The Littlest Rebel

The Littlest Rebel is a 1935 American dramatic film directed by David Butler. The screenplay by Edwin J. Burke was adapted from a play of the same name by Edward Peple and focuses on the tribulations of a plantationowning family during the American Civil War. The film stars John Boles, Karen Morley, and Shirley Temple as the plantation family and Bill Robinson as their slave with Jack Holt as a Union officer.

The film opens in the ballroom of the Cary plantation on Virgies Shirley Temple sixth birthday. Her slave Uncle Billy Bill Robinson dances for her party guests, but the celebration is brought abruptly to an end when a messenger arrives with news of the assault on Fort Sumter and a declaration of war. Virgies father is ordered to the Armory with horse and sidearms. He becomes a scout for the Confederate Army, crossing enemy lines to gather information. On these expeditions, he sometimes briefly visits his family at their plantation behind Union lines.One day, Colonel Morrison Jack Holt, a Union officer, arrives at the Cary plantation looking for Virgies father. Virgie defies him, hitting him with a pebble from her slingshot and singing Dixie. After Morrison leaves, Cary arrives to visit his family but quickly departs when slaves warn of approaching Union troops. Led by the brutal Sgt. Dudley Guinn Williams, the Union troops begin to loot the house. Colonel Morrison returns, puts an end to the plundering, and orders Dudley lashed. With this act, Morrison rises in Virgies esteem. ........

Source: Wikipedia