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| THE LITTLE MINISTER (1934) |
An RKO Radio Picture
B&W, 110 minutes
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CAST
Babbie: Katharine Hepburn
Gavin: John Beal
Rob Dow: Alan Hale
Dr. McQueen: Donald Crisp
Thammas: Lumsden Hare
Wearyworld: Andy Clyde
Margaret: Beryl Mercer
Micah Dow: Billy Watson
Jean: Dorothy Stickney
Nanny: Mary Gordon
Lord Rintoul: Frank Conroy
Evalina: Eily Malyon
Captain Halliwell: Reginald Denny
Munn: Leonard Carey
Carfrae: Herbert Bunston
John Spens: Harry Beresford
Snecky: Barlowe Borland
May Beatty: Maid
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CREDITS
Director: Richard Wallace
Producer: Pandro S. Berman
Scenarists: Jane Murfin, Sarah Y. Mason, Victor Heerman
Additional Scenes by: Mortimer Offner, Jack Wagner
Based on the Novel and Play by: Sir James M. Barrie
Photographer: Henry Gerrard
Art Director: Van Nest Polglase
Associate Art Director: Carroll Clark
Set Decorator: Hobe Erwin
Editor: William Hamilton
Sound Recorder: Clem Portman
Musical Score: Max Steiner
Costumer: Walter Plunkett
Makeup Artist: Mel Burns
Special Photographic Effects: Vernon Walker
Assistant Director: Edward Killy
Technical Adviser: Robert Watson, F.R.G.S.
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SYNOPSIS
Lady Babbie often dresses as a gypsy wench and fraternizes with the poor weavers of the Auld Licht Kirk in the Thrums of 1840. Whenever the weavers begin to rebel against the city manufacturers, her guardian, Lord Rintoul, sends soldiers to quell the rebellion, but Babbie always warns them beforehand. During one of these jaunts, she meets Gavin Dishart, the conservative new minister of the kirk. After an irritable beginning, the two become fast friends and soon find themselves in love.
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CRITIQUES
"There is little doubt that the star (Hepburn) is one of the major wonder workers of Hollywood, with an unconquerable gift for turning lavender and old lace into something possessing dramatic vitality and conviction. Looking her handsomest and performing with considerable radiance, Miss Hepburn provides The Little Minister with much of the charm that went into the miracle of Little Women."
- Richard Watts Jr., New York Herald Tribune, 1934
"Although dear Babbie's elfin whimsies are likely to cause minor teeth-gnashing among unsympathetic moderns, Miss Hepburn plays the part with likable sprightliness and charm. In its mild-mannered and sober way, The Little Minister proves to be a photoplay of genuine charm."
- Andre Sennwald, The New York Times, 1934
"This RKO picture was one of the movies that helped make Katharine Hepburn box-office poison in the mid-30s. Five writers are credited with adapting the James M. Barrie material (which probably means that at least 25 worked on it), and there's no consistency to the results, but for about a third of the picture Hepburn pretends to be a wild gypsy girl, and she's enchanting in this section. The rest is barely tolerable."
- Pauline Kael, The New Yorker
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HOME VIDEO AVAILABILITY
Links are provided for information only, and are not endorsements. Please ensure that your player is compatible with the region or standard before purchase.
NTSC Standard:
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Poster
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Katharine Hepburn
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John Beal, Katharine Hepburn
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Katharine Hepburn, John Beal
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Katharine Hepburn
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Katharine Hepburn, John Beal
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John Beal, Katharine Hepburn
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On the set: Katharine Hepburn
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