Little Lord Fauntleroy is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Alfred E. Green and Jack Pickford and starring the latter's elder sister Mary Pickford as both Cedric Errol and Widow Errol. The film is based on the 1886 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett. A statue depicting Pickford's role exists today on the facade of New York City's landmarked I. Miller Building.
Little Lord Fauntleroy is a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published as a serial in St. Nicholas Magazine (1885) and later as a book (1886). It was a major literary success, influencing both children's fiction and late-Victorian fashion. The story follows Cedric Errol, a kind-hearted boy living in poverty in New York City with his widowed mother, "Dearest." Cedric unexpectedly learns he is the heir to the Earldom of Dorincourt after his fatherâÂÂs older brothers die without heirs. He is summoned to England by his grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, a cynical and gout-ridden aristocrat who originally disowned Cedric's father for marrying an American. While the Earl intends to mold Cedric into a cold nobleman, CedricâÂÂs unwavering belief in his grandfatherâÂÂs "innate goodness" becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The boy's unconditional kindness and egalitarian American spirit eventually transform the Earl into a compassionate landlord. The plot reaches a climax when an American woman, Minna, claims her son is the true heir; however, CedricâÂÂs New York friendsâÂÂDick the bootblack and Mr. Hobbs the grocerâÂÂtravel to England and expose her as a fraud. The story concludes with the Earl reconciled with CedricâÂÂs mother and a grand celebration of the boy's eighth birthday.
A young Milton Berle appears in an uncredited role.