Little Lord Fauntleroy is a story about a little American boy, Cedric who suddenly finds himself the heir-apparent to a title in England. His grandfather, the present Lord Fauntleroy, (who originally disowned the boy's now-dead father for marrying his American mother) sends for the boy to live with him. His faultless mother of course agrees to let him take this opportunity, while she goes to live in a nearby cottage.
Then a woman appears with a boy she claims to be the son of an older son, apparently displacing Cedric as heir. It is a testament to Little Lord Fauntleroy's sweetening effect that his grandfather unites with his mother to fight against this alternate claim (successfully, of course...this is no book for bittersweet endings--the good always triumph, the evil always meet they're downfall, and the good and the evil are always on opposite sides).
Enough sugar to gag a horse, but no story. From the start, the little boy is perfect...charitable, pretty, strong, and smart--but infinitely oblivious of others' defects. He does not grow or change. He does not wrestle with problems. He does not even realize there are problems. He is not a character--he's a pro-American fantasy.
The real protagonist is the present Lord, the boy's grandfather. His transition from conceited grump to true grandfather is mildly interesting. However, far too often Cedric's perfect little self takes center stage, constantly presenting himself to be admired by the other characters, who were not so fortunate as to be perfect or American.

A fine story is good enough to read several times, like good music or art. That is true of Little Lord Fauntleroy.

This is by far, in my opinion, the best version. While some license has been taken to compress this great story into the time available, many of the lines are word-for-word from the book.

Stories like this become classics because of the author's great style and skill in the art of storytelling. Directors would do well to accurately portray to original and not try to innovate too much.

This version actually lends to ones imagination when the book is read, even though there are some differences. Our family has watched this video several times and will, I'm sure, watch it again.

I remember seeing this show when I was very young and was very disappointed to find it unavailable. If one every became available, I would purchase it immediately.

For readers who are interested in Burnett's novels for adults, Bixler's work is a very good companion volume to Ann Thwaite's "Waiting for the Party".

Divided into several sections and including a chronology, Bixler summarizes Burnett's most famous works plus her lesser known novels and plays. Special attention is given to Burnett's novel "Through One Administration", which was much lauded in its day for its insight and plausibility (and the fact that it did not have a guaranteed happy ending).

Along with providing brief but concise biographical data on Burnett (heavily citing Thwaite), Bixler's work is a helpful and informative source for readers interested in the artist's personal, as well as professional, life.