A child whose parents are dead. That's the definition for the word orphan. But at 20th Century Fox in the 1930s, the definition was: sympathetic role for Shirley Temple. In fact, there was no other role suited for her, as a girl with indelible moppet charm that the audience could root for, because goodness, she just needed some parents and a home of her own. The prospective parents were usually not an established couple. They were often two young single adults (never middle aged) who fell in love during the story, to facilitate a romantic subplot.
The film starts with Shirley predictably in an orphanage, singing with other girls about the virtue of remaining optimistic. Yes, they can't be too downtrodden, since a film with a sad vibe would not go over well with movie viewers. We are told up front that she's not staying here; she's going to live with an old friend of her deceased parents who's agreed to look after her.
She's happy, until she realizes the other girls are not being adopted. As if those emotions were not overpowering, we have the girls leaning out windows singing Auld Lang Syne as Shirley leaves the orphanage. Nothing is subtle!
In the next part Shirley settles in at a boarding house with the elderly gent (Edward Ellis) who's taken her in along with his pretty daughter (Phyllis Brooks). It's a place where various theatrical types reside, most of them currently jobless. One of the tenants is a bandleader (Jimmy Durante) who hasn't had a gig in twelve weeks. But he's so busy playing poker, he doesn't seem to care!
Meanwhile there is a crotchety old lady (Edna May Oliver in a role that normally would've been assigned to Helen Westley) that lives in the next building. She is upset by all the noise the performers are making. Oliver disagrees with her brother (Donald Meek) that the riffraff in the boarding house need to go; and since she owns that building, too; and Shirley's new friends owe Oliver back rent, she decides it's time to evict them all!
Into the mix we have the introduction of Oliver's handsome young nephew (George Murphy). He befriends Shirley and just so happens to be fond of Brooks, much to his auntie's dismay. The love story will complicate Oliver's plans to toss Ellis and the others out on their keisters.
Murphy shares the same opinion with Meek that Oliver shouldn't throw anyone out on the street. While he devises a plan to thwart his aunt's actions, we see him bond more with Shirley. There is a cute scene in which they do a few dance steps together. It leads to a number on top of a table. Only in the movies!
Shirley thinks Murphy is quite skilled and asks where he learned to dance. He explains he learned at Harvard as part of the Hasty Pudding Club. Shirley doesn't realize that's the name of a theatrical group and says 'boy, I bet that tasted good!'
One of the reasons these cinematic vehicles worked so well for Shirley Temple is because she's usually a wide-eyed innocent dealing with adult situations. Part of the fun is her overcoming a specific plight and teaching the adults a lesson or two. Her line deliveries are classic, such as a moment where she learns a butler lied about something and she brands him a fibber who should stand in the corner. Or when she tells Murphy that she would have been an old maid if she hadn't met him. Not sure if these scenes would work so well with any other young child actress.
Of course we know that Murphy and Brooks will end up together, and they will become Shirley's proper parents. Also, Oliver will have a change of heart and reverse her thinking about evicting the performers. Oh, and certainly, there will be a big show before all is said and done (in this case, staged inside a courtroom!) to indicate the theatrical types are now back to work. There won't be any problem that doesn't get solved with the help of a singing-dancing orphan girl.
The film starts with Shirley predictably in an orphanage, singing with other girls about the virtue of remaining optimistic. Yes, they can't be too downtrodden, since a film with a sad vibe would not go over well with movie viewers. We are told up front that she's not staying here; she's going to live with an old friend of her deceased parents who's agreed to look after her.
She's happy, until she realizes the other girls are not being adopted. As if those emotions were not overpowering, we have the girls leaning out windows singing Auld Lang Syne as Shirley leaves the orphanage. Nothing is subtle!
In the next part Shirley settles in at a boarding house with the elderly gent (Edward Ellis) who's taken her in along with his pretty daughter (Phyllis Brooks). It's a place where various theatrical types reside, most of them currently jobless. One of the tenants is a bandleader (Jimmy Durante) who hasn't had a gig in twelve weeks. But he's so busy playing poker, he doesn't seem to care!
Meanwhile there is a crotchety old lady (Edna May Oliver in a role that normally would've been assigned to Helen Westley) that lives in the next building. She is upset by all the noise the performers are making. Oliver disagrees with her brother (Donald Meek) that the riffraff in the boarding house need to go; and since she owns that building, too; and Shirley's new friends owe Oliver back rent, she decides it's time to evict them all!
Into the mix we have the introduction of Oliver's handsome young nephew (George Murphy). He befriends Shirley and just so happens to be fond of Brooks, much to his auntie's dismay. The love story will complicate Oliver's plans to toss Ellis and the others out on their keisters.
Murphy shares the same opinion with Meek that Oliver shouldn't throw anyone out on the street. While he devises a plan to thwart his aunt's actions, we see him bond more with Shirley. There is a cute scene in which they do a few dance steps together. It leads to a number on top of a table. Only in the movies!
Shirley thinks Murphy is quite skilled and asks where he learned to dance. He explains he learned at Harvard as part of the Hasty Pudding Club. Shirley doesn't realize that's the name of a theatrical group and says 'boy, I bet that tasted good!'
One of the reasons these cinematic vehicles worked so well for Shirley Temple is because she's usually a wide-eyed innocent dealing with adult situations. Part of the fun is her overcoming a specific plight and teaching the adults a lesson or two. Her line deliveries are classic, such as a moment where she learns a butler lied about something and she brands him a fibber who should stand in the corner. Or when she tells Murphy that she would have been an old maid if she hadn't met him. Not sure if these scenes would work so well with any other young child actress.
Of course we know that Murphy and Brooks will end up together, and they will become Shirley's proper parents. Also, Oliver will have a change of heart and reverse her thinking about evicting the performers. Oh, and certainly, there will be a big show before all is said and done (in this case, staged inside a courtroom!) to indicate the theatrical types are now back to work. There won't be any problem that doesn't get solved with the help of a singing-dancing orphan girl.
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