Copyright 22 December 1960 by Associated Producers, Inc. Released through 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: January 1961. U.K. release: 23 April 1961. Original length: 108 minutes. Cut to 79 minutes for general theatrical release, but restored to 108 minutes for TV transmission.
SYNOPSIS: Following the death of his family, a Kentucky mountain boy named Chad wanders into the small town of Kingdom Come and is taken in by kindly Caleb Turner and his family. Though he is attracted to pretty Melissa Turner, Chad has a desire for travel and education and he floats logs down river to Lexington. There he is befriended by wealthy Major Buford who helps him through college and introduces him to the local gentry. With the coming of the Civil War, Chad elects to fight with the North, thereby alienating him from his new friends.
NOTES: Film debut of Jimmie Rodgers. This is the third time the novel has been filmed, although it is the first talking version. It was first made by Samuel Goldwyn in 1920; Wallace Worsley directed and Elliott Clawson did the screen adaptation. It was later remade by First National in 1928. This version was produced and directed by Alfred Santell, written by Bess Meredyth, and starred Richard Barthelmess as Chad and Molly O'Day as Melissa.
COMMENT: "Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come" marks the end of director McLaglen's first phase of his film career. Three years later, he would return to the big screen with none other than John Wayne as "McLintock".
"Little Shepherd..." is also Barré Lyndon's last screenplay (though his teleplay "Dark Intruder" was released theatrically in 1965). With pacey direction, a well-crafted script, an interesting cast plus Crosby's fine 'Scope photography to recommend it, you'd expect a fair amount of interest among collectors and film fans in this picture. But it seems to have slipped into an undeserved obscurity. Maybe casting Jimmie Rodgers was the big mistake, though he does extremely well by the title role. But you know what it is with pop singers — acclaimed today, utterly forgotten tomorrow.
In fact Rodgers had already lost most of his fickle fans to Fabian Forte before the movie was even released. A pity the picture should suffer because the star was suddenly "cold". But that's Hollywood!
SYNOPSIS: Following the death of his family, a Kentucky mountain boy named Chad wanders into the small town of Kingdom Come and is taken in by kindly Caleb Turner and his family. Though he is attracted to pretty Melissa Turner, Chad has a desire for travel and education and he floats logs down river to Lexington. There he is befriended by wealthy Major Buford who helps him through college and introduces him to the local gentry. With the coming of the Civil War, Chad elects to fight with the North, thereby alienating him from his new friends.
NOTES: Film debut of Jimmie Rodgers. This is the third time the novel has been filmed, although it is the first talking version. It was first made by Samuel Goldwyn in 1920; Wallace Worsley directed and Elliott Clawson did the screen adaptation. It was later remade by First National in 1928. This version was produced and directed by Alfred Santell, written by Bess Meredyth, and starred Richard Barthelmess as Chad and Molly O'Day as Melissa.
COMMENT: "Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come" marks the end of director McLaglen's first phase of his film career. Three years later, he would return to the big screen with none other than John Wayne as "McLintock".
"Little Shepherd..." is also Barré Lyndon's last screenplay (though his teleplay "Dark Intruder" was released theatrically in 1965). With pacey direction, a well-crafted script, an interesting cast plus Crosby's fine 'Scope photography to recommend it, you'd expect a fair amount of interest among collectors and film fans in this picture. But it seems to have slipped into an undeserved obscurity. Maybe casting Jimmie Rodgers was the big mistake, though he does extremely well by the title role. But you know what it is with pop singers — acclaimed today, utterly forgotten tomorrow.
In fact Rodgers had already lost most of his fickle fans to Fabian Forte before the movie was even released. A pity the picture should suffer because the star was suddenly "cold". But that's Hollywood!