Crappy film

Boring

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Copyright 18 March 1938 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy: 25 March 1938. U.S. release: 18 March 1938. Australian release: 1 September 1938. 7,289 feet. 81 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Shirley wows the producer and sponsor at a radio station in an audition for "Little Miss America". Unfortunately, due to a series of bungles, the producer loses contact with her. In the midst of a frantic search, he retires to his farm for a rest. Next door, would you believe, is Shirley herself! And this all happens just in the first two reels!NOTES: Third re-make of the Kate Douglas Wiggin novel, a 1903 million-copy bestseller. In the novel, the play and the previous films, Rebecca is a young lady, not a little girl, who comes from a rustic Sunnybrook farm to stay with a couple of rich relatives in the big city, where she gets into a number of genteel romantic scrapes. She does not sing, nor of course does she audition for the radio (which did not even commence in the United States until 1919).In the movie, Miss Temple is supposedly playing an eight-year-old. She was actually ten at the time — and her comparative maturity is showing. Although Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm earned big money, it was not enough to position the movie amongst the top twenty of the nation's money-makers. In fact her career as the world's top movie star was now over. True, she did hold her place as the number one money-making star of 1938, but in 1939 she slipped to fifth position; from there on, she disappears from the list forever. Not until 1944 did she make a movie that placed among America's champion box-office attractions, namely "Since You Went Away". Still it was a phenomenal career while it lasted and she did have no less than four adolescent triumphs, including Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), Fort Apache (1948), and Mr Belvedere Goes To College (1949), which brought her almost back to the pinnacle of her previous successes.COMMENT: Plenty of merriment and song in this one which is — despite its poor reputation — amongst Miss Temple's most entertaining. In fact, it's not at all the sentimental tosh the Wiggin novel promises to be — the result of ditching the original story-line almost completely. What we actually get is a mild satire on radio, with plenty of amusing lines delivered by gifted character actors with a talent for tomfoolery, such as Jack Haley, Slim Summerville, William Demarest and the wonderfully acidic Helen Westley. Little Miss Shirley herself can banter quips with the best of them. She's in fine voice too, singing some originals and reprising some of her catchiest from Poor Little Rich Girl including an imitation "Military Man" climactic number with Bill Robinson. (Her original partner, Jack Haley doesn't dance so much as a single step in this one, though he does get to join the lovely Phyllis Brooks in a song). Nice to see Randy Scott in such good form too (love him falling into the well). Miss Stuart makes an attractive heroine.Some of our favorite character players shine brightly in this one too, including Franklin Pangborn, Paul Hurst and Dixie Dunbar. Dwan's direction is pacily slick. Other credits are equally smooth. Sound recording as usual with Fox, is a delight.ANOTHER VIEW: Suggested by the book, read the credits. In my view, contemporary critics were unkind to attack the film because it was unfaithful to the book. True, the script does have an odd habit of introducing plot elements which it fails to milk for suspense by resolving them too quickly, but I think the film delightful entertainment. Shirley gets a chance to sing a large bracket of catchy songs, including a reprise of all her favorites such as "The Good Ship Lollipop" and "Animal Crackers In My Soup". There is a fine support cast, — including Helen Westley at her most delightfully daffy, — stylish direction and first-class production values. What more do you want? - JHR writing as George Addison.

