Frances Hodgson Burnett Movies

This presentation of the classic novel about the healing powers of a magical garden, Secret Garden features a reading of the text while the words appear on the screen. Original illustrations created just for this release augment the words. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Previously filmed in 1914, 1921, and 1936, and adapted for television in 1976 and 1980, Francis Hodgson Burnett's classic novel Little Lord Fauntleroy was again brought to the small screen by BBC1 in 1994. Largely taped on location at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, England, the familiar story concerned an outwardly all-American lad named Cedric (Michael Benz), who at the behest of his crusty, aristocratic grandfather (George Baker), was separated from his widowed mother and ensconced in rural England under the new title Lord Fauntleroy. Eventually, Cedric's down-to-earth goodness and sincerity melted the heart of his dour grandpa, and also served to confound a group of fortune-hunters who intended to sack the estate of its wealth. First shown in England in 1994, the six half-hour episodes of Little Lord Fauntleroy were seen on American cable TV in the summer of 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

From Anchor Bay Entertainment comes the feature-length, animated version of the children's classic, The Secret Garden. The timeless tale chronicles the life of Mary Lennox, an orphan who, after being sent to live in a large, eerie Victorian house with her brooding uncle, discovers a magical secret garden. The only people Mary feels comfortable enough to share her secret with are Dickon, her friend, and Colin Craven, the sickly son of her uncle. This video contains footage previously unaired in the television broadcast. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

This made-for-TV adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden stars Gennie James as spoiled-rotten Mary Lennox. When her parents die of cholera, Mary is whisked from her home in India to live in the forbidding Victorian mansion of her flint-hearted uncle (Derek Jacobi). Thanks to the friendship--and vivid imagination--of gardener's son Jadrien Steele, Mary learns that life is lived best when one cares for others. At the same time, her uncle begins to act like a human being. The only false note in this otherwise flawless production was the decision to clumsily frame the story with the narration of the adult Mary Lennox. Blessed with a top-rank British cast, including Michael Hordern, Billie Whitelaw, Lucy Gutteridge and Alison Doody (Harrison Ford's vis-a-vis in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, this 1987 Secret Garden was first telecast as a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Alec Guinness stars as an elderly Brit who takes in his poor New Yorker grandson (Ricky Schroeder) in this made-for-TV modern-day retelling of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

The oft-filmed Frances Hodgson Burnett novel The Secret Garden was given the usual plush MGM treatment in 1949. Tempestuous orphan girl Mary Lennox (Margaret O'Brien) is sent to live with her reclusive, long-widowed uncle Archibald Craven (Herbert Marshall). The embittered Craven has an invalid son named Colin (Dean Stockwell), with whom the troublesome Mary constantly clashes. Her only real friend is neighbor-boy Dickon (Brian Roper). Things soon change after Mary discovers the key to the Craven household's garden, which has been locked up and neglected since the death of Craven's wife. Through the influence of the Secret Garden, Mary learns to think of others rather than herself, Craven drops his curmudgeonly veneer, and Colin's health slowly but steadily improves. In the tradition of The Wizard of Oz, the sequences taking place in the Secret Garden are lensed in Technicolor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

David O. Selznick's first independent production upheld the producer's tradition, established at Paramount, RKO and MGM, of bringing the "classics" to the screen. Adapted by Hugh Walpole from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Little Lord Fauntleroy is set in the late 19th century. After establishing Freddie Bartholomew as a likeable Brooklyn boy who can handle himself in a scrap--with the assistance of his roughneck pal Mickey Rooney, of course--the film introduces us to Bartholomew's mother, played by Dolores Costello-Barrymore (though divorced from John Barrymore, Mrs. Costello-Barrymore was still billng herself by her married name). Costello-Barrymore is the widow of a titled Englishman, whose father, the aristocratic Sir C. Aubrey Smith, detests all Americans with equal fervor. Upon discovering that Bartholomew is the rightful heir to his fortune, Smith demands that Costello-Barrymore deliver the boy to his sprawling English country estate. Now addressed by one and all as Lord Fauntleroy, Bartholomew chafes at the restrictions imposed upon him by his station in life. The boy's good nature and forthrightedness wins his grandfather's respect-and, eventually, the old man's love. When pasty-faced Jackie Searl, a false claimant to Bartholomew's title, shows up, Bartholomew's American pals, led by Rooney, set things right. His hard heart softened at last, Smith stage-manages a happy reunion between Bartholomew and Costello-Barrymore. Expertly sidestepping the "sissy" onus that has been unfairly placed upon the original Burnett novel, Little Lord Fauntleroy scored well at the box office. Other versions of this venerable tale have starred Mary Pickford (as both Fauntleroy and his mother) and Ricky Schroder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Mary Pickford starred in the 1915 version of this film, based on the Frances Hodgson Burnett story, and it's easy to imagine her in the Pollyanna-like role of Glad. Jacqueline Logan is good enough as the sunny girl of the slums, but she's no Pickford. When Sir Oliver Holt (David Torrence) has a nervous breakdown the prognosis is not good. In despair, he goes to the slums to shoot himself, but one of the residents, Glad, convinces him he has much to live for. Sir Oliver takes her cheerful attitude to heart and uses her as an inspiration. Glad's sweetheart, Dandy (Raymond Griffith, is a burglar who is accused of a policeman's murder by two other crooks. Dandy is innocent -- when the murder was being committed he had been sent by Sir Oliver to rob his own safe. While on the job, he discovered Sir Oliver's nephew, Arthur (Roland Bottomly) already there, also trying to break into the safe. Glad goes to Arthur, thinking that he will provide an alibi, but the young wastrel attacks her. Dandy rescues Glad from Arthur's grip, and Sir Oliver clears him with the police. Dandy promises Glad that he will go straight, and Sir Oliver decides to use his fortune to help the poor. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide

This is not the 1919 Swedish picture, but an adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel, That Lass o' Lowrie's. It takes place in the English coal mines of the 1870s and revolves around Joan Lowrie (Priscilla Dean), who works as a pit girl. Fergus Derrick (Robert Ellis) is the son of the mine's owner, but instead of leading an idle life, he prefers to actually work in the mines himself. Joan's cruel father Dan (Wallace Beery) also works in the mines, and he often beats his daughter, who has inherited his strength of will but not his temper. Although Derrick has fallen in love with Joan, he is compelled to fire Lowrie. Lowrie leaves town, and Joan is finally able to relax and enjoy her life and Derrick. But her father returns, bent on revenge, and goes into the mines to kill his former employer. He lights a cigarette, causing an explosion, but Joan doesn't think twice about braving the flames to rescue her lover. Derrick in turn throws away any class-conscious concerns and unites with Joan for good. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide