Heidi

(1952, Switzerland) black and white 96 minutes
Praesens Film A.G.
Story: Johanna Spyri (from her book "Heidi's Years of Learning and Travel")
Screenplay: Richard Schweitzer, William Treichlinger
Music: Robert Blum
Cinematography: Emil Berna
Edited by Herman Haller
Produced by Lazar Wechsler
Directed by Luigi Comencini

English-Language Versions:
(1954) United Artists
Produced by Peter W. Riethof
Dialogue: Max Weinberg

(R-1975) MGM Children's Matinees

With: Elsbeth Sigmund (Heidi), Heinrich Gretler (Alm-Uncle), Thomas Klameth (Peter), Margit Reiner (Brigitte, Peter's Mother), Elsie Attenhofer (Aunt Dete), Fred Tanner (Parson), Isa Gunther (Clara Sesemann), Willy Birgel (Mr. Sesemann), Teaute Carlsen (Grandmother Sesemann), Anita May (Miss Rottenmeier), Carl Wery (Dr. Classen), Thee Lingen (Sebastian)

***

Plot Outline: Deep in the Swiss Alps, a beautiful young girl named Heidi wakes up one sunny morning, and greets the day. Heidi lives in a cabin on a mountainside, with her beloved Alm-Uncle, or Grandfather. After a quick breakfast, Heidi runs off to help her good friend, young Peter the goatherd, with his flock.

Soon, the Parson from the village below comes to visit with the Alm-Uncle. He pleads with the old man to let Heidi come down to the village; there is to be a festival celebrating the installation of a new church bell, and all the village children are to participate.

Alm-Uncle refuses the offer, and relates once again the sad story of a terrible fire which took place in the village many years ago, a tragedy which took the life of his beloved only son. The old man tells with a shudder how disgusted he was with his neighbors' treatment of him then, and how he never will return there. The Parson insists, however, telling Alm-Uncle that Heidi, by law, must go to school.

On the mountain, Heidi and Peter argue also, over the wisdom of traversing a certain brook. The two carefree children romp through the countryside, yodeling and listening for the echo it creates. Once, Peter curses, but the echo refuses to answer this profanity! The two ponder this mystery and walk on, singing.

Next morning, Heidi and Alm-Uncle discuss the village festival. After awhile, the old man softens up, and decides that Heidi should attend the celebration. They sing a duet, joyful and sublime.

Soon, Heidi and Alm-Uncle are at the festival of the Bells. The village children gather to sing, and then hoist the bell while a band plays. The bell successfully mounted in the belfry, the young workers are rewarded with sweetbreads. Before leaving, Heidi and Alm-Uncle meet with Peter and his mother, Brigitte. Alm-Uncle offers his help in fixing their dilapidated house.

Several days later, Heidi's Aunt Dete arrives; she wants to take the child back to Frankfurt, in order to be companion to Clara, the sickly child of a rich family. Alm-Uncle and Dete argue over the child's custody.

Grandpa leaves in a huff to do some chores, and Dete takes this opportunity to steal Heidi away. Grandpa discovers the plot, and runs like mad to catch her, but Dete, and Heidi soon pull away in the train to Frankfurt.

The next day, Dete and Heidi arrive in Frankfurt. The butler Sebastian and the housekeeper Rottenmeier are both dismayed by Heidi's ragamuffin appearance. Heidi and the sick child Clara exchange introductions. The group sit down to dinner. Heidi's table manners are atrocious, of course, and she offends everyone posthaste. Rottenmeier prattles on endlessly, until the exhausted Heidi falls asleep, enraging the angry servant even further.

The next morning, a sad Heidi awakes to find that she is still trapped in the big, bad city. Downstairs, the family eats. The family patriarch, Mr. Sesemann has arrived overnight, and he and Rottenmeier argue over Heidi's disposition.

Dr. Classen enters, and promises Sesemann that he will do everything he can for poor Clara. Heidi enters the dining room, and is introduced to the head of the household. After breakfast, Rottenmeier begins Heidi and Clara's lessons. Heidi refuses to read, and creates general havoc during the lessons.

Later that day, while the others are out, Heidi runs away, and explores Frankfurt. She climbs a steep church tower in order to view her beloved mountains, but alas, there are nothing but buildings as far as the eye can see.

The Sesemanns return home, and are alarmed to find Heidi missing. Meanwhile, the church keeper finds Heidi, and gives her a kitten. Heidi runs home with the new pet.

Rottenmeier is enraged at Heidi's show of independence, and yells at the poor child again. This causes Heidi to yell back; she has had enough, and wants to return to Switzerland. Dete is brought from the kitchen, and told she is fired. Heidi reveals the kitten. Clara doesn't want to be left alone. All the women start to cry.

The next day, Heidi reluctantly participates in the morning lessons, but she contributes much of her own, telling Clara and Rottenmeier of the wonders of her mountain home. The church keeper arrives with a gift: a basket of kittens! Rottenmeier is driven to a panic by the unruly creatures.

