Main Cast: Kay Francis, Jack Oakie, George Bancroft, Jimmy Lydon, Ann Gillis
Release Year: 1940
Country: US
Run Time: 86 minutes
Plot
Little Men, Louisa May Alcott's followup to her successful novel Little Women, has never truly adapted well to the screen, though this 1940 version is better than most. Kay Francis stars as the all-grown-up Jo March, now in charge of a private school for young boys. Her most contentious charge is rebellious Dan (Jimmy Conlin), who finally learns the rudiments of gentlemanly behavior from the firm-but-gentle Jo. Despite its huge and talented cast, the film is handily (and appropriately) stolen by Jack Oakie as an affable con artist named Willie the Thief. Also on hand is the original Elsie the Cow (but where's Elmer and his glue?) A loser at the box office, Little Men is currently in wider circulation than ever before thanks to its Public Domain status (also available in the P.D. market is the 1933 version of Little Men, produced by Monogram). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Little Men is a not-very-good adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's book, but taken on its own merits, it's an adequate film. Too much of the Alcott book has been stripped away, and what has been added is clichéd and trite, but even so there are some individual scenes that have sparkle and appeal. Still, much of the dialogue is of the teeth-gritting variety, especially when it (or the attitude beneath it) is so clearly out of sync with the time period and setting. There's also a "been-there-done-that" feeling to much of the film, due to the many "school teacher" films that viewers have been exposed to in the intervening years since its release. However, Men does have a lively performance from Jack Oakie, the kind of scene stealing role that the right actor -- which Oakie is in this case -- can take and really run with. There's also solid work from Kay Francis and a good youth turn from Jimmy Lydon. On balance, the cast helps to overcome its deficiencies, making Little Men moderately entertaining. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Alfred Herman - Art Director, Van Nest Polglase - Art Director, Norman Z. McLeod - Director, George Hively - Editor, Roy Webb - Composer (Music Score), Nick Musuraca - Cinematographer, Graham Baker - Producer, Gene Towne - Producer, Darrell Silvera - Set Designer, Art Caesar - Screenwriter, Mark Kelly - Screenwriter, Louisa May Alcott - Book Author
