Heidi on Film

by Rob Craig

Perhaps the most famous little girl in the whole wide literary world, "Heidi" (real name: Adelaide), was the invention of Swiss writer Johanna Spyri, a prolific creator of children's fiction until her death in Zurich, Switzerland in 1891.

"Heidi" is a delightful story of a simple life in the Alps, imbued with a deep love of children, and childhood. Spyri's insights into the needs and longings of the "modern" child is expressed in much of her work, but perhaps best shown through Heidi.

The contrast between Heidi's idyllic life amid the beauties of her pastoral mountain-home, and her torturous, life-threatening exile in Frankfurt aptly illustrate the terrible and wonderful journey, or bridge, shall we say, between young childhood and "the age of reason", whereby the creature may learn how to become, if lucky, a happy adult.

Spyri, like other talespinners before her, had an especial skill in writing the unique chronology of an innocent world. In "Heidi", Spyri shows a desire to preserve children from all that might threaten or hinder the natural development of their lives and characters.

Heidi is a complex modern literary figure, a tragic figure at heart, but a resilient foe to all adversity, and finally a spiritual beacon to a society in turmoil. Like the heroes of Greek tragedy, Heidi passes through several levels of physical, mental and spiritual testing, to emerge a virtual super-being. She starts the book as a vulnerable naif, powerless and victimized by forces around her. By the book's end, she has cannily taken control of the world around her, and actually leads her elders towards avenues of previously-blocked spiritual evolution. No mean feat for a petite female child!

Indeed, Heidi's trail by fire is brilliantly illustrated by her kidnapping to Frankfurt, a literal and metaphoric hell of the psyche. Here, Heidi must lose everything she loves, and succumb to a most curious and debased form of slavery; unwilling playmate to a lost soul! Only by giving up all she adores, and immersing herself in this new hell-life, is Heidi able to reposess her troubled spirit and begin its ascendency towards apeothesis. It is surely no accident that Heidi begins this torturous interior journey homeward only after she has climbed to the top of the tallest church in Frankfurt, and proven to herself that she has indeed lost sight of her beloved mountains, i.e. her childhood innocence. Here is where Heidi becomes an adult, and begins her adult life. Her first task, a pleasant but powerful one, is taking care of abandoned kittens, and thus, learning to seek joy by serving others. This lesson becomes Heidi's primary mantra through the rest of the tale.

Indeed, Heidi has been embraced for years as an archetype of the woman's liberation movement, as a role model for girls wanting to grow into independent women. (This notion would be deflated in Spyri's sequel to "Heidi", in which the girl forgets everything she learnt, and wants nothing more than to marry a good man, and serve him! Oops!) Still, the original tract does suggest a route to be taken by all girls desiring to be autonomous individuals.

Which leads us to the "Alm-Uncle" (known in most filmic version as "Grandfather"). Here is a crudely-drawn patriarch, both threatening and protective, belligerent and vulnerable, who takes Heidi by the scruff of her neck and starts her off on her marvelous journey of self.

The bonding between Heidi and her Grandfather is immediate and strong, and through many travails, both learn the sanctity of the old chestnut, "Opposites attract." Grandfather is strictly of the old world, set in his ways, and as we learn through the course of the book, his hardness is primarily unresolved grief. Here enters a curious and wonderful bit of early psychological insight in a place one might least expect to find it. Surely, Spyri is saying that anyone who has not acknowledged and exorcised his mental demons cannot be a healthy human being, or indeed a part of a healthy society. This is elemental Freudian philosophy, pure and simple. Heidi, of course, helps him in this task too, and in the process, leads the sad old man back to the God he abandoned many years ago, and so sorely and obviously missed.

Heidi's friend, patient and muse, Clara Sesemann, is a vivid embodiment of the urban dweller; dark, depressed, crippled in both body and spirit. Only the fresh breath of Heidi's boundless spiritual joy touches the cripple, enabling her to tap her profound, dormant inner resources. Even better, Clara learns from Heidi to honor first and foremost one's own inner voice, the only one which can accurately diagnose your condition.

Goatherd Peter is a celebratory, wild, Dionysian creature, a vertible savage amongst men, profoundly anti-civilization and anti-education, the archetypal free spirit. His lesson consists primarily in accepting shared wisdom from Heidi, that one cannot isolate one's self in the wilderness, while civilization evolves all around you. It is significant that Heidi encourages the avowedly non-literary Peter to learn to read, presumably opening up the priceless world of critical thinking to the callous lad.

Powerful stuff. "Heidi" has been an insistent echo in the literary world ever since its original release, so it was inevitable that such a charismatic and profound tale of the perilous, glorious journey of childhood (and its many psychological metaphors) should make it to the silver screen. During the silent era, we count several filmic versions of the tale, none of which appear to be extant today. The most intriguing version may be a 1920 fantasy, starring Madge Evans and purportedly presented in a primitive color process!

The first sound feature of "Heidi" was 20th Century-Fox's 1937 blockbuster, HEIDI. Fox, of course, found this tale of the youngest of all heroines perfect for their cash-cow child-star, Shirley Temple.

Temple, with her ironic smile and precocious dimples, made an adorable and memorable Heidi, and even the Hollywood treatment, and inclusion of some bizarre fantasy dream sequences, doesn't derail the book-to-film.

