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.
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.