Little Men
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Phil Rosen
Ralph Morgan
Erin O'brien-moore
Junior Durkin
Cora Sue Collins
Phyllis Fraser
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
In 1871, at New England's Plumfield School for Boys, Professor Bhaer and his wife Jo lovingly instruct and care for all of their boys. One day a street orphan, Nat Blake, is sent to the school by a benefactor and quickly becomes part of the happy routine at the farmhouse school. Although bullied by a few of the boys, Nat is befriended by the mischievous Tommy Bangs, who makes him a "partner" in his enterprise, T. Bangs and Co. By hunting for eggs in the old barn and selling them to Jo at ten cents a dozen, Nat begins to earn money to buy a violin, while Tommy saves up to buy a pair of ducks. Soon after, Nat runs into Dan, a friend from his urchin days, and takes him to Plumfield. Bhaer, who had opposed admitting Nat to the school because he believed that the boy would be a bad influence on the other children, resists allowing Dan, a homeless bootblack and newsboy, into Plumfield. Jo, however, reminds Bhaer of Plumfield's mission to help all boys in need, and pressures him to admit Dan. Unused to the structured environment, the high-spirited Dan soon antagonizes the other students and earns a reputation as a troublemaker. When Dan is caught brawling with Franz, Bhaer's assistant, over a local girl, Bhaer threatens to throw Dan out, but is persuaded to keep him by Jo. Grateful for Jo's support, Dan vows to improve his behavior and stays out of trouble for several months. After he reads an adventure novel about Indian scouts, however, Dan is inspired to experiment with a "peace pipe" and accidentally sets fire to his dormitory. Although Dan saves the lives of Nat and two other students, Bhaer is furious with him, and only the devoted support of Jo keeps him from expulsion. Dan once again vows to be a model student, but when one of Tommy's dollar bills is discovered missing, he becomes a suspect. Eventually, Nat, who had publicly coveted the money, is accused of the crime and is "sent to Coventry" by the other boys. Out of loyalty to Nat, Dan earns a dollar and returns it to Tommy. Jack, one of Nat's tormenters, sees the exchange and accuses Dan of the theft. Though falsely accused, Dan is sent by Bhaer to a reformatory, but runs away after the headmaster brutally flogs him. When Dick, a crippled student at Plumfield, dies suddenly, a remorseful Jack confesses to the theft, and Bhaer, filled with guilt, tries unsuccessfully to locate Dan. During a gloomy Thanksgiving dinner, Teddy, Bhaer's son, finds Dan hiding in a haystack and brings him to the table, where he enjoys a tearful reunion with his friends and teachers.
Director
Phil Rosen
Cast
Ralph Morgan
Erin O'brien-moore
Junior Durkin
Cora Sue Collins
Phyllis Fraser
Robert Carlton
Finis Barton
Frankie Darro
David Durand
Dickie Moore
Tad Alexander
Buster Phelps
Ronnie Crosby
Tommy Bupp
Bobby Cox
Dickie Jones
Richard Quine
Donald Buck
George Ernest
Eddie Dale Heiden
Hattie Mcdaniel
Margaret Mann
Jacqueline Taylor
Gustav Von Seyffertitz
Billy Johnson
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
In 1940, RKO made another version of Alcott's novel (see below). For information about other filmed versions of Alcott's works, for Little Women.
