Kathleen (1941) Poster

(1941)

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7/10
A rather sad change of pace for Shirley but it's still a nice little film.
planktonrules9 July 2013
Kathleen (Shirley Temple) is a lonely young lady. Her mother is deceased and her father is never home. Because of this, she has a governess--a woman who is just plain nasty. As for Kathleen, she's a bit of a brat--mostly because she's so emotionally neglected and lonely. However, her clueless father (Herbert Marshall) takes her to see a psychotherapist instead of giving her what she needs--his time and attention. Fortunately, the therapist quickly realizes the situation and tells the father that the governess is evil. Instead, the therapist recommends a child psychologist (Laraine Day) becomes the child's governess--at least temporarily. Almost immediately, Kathleen decides that this woman would make a perfect mother for her. Unfortunately, the manipulative girl has a problem with her plan--Dad already has a woman picked out to be his new wife. And, this wife-to-be is a superficial and annoying woman indeed (Gail Patrick). What's Kathleen to do?!

"Kathleen" is an odd film. It isn't bad, but along with other films like "The Blue Bird", it managed to alienate the public from Temple because the films were such a departure from the sweet Temple films of the 1930s. Part of this, of course, is because Shirley was older and the old style films wouldn't have worked as well with a child about to become a teen. Part of it, however, is that the studios didn't really seem to know what to do with her.

I liked the Kathleen character. Her manipulative personality was pretty funny and I liked some of her bratty moments. However, what I didn't like about her were the fantasy scenes. These involved musical interludes that just weren't necessary and really slowed down the film. In fact, had they cut them all out, the movie would have worked much better--especially since music seemed inappropriate to this style of film. Plus, while Shirley was great singing as a child, here she seems a bit out of her element in these production numbers.

So is it worth seeing? Sure. The negatives about this one are far outweighed by the good. Shirley's performance is very nice and the story quite clever. And, although the ending was a bit sticky, I did like it. A very different sort of film for the actress, that's for sure--but a nice one. But also it's so different that I could easily see folks disliking it.
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5/10
Shirley as a pre-teen in weak vehicle at MGM
Doylenf22 March 2001
'Kathleen' is a rather pedestrian take on Shirley's previous childhood vehicles. Once again, she has no mother, only a distant father (Herbert Marshall) engaged to a woman Shirley despises. When her behavior causes no end of trouble for her nanny, her father hires a young woman psychiatrist (Laraine Day) to counsel the girl. Naturally, he and Day fall in love and Shirley's problems end on a happy note. But none too soon.

While Shirley herself is charming and poised as the unhappy girl, the script is a dreary thing with no one able to overcome the inadequacies of the slim story. Laraine Day is her usual charming self, Marshall is stuffy and aloof as Shirley's father and Gail Patrick has a totally unsympathetic role as "the other woman" eager to get her clutches on a rich husband.

A musical sequence showing Shirley lending her voice to a dismal song is clearly dubbed and seems to belong to another picture, it's so out of whack with the rest of the film.

Clearly disappointing and only interesting to see Temple as a maturing 12-year old and given some nice glossy MGM close-ups. Some good moments, but not enough and apparently MGM decided not to release this one to video, at least not as of this writing.
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7/10
A pretty good movie
davecook512 January 2014
I saw "Kathleen" thanks to someone who taped it off TCM.com then put it up on YouTube. It's still on YouTube if you're interested. It has never been released on DVD or VHS.

In Shirley Temple's autobiography "Child Star", there's a photo of her on the set of "Kathleen" with bongos strapped to her waist. She's in a shell-shaped bandstand with other cast members performing a calypso number.

She writes that the stage undulated (moved in a wave fashion), making it very difficult for the dancers to get the scene down right. Everybody had to stay late for constant re-shoots.

So, in the movie from YouTube, the scene is not in there. There's just one song and dance routine but it's not a calypso with the bongos. The one from YouTube ran almost an hour and a half.
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7/10
A wonderful classic with Shirley Temple
coolwolfjk11 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
A wonderful story of Shirley Temples character trying to make things work in her life and for her father in all the right ways. It's a really sweet movie for the family and adults who enjoy these classics. Shirley Temple plays a character with a certain style that I have not seen with anyone else. I loved her childhood performances and many others. Anyone who enjoys these 1940's classics, I recommend watching this one for Shirley's great performance. It's a movie that almost reminds me a lot of Parent Trap. I'm actually very young and enjoy these movies quite a bit and would not mind seeing this one again, it was fantastic. I liked it better than the original Parent Trap but not as much as the one in the 90's. One of the best movies I have seen so far from the 1940's.
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7/10
A Solid Movie
LiteraryLane13 May 2015
After Shirley Temple was released from Twentieth Century Fox, this was her attempt to transition to mature roles. At the time, Temple was in her preteen phase and had outgrown the type of characters she usually played. KATHLEEN was her first, and only film, at MGM. Temple was left out of the teenybopper movies that were being made with the likes of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. KATHLEEN is still a decent effort though the story is a bit uninspired. The lead character Kathleen (Temple) is a restless child who only wants to win the affection of her father (Herbert Marshall) who is marrying a woman who does not love him (Gail Patrick). After Kathleen drives away her governess, Dr. Martha Kent (Laraine Day) has been enlisted to get to the root of Kathleen's nasty behavior. I enjoy this film because Shirley still gave us a good performance and handled her dramatic scenes well. She would go on to work with David O. Selznick who gave her better material.
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6/10
coming of age Shirley
SnoopyStyle25 November 2020
Kathleen Davis (Shirley Temple) is a smart 12-year-old living in a large mansion with her servants. With her beloved mother dead, she is in a constant battle with her nanny. Her father John Davis (Herbert Marshall) is always away at work. Her father brings home girlfriend Lorraine Bennett who suggests bringing in Dr. Foster to examine her. Foster suggests hiring psychiatrist Dr. Angela Kent (Laraine Day) to look after her for the summer before she goes off to boarding school. Kathleen takes a liking to Dr. Kent especially for her father to replace Lorraine.

