KATHLEEN (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1941), directed by Harold S. Bucquet, stars Shirley Temple, former child star for 20th Century-Fox (1934-1940) in her first and only film for the MGM studio. Though MGM could have cast Temple opposite someone like Mickey Rooney in a backstage musical or a dramatic story opposite Freddie Bartholomew in a horse racing theme similar in theme to NATIONAL VELVET (1944) that later made an overnight star of Elizabeth Taylor, Temple was offered a title role based on an original story by Kay Van Riper dealing with a poor young rich girl striving for the love and attention of her widowed father who is hardly around.
Kathleen Davis (Shirley Temple), is a 12-year-old girl whose mother died at the time of her birth. She lives in a luxurious home surrounded by servants who have looked after her more than her father, John Staunton Davis (Herbert Marshall), who is more away on business trips than spending quality time with his daughter. Kathleen has a strict governess, Mrs. Farrell (Nella Walker), whom she hates. Her only true friend happens to be Mr. Schonet (Felix Bressart), an elderly antique dealer who knows the truth behind Kathleen's imaginary friend, the girl on the hill, whose life echoes that of her own unhappy existence. Further complications ensue when Mr. Davis returns home with Lorraine Bennett (Gail Patrick), his female companion. Though unaware of her father's wedding plans to Miss Bennett, Kathleen takes an immediate dislike to her anyhow. Because of her strong dislike for Mrs. Farrell, Lorraine suggests Kathleen be examined by a child specialist. Doctor Montagu Foster (Lloyd Corrigan) finds nothing wrong with Kathleen but suggests Mrs. Farrell be dismissed and substituted by Doctor A. Martha Kent (Laraine Day), a child psychologist, who could remain with her until September before Kathleen is to be sent away to boarding school. At first Kathleen dislikes the young and down-to-earth lady doctor, but in time, grows fond of her enough to call her "Angel," based on her first name, Angela. While Kathleen hopes for Angela to become her father's new wife, she faces further disappointments when she learns of her father's upcoming wedding plans and extensive honeymoon trip with Lorraine, and having Angela cancel her proposed trip to South America to fill in for the responsibility actually intended for her neglectful father. Others in the cast include: Guy Bellis (Jarvis, the butler); Wade Boteler (The Policeman); and Joe Yule (The Sign Painter).
Though the plot for KATHLEEN could have been a Temple vehicle for 20th Century-Fox during her teenage years, this new MGM edition resumes the traditional Temple format originated by her own studio, that of a daughter of a single parent or an orphan. Temple even gets to have one song number, "Around the Corner," performed during her dream sequence rather than being part of the plot. Now a teenager and no longer a cute little child with the blondish curls, Temple's physical appearance gets reinvented through her darker and longer 1940s hairstyle along with her more mature speaking voice of a teenager. Being the only child for its entire 88 minutes, it would have been interesting had KATHLEEN been slightly altered by having two Temples for the price of one playing twin sisters scheming to get their father to realize his marriage to a woman they dislike would be a mistake. This idea was later put to good use for the Walt Disney classic, THE PARENT TRAP (1961) starring Hayley Mills playing the twin sisters. Having Temple in a dual role might have been too costly and time consuming for a standard movie project, yet might have been more pleasing for Temple fans.
As it stands, KATHLEEN is satisfactory entertainment with moral lesson learned by a father who lets others raise his daughter, who's a stranger to him, rather than by himself. Laraine Day is good as the pretty doctor who fills in as Kathleen's pretend older sister while Felix Bressart gives a likable performance as an elderly grandfather type to Kathleen. Gail Patrick stands out in her "other woman" role she's been doing quite often in other films around this time. As much as Herbert Marshall and Laraine Day do their parts well, it's interesting that in their previous pairing in Alfred Hitchcock's FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (United Artists, 1940) they were cast together playing father and daughter. Though MGM never acquired further services from Temple, the studio would soon get a child star of its own, Margaret O'Brien, the Shirley Temple of the 1940s.
