Customer Reviews

Susannah of the Mounties

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

20th Century Fox presents "SHIRLEY TEMPLE COLLECTION VOL.4" (1936-1939) (225 min/B&W/Color) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Shirley Jane Temple is an American film and television actress, singer, dancer, autobiographer, and former U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. She began her film career in 1932 at the age of three, and in 1934, skyrocketed to superstardom in Bright Eyes, a feature film designed specifically for her talents. She received a special Academy Award in February 1935, and film hits such as Curly Top, and Heidi followed year after year during the mid to late 1930s. She was the top box-office draw four years in a row (1935-38) in a Motion Picture Herald poll

Editorial Reviews & Product Description on this Amazon page for your viewing interest.

FIRST FILM ON THE TRIPLE FEATURE:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation presents "CAPTAIN JANUARY" (1936) (77 min/B&W/Color) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Starring Shirley Temple, Guy Kibbee, Slim Summerville, Buddy Ebsen & Jane Darwell

Directed by David Butler

NOTE: Shirley and Buddy Ebsen team up for a very entertaining song-and-dance routine to "The Codfish Ball," the best song in the movie.
And some of the scenes of the lighthouse are magnificent. Shirley gets emotional during the final tug of war where she is being torn away from the Cap, a crying scene that reveals just how deeply felt some of her performances were.

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 4 Stars
Performance: 4 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

SECOND FILM ON THE TRIPLE FEATURE:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporations presents "JUST AROUND THE CORNER" (1938) (70 min/B&W/Color) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Starring Shirley Temple, Joan Davis, Charles Farrell, Amanda Duff, Bill Robinson & Bert Lahr

Directed by Irving Cummings

NOTE: In addition to the main song ("This Is A Happy Little Ditty," a very catchy song), there is a good production number near the end of the film. Legendary Bill `Bojangles' Robinson is on hand with 3 of his celebrated dance routines. Watch, when he dances with Shirley, how she matches him step for step - a marvelous terpsichorean treat. Those two were always fun to watch in their musical numbers together.

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 4 Stars
Performance: 3 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 3 Stars
Overall: 3 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

THIRD & FINAL FILM ON THE TRIPLE FEATURE:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporations presents "SUSANNAH OF THE MOUNTIES" (1939) (78 min/B&W/Color) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) -- Starring Shirley Temple, Randolph Scott, Margaret Lockwood, Martin Good Rider, J. Farrell MacDonald & Maurice Moscovitch

Directed by Walter Lang, William A. Seiter

NOTE: Shirley and Randolph Scott show some real affection for each other, he may have been the best of her adult male co-stars. Of course Scott also has eyes for the extraordinarily beautiful Margaret Lockwood who is his commanding officer's daughter. One of Shirley's weaker vehicles, enjoyable only for die-hard Temple fans. Fortunately for Shirley, she still had "THE LITTLE PRINCESS" in release that same year. Which is one of my all time favorites of her films.

Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 3 Stars
Performance: 3 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 3 Stars
Overall: 3 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]

Total Time: 225 min on DVD ~ 20th Century Fox ~ (07/25/2006)

20th Century Fox tried to rework the plot of "Wee Willie Winkie" in this Shirley Temple flick. One key person missing from the picture was director John Ford. The product suffers without Ford's vision of humor, action, and sentiment. Don't get me wrong. Shirley Temple is still America's Sweetheart. She is the lone survivor of a wagon train massacre, and RCMP Randolph Scott comes to her aid. This time it's American Indians on the warpath. Shirley almost single-handed prevents war on the Canadian frontier, while charming everybody in sight. By 1939, Shirley was starting to show definite signs of growing up, dangerous in a child star. She has a crush on Scott and tries to keep him from mooning around a good-looking woman visiting the outpost. As usual, Shirley's "isn't that cute" antics are amusing. Her culture clashes with the deadpan Indian kid, Little Chief, are comic. There is even some Western style action-adventure. Victor Jory is menacing if somewhat cliched as a villainous Indian. The usual elements just don't jell as well as they did in "Wee Willie Winkie." As wholesome family entertainment, all Shirley Temple films are a success, regardless. This one is pleasant, but not Shirley's best. ;-)

10-year-old Shirley stars with Randolph Scott in this powerful movie about a young girl, orphaned after a group of Native Americans kill the rest of her wagon train. She is then taken in to live with Randolph Scott at a military base. When a different group of Native Americans want to gain their trust their cheif gives his son to live with them. After learning to cope with the 'little cheif's' behavior, he and shirley become friends and together must save the life of a dear friend. This is not one of Shirley's best films with only one song. She shows her dramatic acting talent and is not always her sweet little self. Don't forget, this 1939 movie was after she was #1 in box office cumes and was only #5, soon to be pushed aff the top 10 list, completely.