Perhaps the definitive HEIDI is the 1952 Swiss/German co-production directed by Luigi Comencini, in the very locations where the book takes place. This HEIDI, filmed in stark black and white, looks convincingly like a storybook brought to life. Elsbeth Sigmund makes a stunning little "Miss-Adventure", and Heinrich Gretler as Grandfather comes across as the perfect companion/patriarch.

HEIDI (1952), released in the U.S. to great acclaim in 1955 by United Artists, generated two sequels. HEIDI AND HER FRIENDS (1954), an obscure sequel of sorts, has recently resurfaced on DVD in Europe (and thanks to our UK correspondant Nigel Burrell, we finally have a recounting of this rare film). HEIDI AND PETER (1955), the third in this trilogy, was successful in Europe, and also in the U.S., where it was released in 1956. In fact, both HEIDI and HEIDI AND PETER had long lives at the Kiddie Matinee, being re-released several times well into the mid-1970's. HEIDI, being in the public domain, has secured a long afterlife on various home video and DVD labels, whereas HEIDI AND PETER seems to have fallen off the face of the earth (at least in its English-Language version).

One of the most interesting, and sadly obscure, interpretations of the Heidi mythos is A GIFT FOR HEIDI (1958), a marvelous religious drama from France, starring Sandy Descher as a slightly older, much wiser, Heidi. Eschewing the original storyline for a continuation of plotlines and characters, Heidi finds herself the recipient of a trio of carved figurines, and her philosophic search for what they represent creates an exciting and revelatory melodrama, all the more so as it is set against a contemporary backdrop. RKO Pictures released A GIFT FOR HEIDI to the U.S. Kiddie Matinee circuit in 1962, and it is rarely seen on video or TV today.

Another European production, HEIDI (1965), filmed in West Germany and Austria, and starring the fetching Eva Maria Singhammer as the title girl, was released in the U.S. in 1968 in a fairly large Kiddie Matinee campaign by Warner Brothers/Seven Arts. Unfortunately, the film subsequently fell by the wayside, and we have been unable to locate any prints of this most sought-after filming of Spyri's tale.

1968 brought one of the most (in)-famous of all Heidi fables, NBC-TV's lavish made-for-television production, HEIDI (1968). This well-scrubbed feature, filmed in West Germany, starred Michael Redgrave as Grandfather and Jennifer Edwards as a very British Heidi. A marvelous, big-budget filming of the timeless tale, the film was further enhanced by a good early score by John Williams. As fate would have it, HEIDI was originally aired on a Sunday evening in January 1968, right after the Super Bowl. Or more accurately, DURING the Super Bowl; in an unprecedented, ne'er-repeated move, NBC execs pre-empted the final quarter of the Super Bowl transmission in order to start HEIDI on time. Of course, the public outcry was so fierce that this naïve move was never made again. It goes to show how much less important sports were at the time, and how much more important were children's' fairy tales. We have regressed, surely.

In 1974, an animated TV series called HEIDI: GIRL OF THE ALPS began a successful run, first in Japan, and then all over Europe. Isao Takahata crafted this brilliant bit of Japanese anime, which captures the spirit of Spryi's tale in an uncanny and sublime way. A 94-minute compilation feature, THE STORY OF HEIDI, was also successful in Europe, and in the U.S.

On Thanksgiving weekend 1978, NBC tried again with another Heidi fable, this time, an all-new production called THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HEIDI (1978). By far the most liberal treatment of the Johanna Spyri characters to date, NEW... HEIDI starred popular TV child star Katy Kurtzman as a very American Heidi, complete with Holly Hobbie dress and Laura Ingalls braids. In addition, NEW... HEIDI takes place in a contemporary setting, and features Heidi and her new friend Elisabeth trekking to New York City! Even better, it's a musical! Despite all of the liberties taken with the Heidi mythos in this treatment, we love NEW... HEIDI, and feel that it captures the Spyri spirit as well as many of the more traditional outings. (For more on the delightful Ms. Kurtzman, please see our exclusive e-interview, KATY KURTZMAN: TV'S ALL-AMERICAN GIRL!)

The last Heidi feature for many years was Hanna-Barbera's animated musical, HEIDI'S SONG (1982). Starring the superstar vocal talents of Pamelyn Ferdin, Lorne Greene and Sammy Davis Jr., HEIDI'S SONG is a bright and lively animated feature, and was fairly successful in its theatrical release.

The past decade or so has brought further Heidian adventures, in the French COURAGE MOUNTAIN (1989), and Disney's HEIDI (1997), starring Jason Robards. There have also been several live-action TV series aired in Europe, in 1956, 1960 and 1990.

For our money, the best all-around Heidi film is HEIDI (1952) with Elsbeth Sigmund. We cannot cast a vote for a best overall Heidi, as we have yet to see Ms. Singhammer's performance in HEIDI (1965). But for best All-American Heidi, we nominate Katy Kurtzman, who brings such an irrepressible joie de vivre to the role in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HEIDI (1978); we cannot help but thinking of her as "the girl next door-as-superhero".

Although we wonder whether the stark simplicity of "Heidi" would be lost on today's spastic, brain-dead youth, the book, and the films it inspired, are a timeless valentine to the most important event in any person's life: childhood, in all its trauma, glory and splendor.

Links of related interest:

The entire text of "Heidi" online, with Hypertext Meanings and Commentaries from the Encyclopedia of the Self

A marvelous website about Heidi, Dorfli and Johanna Spyri

A Swiss Website all about Heidi (in English too!)

Another Swiss Website about Heidi (with some wonderful illustrations)