Unlike Temple's films for 20th Century-Fox, KATHLEEN was never distributed to video cassette nor, though currently available on DVD. It was never even part of Shirley Temple film festivals, but did get some exposure during the after midnight hours on the "late-late show" during the 1970s. KATHLEEN often plays on Turner Classic Movies cable channel, the home of the MGM film library. (**1/2)
Kathleen Davis (Shirley Temple), is a 12-year-old girl whose mother died at the time of her birth. She lives in a luxurious home surrounded by servants who have looked after her more than her father, John Staunton Davis (Herbert Marshall), who is more away on business trips than spending quality time with his daughter. Kathleen has a strict governess, Mrs. Farrell (Nella Walker), whom she hates. Her only true friend happens to be Mr. Schonet (Felix Bressart), an elderly antique dealer who knows the truth behind Kathleen's imaginary friend, the girl on the hill, whose life echoes that of her own unhappy existence. Further complications ensue when Mr. Davis returns home with Lorraine Bennett (Gail Patrick), his female companion. Though unaware of her father's wedding plans to Miss Bennett, Kathleen takes an immediate dislike to her anyhow. Because of her strong dislike for Mrs. Farrell, Lorraine suggests Kathleen be examined by a child specialist. Doctor Montagu Foster (Lloyd Corrigan) finds nothing wrong with Kathleen but suggests Mrs. Farrell be dismissed and substituted by Doctor A. Martha Kent (Laraine Day), a child psychologist, who could remain with her until September before Kathleen is to be sent away to boarding school. At first Kathleen dislikes the young and down-to-earth lady doctor, but in time, grows fond of her enough to call her "Angel," based on her first name, Angela. While Kathleen hopes for Angela to become her father's new wife, she faces further disappointments when she learns of her father's upcoming wedding plans and extensive honeymoon trip with Lorraine, and having Angela cancel her proposed trip to South America to fill in for the responsibility actually intended for her neglectful father. Others in the cast include: Guy Bellis (Jarvis, the butler); Wade Boteler (The Policeman); and Joe Yule (The Sign Painter).
Though the plot for KATHLEEN could have been a Temple vehicle for 20th Century-Fox during her teenage years, this new MGM edition resumes the traditional Temple format originated by her own studio, that of a daughter of a single parent or an orphan. Temple even gets to have one song number, "Around the Corner," performed during her dream sequence rather than being part of the plot. Now a teenager and no longer a cute little child with the blondish curls, Temple's physical appearance gets reinvented through her darker and longer 1940s hairstyle along with her more mature speaking voice of a teenager. Being the only child for its entire 88 minutes, it would have been interesting had KATHLEEN been slightly altered by having two Temples for the price of one playing twin sisters scheming to get their father to realize his marriage to a woman they dislike would be a mistake. This idea was later put to good use for the Walt Disney classic, THE PARENT TRAP (1961) starring Hayley Mills playing the twin sisters. Having Temple in a dual role might have been too costly and time consuming for a standard movie project, yet might have been more pleasing for Temple fans.
As it stands, KATHLEEN is satisfactory entertainment with moral lesson learned by a father who lets others raise his daughter, who's a stranger to him, rather than by himself. Laraine Day is good as the pretty doctor who fills in as Kathleen's pretend older sister while Felix Bressart gives a likable performance as an elderly grandfather type to Kathleen. Gail Patrick stands out in her "other woman" role she's been doing quite often in other films around this time. As much as Herbert Marshall and Laraine Day do their parts well, it's interesting that in their previous pairing in Alfred Hitchcock's FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (United Artists, 1940) they were cast together playing father and daughter. Though MGM never acquired further services from Temple, the studio would soon get a child star of its own, Margaret O'Brien, the Shirley Temple of the 1940s.
Unlike Temple's films for 20th Century-Fox, KATHLEEN was never distributed to video cassette nor, though currently available on DVD. It was never even part of Shirley Temple film festivals, but did get some exposure during the after midnight hours on the "late-late show" during the 1970s. KATHLEEN often plays on Turner Classic Movies cable channel, the home of the MGM film library. (**1/2)