I have seen this movie three times. Hence three brief reviews: (1) Captain January offers a slight story, expertly fashioned and tailored as a vehicle for Shirley Temple, who will most certainly delight her many fans. A solid support cast includes Slim Summerville, June Lang, Sara Haden and a more subdued than usual Buddy Ebsen. The direction is smooth and production values okay. (2) Better than I remembered – for the first quarter hour anyway, with Shirley singing and dancing and Buddy Ebsen putting over the lively "At the Codfish Ball". (3) You might be able to stomach Shirley Temple getting all her sums right and even knowing the year that Columbus discovered America, but when it comes to a super helping of flat-footed fogies like Guy Kibbee and Slim Summerville who are determined to paint portraits of quaint rustic simplicity and simple virtue, I pause. Direction and other credits lack polish, and the songs are a pretty tuneless lot.
Review of Captain January
