The Littlest Rebel (1935)

The Littlest Rebel
Directed by David Butler
1935/USA
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
First viewing?

Virginia ‘Virgie’ Cary: You’re nice enough to be a Confederate!

Poor Shirley, her parents die off at such an alarming rate…  In this one, Virgie Cary is a little Southern belle when the Civil War breaks out and her Daddy goes off to the army.  Virgie and her mother bravely face the hardships of war.  Finally, their plantation is burned down by the Yankees and they have to go live in the slave quarters.  Mother catches pneumonia.  Father comes home and mother dies.  The Yankees are looking for Daddy who is a Confederate spy.  But when they are about to catch him, Virgie charms a Yankee colonel into giving him a pass and Union uniform so he can take Virgie to an aunt in Richmond.  While the two are going through a Union camp, Daddy is captured and he and the colonel are sentenced to death.  Can Virgie save the day?  With John Boles as Daddy, Karen Morely as mother, and Bill Robinson as Uncle Billy, the faithful slave.

As with The Little Colonel, Bill Robinson’s dancing is the main reason to watch this film.  Shirley keeps up with him nicely.  Otherwise, it is business as usual.

Tap dance with Bill “Bojangles” Robinson