The Little Princess

A great classic comes to life in glorious Technicolor!

1939 • 93 min • Family · Drama · Comedy

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Synopsis

A little girl goes in search of her father who is reported missing by the military during the Second Boer War.

Our family guide

Best from age 6

Movie Knight Score

127 reviews

100 Reviewers · 1 · 51%
67 Audience · 126 · 49%

After her father is declared missing in the Second Boer War, a young girl accustomed to luxury must endure hardship and cruelty in an orphanage. She holds onto hope and kindness, believing her father will return. This classic tale explores resilience in the face of adversity.

Violence & peril: 2/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 0/10
Romance & sensuality: 0/10
Scary moments: 3/10

Heads up

The Boer War is a backdrop, with a father reported missing in action.
The orphanage matron is quite cruel to the children.

What it models well

Resilience and perseverance
Hope and optimism
Kindness to others
The importance of imagination

Talk about it after

How Sara copes with difficult changes in her life
What it means to be truly wealthy or poor
How acts of kindness can make a difference

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Little Princess. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Walter Lang • Crew: Walter Ferris, Ethel Hill

Trailers & clips

The Little Princess (1939) HD Trailer

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Young "Sara" (Shirley Temple) is the apple of her military father's eye. When he (Ian Hunter) is sent abroad to fight in the Boer war, she is left at a posh boarding school run by the pernickety "Miss Minchin" (Mary Nash). Initially, this all goes swimmingly until news reaches them that her father has been killed at the siege of Mafeking and she, now penniless, has to serve as a glorified scullery maid.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community