The next day, Grandmother Sesemann arrives to decide Heidi's fate. Heidi is introduced to Madame Sesemann. Mrs. Sesemann reads the girls a story, and Heidi gets her first glimpse at the wonders of reading. Before long, Heidi is reading everything in sight.

Back on the mountain, a cruel winter has set in. Alm-Uncle sits in his cabin, cold and lonely. Peter arrives with a letter from Mrs. Sesemann, which states that Heidi has adjusted to Frankfurt quite nicely. Alm-Uncle tells Peter that Heidi has forgotten them, and they must now forget her.

In Frankfurt, Johann the stablekeep asks the girls to name a newborn colt. Heidi looks in one of her books, and picks out the name Astrid. The girls visit Astrid. Clara desperately wants to see the colt, but the stall is too high, so she slowly raises herself up on her bad legs, proving that she can stand if she is sufficiently motivated.

That night, Clara continues to practice, with Heidi's help. After several successes, the exhausted Clara falls. Rottenmeier and the other house staff rush to Clara's room, and marvel at her progress.

Soon, Sesemann returns from his business trip. Clara descends the stair to greet her father, who is overcome with joy. Sesemann showers the girls with gifts, and declares that he is going to adopt Heidi.

One of Heidi's gifts is a picture book. She scans the lovely photographs of her beloved mountains, and starts to cry; she wants to return home.

Next morning, Dete and Rottenmeier argue about ghosts in the house; the front door is often found ajar in the mornings, and there are frequent moans and other noises.

That evening, as Sebastian reads Punch magazine, he hears strange noises. Retracting a revolver from his pants, he takes a lantern and investigates. He discovers the front door open again, and sees a fearsome shadow on the wall. He runs to Mr. Sesemann, and tells him that he saw the ghost of his great grandmother!

Later, Dr. Classen and Sesemann discuss the weird events. Classen dismisses the ghostly sightings as hysteria brought on by stress. As they converse, Heidi rises from her bed, and begins to sleepwalk through the house!

The two men see Heidi walking out the front door, stand on the porch for a spell, and then return inside. Classen follows Heidi upstairs, and wakes her up. He asks her about her dreams, and she explains how dearly she loves her mountain home.

Classen informs Sesemann that Heidi is homesick, and needs to return home. Soon, Heidi is packing happily, while Clara sits, despondent. Heidi promises to invite Clara up to the mountains during vacation.

Heidi departs, she yodels in the lobby of the big house. Soon, Heidi is back in Dorfli, greeted enthusiastically by all the villagers. Heidi visits Peter and his mother, bearing gifts of sausage.

Heidi is escorted up the up the mountainside by the Parson and some village men, and she sneaks inside the cabin. Heidi walks up to her bedroom, and smiles. The Parson greets Alm-Uncle, and asks if he might join the villagers in church tomorrow, Palm Sunday. Alm-Uncle refuses, and the men leave. Alm-Uncle goes inside the cabin, and finds Heidi in the hayloft. They embrace joyously.

On Palm Sunday morning, the gathered congregation are surprised to see little Heidi enter the church, leading her dear Alm-Uncle by the hand!

THE END

***

Luigi's Comencini's HEIDI is likely the definitive filmed version of the Johanna Spyri tale, filmed in the story's actual setting, and evoking a very real group of storybook characters. Unfortunately, the leisurely plot, black and white cinematography and awkward dubbing in the English-language version might make this less than enchanting for all but the devoted Heidi purist.

The film wastes no time in preliminaries, starting the morning after Heidi arrives to live with her reclusive Alm-Uncle. The producers likely assumed that every single child in the European audience was intimately familiar with how our little hero got to the mountain.

Elsbeth Sigmund is a delightful Heidi, bright and lively and full of fire. With an infectious smile and dimples framed by pinned-up braids, Sigmund she lends the proceedings much of its considerable charm.

The European film factory Praesens is responsible for many excellent films of the period, including the underrated IT HAPPENED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT (aka THE PLEDGE). Exquisite cinematography by Emil Berna features gorgeous natural landscapes and atmospheric urban settings. Scenes with Heidi and Peter on the mountaintop are especially pastoral, evocative of an earthly paradise.

There are many magnificent scenes; one shows a steam train (which carries Heidi), chugging across a trestle as Grandpa looks on in despair. There are marvelous shots of a well-attended festival in the village square. There are some quite spooky scenes illustrating Heidi's sleepwalking. And at film's finale, the camera pans up from the congregation in a great cathedral, to the building's magnificent roof. Scenes like this really define the film poetry of the period.

The dubbing is adequate, and includes a most rare bird: a dubbed song. Overall a most fetching and agreeable picture, although at 100 minutes and in black and white, not entirely kid-friendly.

Video/DVD availability: VHS, DVD (various)

for more fun pictures, visit our "Heidi in Frankfurt: 1952" page!