also got a feisty spirit in him and is not above resorting to fisticuffs when necessary. Indeed, while one never really believes that Mary Pickford's Cedric is actually a boy, he's still quite a welcome relief from the effete character most will expect. Pickford's charm and strong appeal are essential to the film's success, not to mention her undeniable star presence. While casting her as both Cedric and his mother might at first seem a bit of a gimmick, it works wonderfully, and it's easy for a viewer to believe he's watching two different actors who simply bear a strong resemblance to one another. Aside from Pickford, there's also good support from Claude Gillingwater, and Colin Kenny is an appropriately wicked pretender to the throne. Special mention must of course be made of the spectacular Charles Rosher camerawork; aside from the famous "kiss" scene, it includes numerous other double exposure shots and forced perspectives that are an invaluable part of the film's success. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
On the DVD
Stills gallery for Little Lord Fauntleroy from the collections of the Mary Pickford Library, Rob Brooks and Joe Yranski
Stills gallery featuring rare stills from the life of Mary Pickford, courtesy of the Mary Pickford Library, Rob Brooks and Joe Yranski
Milestone press kit downloadable on DVD-ROM (Adobe Acrobat Reader required)
