Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsABFFPride MonthOutfest OutfrontsSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

The Blue Bird

  • 1940
  • Approved
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
The Blue Bird (1940)
AdventureFamilyFantasy

Mytyl and her brother Tyltyl, a woodchopper's children, are led by the Fairy Berylune on a magical trip through the past, present, and future to locate the Blue Bird of Happiness.Mytyl and her brother Tyltyl, a woodchopper's children, are led by the Fairy Berylune on a magical trip through the past, present, and future to locate the Blue Bird of Happiness.Mytyl and her brother Tyltyl, a woodchopper's children, are led by the Fairy Berylune on a magical trip through the past, present, and future to locate the Blue Bird of Happiness.

  • Director
    • Walter Lang
  • Writers
    • Maurice Maeterlinck
    • Ernest Pascal
    • Walter Bullock
  • Stars
    • Shirley Temple
    • Spring Byington
    • Nigel Bruce
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    1.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Walter Lang
    • Writers
      • Maurice Maeterlinck
      • Ernest Pascal
      • Walter Bullock
    • Stars
      • Shirley Temple
      • Spring Byington
      • Nigel Bruce
    • 44User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars
      • 2 nominations total

    Photos30

    Shirley Temple in The Blue Bird (1940)
    Shirley Temple in The Blue Bird (1940)
    The Blue Bird (1940)
    The Blue Bird (1940)
    Shirley Doble and Gene Reynolds in The Blue Bird (1940)
    Shirley Temple, Johnny Russell, and Loree Lee Foxx in The Blue Bird (1940)
    Dena Penn and Rae-Nell Laskey in The Blue Bird (1940)
    Dena Penn and Rae-Nell Laskey in The Blue Bird (1940)
    Dorothy Joyce in The Blue Bird (1940)
    Tommy Baker and Dorothy Joyce in The Blue Bird (1940)
    Diane Fisher in The Blue Bird (1940)
    Diane Fisher in The Blue Bird (1940)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Shirley Temple
    Shirley Temple
    • Mytyl
    Spring Byington
    Spring Byington
    • Mummy Tyl
    Nigel Bruce
    Nigel Bruce
    • Mr. Luxury
    Gale Sondergaard
    Gale Sondergaard
    • Tylette
    Eddie Collins
    Eddie Collins
    • Tylo
    Sybil Jason
    Sybil Jason
    • Angela Berlingot
    Jessie Ralph
    Jessie Ralph
    • Fairy Berylune
    Helen Ericson
    Helen Ericson
    • Light
    Johnny Russell
    Johnny Russell
    • Tyltyl
    Laura Hope Crews
    Laura Hope Crews
    • Mrs. Luxury
    Russell Hicks
    Russell Hicks
    • Daddy Tyl
    Cecilia Loftus
    Cecilia Loftus
    • Granny Tyl
    Al Shean
    Al Shean
    • Grandpa Tyl
    Leona Roberts
    Leona Roberts
    • Mrs. Berlingot
    Gene Reynolds
    Gene Reynolds
    • Studious Boy
    Stanley Andrews
    Stanley Andrews
    • Wilhelm
    Frank Dawson
    Frank Dawson
    • Caller of Roll
    Sterling Holloway
    Sterling Holloway
    • Wild Plum
    • Director
      • Walter Lang
    • Writers
      • Maurice Maeterlinck
      • Ernest Pascal
      • Walter Bullock
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Little Princess
    7.1
    The Little Princess
    Wee Willie Winkie
    6.9
    Wee Willie Winkie
    Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
    7.0
    Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
    Nature's Half Acre
    7.0
    Nature's Half Acre
    The Little Colonel
    7.0
    The Little Colonel
    Curly Top
    6.8
    Curly Top
    Bright Eyes
    7.2
    Bright Eyes
    Heidi
    7.2
    Heidi
    Captain January
    7.0
    Captain January
    A Chump at Oxford
    7.2
    A Chump at Oxford
    Little Miss Broadway
    6.5
    Little Miss Broadway
    Stowaway
    7.1
    Stowaway

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The blue bird of the title was paid $50 a day, and flew away from a Los Angeles aviary soon after the movie was finished.
    • Quotes

      Granny Tyl: Somebody must be thinking of us. I feel quite strong. I think we're going to have visitors. They seem to be coming near.

      Grandpa Tyl: Maybe now I can finish my carving. I've been at this one for nearly a whole year.

      Granny Tyl: That's because we're so seldom awake.

      Mytyl, Tyltyl: Granny! Grandpa!

      Granny Tyl: It's the children! Give us a hug, dears, a big one this time.

      Grandpa Tyl: It's been months and months since you last remembered us.

      Granny Tyl: The last time was Easter morning. The church bells were ringing.

      Mytyl: Easter? Oh, we didn't go out that day. We both had very bad colds.

      Granny Tyl: But you thought of us.

      Mytyl: Yes, we missed you.

      Granny Tyl: Every time you think of us, we wake up and see you again.

      Mytyl: But we thought you were dead.

      Granny Tyl: No, dear. Only when we're forgotten.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits listed in hand turned pages of a book.
    • Connections
      Featured in Biography: Shirley Temple: The Biggest Little Star (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      O Come Little Children
      (uncredited)

      Traditional

      Arranged by Edward B. Powell and Frank Tresselt

    User reviews44

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Unusual Fantasy Deserves Honorable Mention Among Temple's Films
    Although 'The Blue Bird' was not a resounding financial success at time of release, and has always been cited as being a poor imitation of 'The Wizard of Oz', it is an unjustly neglected film. Individual scenes are striking, as for example those depicting the unborn waiting in a kind of heavenly limbo (with billowing clouds) before sailing off to their destination on earth. (You can spot Dickie Moore and Scotty Beckett among the unborn lads.) Shirley Temple and Johnny Russell are tremendously appealing as the young sister and brother searching for the elusive blue bird of happiness. A highlight is Shirley's excursion to the Land of the Past where she visits her dead grandparents and does a charming song-and-dance to a yodel song. The studio would have been wise to incorporate a few more such songs. With added numbers, this might have been a much more successful film. As it is, her role is not strong enough, as written, and yet we can appreciate her by the film's end. She is particularly affecting in the scenes with the unborn children, showing genuine charm and affection and looking radiant in technicolor. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards (Special Effects and Color Cinematography), nominations which were well deserved. The spectacular forest fire is very effective, as are the special effects in general. In the supporting roles, Gale Sondergaard (as Tylette, the cat)has fun with a typical Sondergaard role, mistress of evil. Nigel Bruce and Spring Byington lend excellent support. Summing up, while the whole is not as great as its parts, this is a lavishly photographed film definitely worth viewing. Not a masterpiece, by any means, but there is much to appreciate and it should not be neglected.
    helpful•41
    3
    • Doylenf
    • Mar 21, 2001

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 15, 1940 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Plava ptica
    • Filming locations
      • Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $2,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    The Blue Bird (1940)
    Top Gap
    By what name was The Blue Bird (1940) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.