Mention "Heidi" to football historians and you'll get an instant eye roll over the memory of a pivotal football game that was interrupted by this made for TV remake of the Shirley Temple movie, itself based on a popular book. It's quite different in several ways, most notably the change of Fraulein Rottenmeier from evil woman to a young romantic heroine. Perhaps they should have changed the last name because the metaphor of her name is completely absent here, with Jean Simmons completely different than Mary Nash who tried to sell Shirley Temple to the gypsies.
Jennifer Edwards, the daughter of director Blake Edwards, is as good as Temple was as Heidi, and perhaps even better because she's presented as a regular little girl, not a curly haired moppet. Michael Redgrave is excellent as the grandfather, and Maximilian Schell, made Heidi's uncle, is also very good. It's made clear that Fraulein Rottenmeier is in Mayer is secretly in love with Schell, and Jean Simmons is totally lovely in this role.
All the other elements of the story are there including the blind grandmother, her goat hurting grandson, the ailing Clara (presented as quite a brat in her opening scene), and of course the monkey, here owned by a local organ grinder boy. The role of Heidi's aunt is a minor one, still pretty cruel though. Not sure if this was filmed on location, but the Alps setting is gorgeous, and Redgrave has a marvelous scene where he reveals his soul to hide a after decades of keeping his feelings inside. Lots to like about this version, but it will still never measure up to the Shirley Temple version even though I do like Edwards in the role more than Temple.
Jennifer Edwards, the daughter of director Blake Edwards, is as good as Temple was as Heidi, and perhaps even better because she's presented as a regular little girl, not a curly haired moppet. Michael Redgrave is excellent as the grandfather, and Maximilian Schell, made Heidi's uncle, is also very good. It's made clear that Fraulein Rottenmeier is in Mayer is secretly in love with Schell, and Jean Simmons is totally lovely in this role.
All the other elements of the story are there including the blind grandmother, her goat hurting grandson, the ailing Clara (presented as quite a brat in her opening scene), and of course the monkey, here owned by a local organ grinder boy. The role of Heidi's aunt is a minor one, still pretty cruel though. Not sure if this was filmed on location, but the Alps setting is gorgeous, and Redgrave has a marvelous scene where he reveals his soul to hide a after decades of keeping his feelings inside. Lots to like about this version, but it will still never measure up to the Shirley Temple version even though I do like Edwards in the role more than Temple.