Little Friend *** (1934, Nova Pilbeam, Matheson Lang, Lydia Sherwood) – Classic Movie Review 13,436

Austrian director Berthold Viertel’s 1934 British drama film Little Friend is co-written by Christopher Isherwood (author of Goodbye to Berlin) from Ernst Lothar’s novel, and stars Nova Pilbeam, Matheson Lang and Lydia Sherwood.

Austrian director Berthold Viertel’s 1934 British drama film Little Friend is based on a novel by Ernst Lothar and stars Nova Pilbeam, Matheson Lang and Lydia Sherwood.

Sweet little young girl Felicity Hughes (Nova Pilbeam, aged 15) spends most of her time with Miss Drew, her governess (Jean Cadell) and slowly becomes aware that the marriage of her parents (Matheson Lang, Lydia Sherwood) is disintegrating. She tries to kill herself when she discovers that her parents plan to split and divorce, but then this makes them re-consider the situation.

Little Friend is a sweet and simple family drama, with no surprises, but it is an interestingly scripted, carefully acted and diligently handled British drama co-written by Christopher Isherwood (author of Goodbye to Berlin) from Ernst Lothar’s novel. Simple it may be, but it is affecting, and definitely worth a look.

Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood (26 August 1904 – 4 January 1986)

Christopher Isherwood (left) and Don Bachardy (right) in the late 1970s.

Christopher Isherwood later based his novel Prater Violet (1945) on his friend, director Viertel (Prater Violet) and his experience of working with Viertel and others on the production of Little Friend.

Prater Violet is a fictional version of the time he worked with Viertel on Little Friend.

Nova Margery Pilbeam (15 November 1919 – 17 July 2015)

Nova Pilbeam went on to star in two films for Hitchcock: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) and Young and Innocent.

The score is by the Austrian composer Ernst Toch, who was then, like the film’s Austrian director, in exile from the Nazis. Berthold Viertel had given up on Hollywood after his previous film The Man from Yesterday (1932). Viertel stayed working in the UK for The Passing of the Third Floor Back (1935) and Rhodes of Africa (1936).

It is shot in the studio at Shepherd’s Bush, west London.

Release date: July 24, 1934 (London).

The cast

The cast are Matheson Lang as John Hughes, Lydia Sherwood as Helen Hughes, Nova Pilbeam as  Felicity Hughes, Arthur Margetson as Hilliard, Jean Cadell as Miss Drew, Jimmy Hanley as Leonard Parry, Gibb McLaughlin as Thompson, Diana Cotton as Maud, Cecil Parker as Mason, Clare Greet as Mrs Parry, Jack Raine as  Jeffries, Finlay Currie as  Grove, Robert Nainby as Uncle Ned, Atholl Fleming as Shepherd, Basil Goth as Doctor, Charles Childerstone as Solicitor, Gerald Kent as Butler, Allan Aynesworth as Colonel Amberley, Lewis Casson as Judge, Fritz Kortner as Giant, and Hughie Green as Boy.

Little Friend is directed by Berthold Viertel, runs 87 minutes, is made and released by Gaumont British, is written by Margaret Kennedy, Christopher Isherwood and Berthold Viertel, is shot in black and white by Gunther Krampf, is produced by Robert Stevenson, is scored by Ernst Toch and Louis Levy.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,436

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