Million-dollar cast in a charming story makes this unforgettable.More: The chance to see Shirley dance with Bill Robinson? That is worth more than the price of a ticket.Shirley Temple was, first, a charmer, a talented and likable little girl (who turned into a really beautiful young woman, with even more acting ability).She really didn't have to do much besides be cute, but in fact she was an excellent dancer. I think she was a better dancer than singer and maybe better dancer than actress.Stories abound of how she picked up Mr. Robinson's steps and routines so quickly, and her on-screen dancing bear them out.There is that word again: Charm. Shirley and Bojangles were the ultimate in charm, as well as talent. (No less than Fred Astaire said Bill Robinson was the greatest of them all.)Shirley is always fun to watch as an actress, fun to listen to as a singer, but really entrancing to watch as a dancer.The story has the usual ups and downs, with various conflicts from a mostly good and good-hearted bunch of people, with only one or two who could be considered at all rascally.There is the usual Hollywood nonsense of a big dance scene for a ... radio program! But I guess we've all learned to ignore that bit of non-reality.Randolph Scott, one of my personal heroes, gets a chance to do something different -- different, especially, from his later strong silent types - - and he is simply great. Especially when he has to fuss with his assistant so beautifully played by the great Jack Haley, another actor with so much talent and versatility. Mr. Haley could do anything, sing, dance, act, cover himself with aluminum paint ...Gloria Stuart had a career that ran on for several more decades after this and watching her here, we know why: beauty, charm, ability.Since there are only so many electrons available, I better stop, though I could mention all the other excellent players, some of whom get no screen credit, but all of whom give superb performances, including very young Mary McCarty, who was about 15 at the time.She was a real actress and if you get a chance to watch her scenes at, for example, YouTube, you might want to re-play them to see her facial expressions. She continued acting for several more decades too, though without achieving the fame I think she deserved. But she apparently stayed busy, and maybe she was happy. I hope so.And you will be happy, too, if you make a point to watch "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm," for the excellent cast and cute story, all ably directed by my friend Allan Dwan, one of the most important pioneer directors in motion picture history.

It's almost strange to look at these "Shirley Temple films" at various stages of your own life. You view them differently as you grow older. It also depends, I suppose, on how familiar you are with 1930s films. Many of them are dated, especially with the language, songs and comedy of the period, so you have to acclimate yourself.After a decade away from her films, I viewed this one recently and found both good and bad things about watching it. The positives, however, far outweighed the negatives and I believe this is one of Shirley's more entertaining efforts.After starring now for about five years, it's obvious how comfortable she had become in her roles. She looked extremely confident in here and why not? She had her act down pat. She even performed one song that was medley of her hits from previous movies. Yup, she was a veteran at the ripe old age of 10 and at the peak of her career in the 1930s.In this movie was the normal mixture of characters, meaning a crabby old woman, a nice young couple that you wanted to see get married, a couple of wacky cronies, good 'ole Bill Robinson nearby....and the regular happy ending. The wholesome and pretty woman in here was Gloria Stuart. She was the same lady who appeared in 1997's "Titantic."" The leading man was western star Randolph Scott and the old biddy was Helen Westley. The goofballs were Slim Summerville, Jack Haley and William Demarest. This was one of the better casts in the Temple movies.The only drawback, really, was the total lack of credibility, scene after scene of things that made no sense...such as an entire orchestra and chorus setting up inside a quiet farmhouse and the occupant (Westley) unaware of it??!!! There are a number of scenes that just leave you shaking your head in amazement. So....you just have to suspend all belief and just enjoy the comedy, Shirley's tremendous talent and appeal, and all the pleasing songs and dances in here. That done, you've spent an enjoyable 80 minutes.Made during the Depression years when Americans desperately needed to feel good, Shirley Temple was perhaps the best at filling that need. Some 70 years later, she still ranks as the greatest child entertaining in United States history and her films still put a smile on one's face. She still makes us feel good.

Shirley temple at her peak as a girl singer who is sought by two rival cereal companies to promote their radio commercials.Randolph Scott and Gloria Stuart provide the romance. Helen Westley, Slim Summerville and William Demarest head the supporting cast but it is 9 year old Shirley's movie from first to last, full of charm and innocence and loosely adapted from the childrens classic by Kate Douglas Wiggan. Shirley's numbers include "Come and get your happiness" and she also sings a medley of hits from her previous movies (among them On the good ship lollipop, When Im with you, Animal crackers in my soup and more)and dances with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. running time 71 mins b&w