Little Darlings is a 1980 teen film starring Tatum O'Neal, Kristy McNichol, Cynthia Nixon, Matt Dillon and Armand Assante, directed by Ronald F. Maxwell. The screenplay is written by Kimi Peck and Dalene Young. The original music score is composed by Charles Fox. The film is marketed with the tagline "Don't let the title fool you."
As of 2008 the film has not been released on DVD.
McNichol, Kristy took up smoking as part of the preparation for the role, but couldn't quit the habit.
'Tatum ONeal had a tendency to forget her lines during shooting.
During one scene, Kristy McNichol sits in the crowd looking bored as some other girls perform "The Sister's Song" from "The Pirates of Penzance." In the 1982 film Pirate Movie, The (1982), McNichol wound up sitting through the song again, performed by her on-screen sisters.
Although 'Tatum ONeal and Kristy McNichol were cast at about the same time, O'Neal had approval over which lead role she would play and she chose to play Ferris.
The musical score was originally going to be composed by Carole Bayer Sager but she left the project.
Several cast members performed musical and comedy routines for the rest of the cast and crew on the nights no filming took place.
