Little Lord Fauntleroy

In Germany known as "Der kleine Lord" (The little Lord).
Ever since the 80ies, this movie was watched by my family in the version with Sir Alec Guinness and Ricky Schroeder. It was a lovely version. I do know of
course, that there are other versions and that other people may prefer those.
This is my blog though, so my version rules. Here.

I liked this movie very much, because it is a hearwarming story with a lot of kitsch in it. But fun.

The Plot:
The House of Dorincourt is out of direct heirs. The last of the three sons of the Earl has recently died and so the only grandson, the son of the youngest son will have to take over. BUT not only is he only eight years old, he is half american, as his father married an american. The Earl though always hated the americans, especially after "stealing" his favourite son. Still, those are the rules: if the sons are dead, the grandsons are on.
So Mr. Havisham, the stewart of the Earl is send to the States to find the heir and bring him home. The mother as well, but she is not allowed to cross the threshhold of the castle. She is given a nice cottage on the grounds though and an appanage (or some such thing), which she refuses though.

The Mother would not want to part with her son, but for the love of him and her late husband, she is willing to put up with the conditions under a condition of her own: the Earl is never even to hint at the faintest dislike concerning her towards his Grandson. This, so the Grandson, Ceddy, as we will call him, will learn to love him as a loving Grandfather without any bad feeling.

Ceddy leaves behind his friends the Grocer and the Shoecleaner with a heavy heart. Just as the Earl hates the Americans, the Grocer hates the British Aristocracy.

When the family and their trusted friend Mary finally land in (or near) the castle
things start to change. The Earl warms up and even rights some wrongs. Like the paying problems of one of his tennants or the deplorable state of Earls Lane.

Then a shock to the Earl, as his second son seems to have a son by a very common woman, who claims the title for this son.

All people concerend on both continents are in an uproar, especially the grocer, until he shoes the shoecleaner a photo of the woman and the boy and it turns out,
that the boy is the shoecleaners nephew. So they wire to Mr. Havisham, who posts to the Earl. A trap is set for the woman, the friends and brother are gotten to the castle and all ends happily with the mother under the christmas-tree IN the castle and a great feast in the hall.

The End.

I never was a hand in short stories, but I am quite good with the longer versions.
If you get the chance, watch the move. It takes place at christmas, but it can be watched at anytime. So enjoy!!