Shirley Temple is having trouble growing into her terrible teens. It's a tough thing to have an icon change in front of your eyes. That's the difficulty faced by an audience of her era. She's also stuck using the same acting tricks that had worked so well as a child actor. While it looks cute as a child, it looks like sentimental cloying as she gets older. I do have an issue with the dream dance sequence with full grown men. It has different meaning as she grows into a young woman. The other big issue is the lack of chemistry between the father and Dr. Kent. It's not enough for Lorraine to be a sneaky gold-digger. This has all the ingredients but the mixture is barely passable.
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7/10
Temple Becomes A Teen
atlasmb7 August 2019
Shirley Temple plays Kathleen, a 12-year-old with a rich imagination who lives with her emotionally absent father, a household of servants, and a governess who is a cross between the worst prison guard and Miss Gulch from "The Wizard of Oz". When Kathleen lashes out in rebellion, a doctor is called in to diagnose the girl. This film starts as a drama, but it does not remain all darkness and demons.

All child actors must eventually face uncertainty when they outgrow the young roles that made them successful. Shirley Temple was beyond successful as a child actress, capturing the hearts of moviegoers for years. When she became too old for the "Good Ship Lollipop", would she be able to transition successfully into teen roles and adult roles?

In 'Kathleen", Shirley is 13 years old. The drama of this film is similar to dramatic scenes she had previously played as a child, but viewers expect more from older performers. In "Kathleen" she portrays angst and outrage, but her performance is too childlike, which impacts the early scenes especially. In a few years, she would be better equipped to emote with greater depth. In 1947's "That Hagen Girl", for example, she adeptly portrays a troubled teen beset with a haunting past who is the target of an entire town. 1949's "A Kiss for Corliss" (A comedy with David Niven) is effectively the end of her film career, so she used her newfound skills only sparingly.

Watch for Laraine Day and Gail Patrick, who face off over Kathleen's well-being and the girl's father, played by Herbert Marshall. All of them acquit themselves well. Day, remarkably, is only 8 years old than Shirley, but convincingly plays a professional woman who possesses authority and confidence.

One final note: this film was released soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor. I can only wonder what effect that had on attendance and the public's willingness to be entertained. The nation was in shock and dealing with important matters that completely altered its way of life. A determined response to aggression, and fears about worldwide aggression, were paramount. Still, the nation would learn to use cinema to channel its patriotic fervor and, conversely, to escape harsh realities.
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7/10
The Father Trap
lugonian11 August 2019
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)
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Temple takes role intended for Weidler
jarrodmcdonald-114 January 2015
One of the other reviews called this picture a weak vehicle for Shirley Temple. It's definitely not her best, but it's not terrible either. This said, I think she was wrong for the part-- which was given to her after her mother objected to Shirley being cast in a Wallace Beery film called BARNACLE BILL. Virginia Weidler, who had originally been cast as KATHLEEN, was pulled off this movie and paired her with Beery instead. Shirley then took over to do what her mother felt was material better suited for her. But it's really not a good vehicle for her, for a variety of reasons.

I think the main problem is that Shirley looks too old. Virginia would have been more believable (with the braids, which were becoming a cliché by this point in her career). However, it certainly would have worked best with a young Margaret O'Brien. It really had to be someone very tiny and fragile looking, who desperately needed a new mommy to look after her. Laraine Day is fine in her role, Nella Walker as a battle-axe is very good, and I find Felix Bressart to be as charming as ever. However, as much as I enjoy Herbert Marshall, he is wrong for his part as daddy. It should have been someone like Walter Pidgeon.

Overall I don't think the story is the issue-- it's the casting and how these roles were directed. By the way, when Shirley was signed by MGM, the first project the studio announced for her was an Andy Hardy picture. But probably Mama Temple vetoed that in a hurry-- no B films for her daughter, and no second fiddle to Mickey Rooney. Can you imagine her conversations with Mayer about that!
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7/10
Once again, Shirley is a poor little rich girl.
estherwalker-3471015 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Although Shirley Temple had moved to a new studio(MGM) for this one-off film, as things turned out, after her glory days as mega star child actress at Fox, she is put in a screenplay where she repeats her Fox running-identity as a semi or real orphan, on the lookout for a substitute mother or father, or both, as in her 1936 film "Poor Little Rich Girl". As always, she is an only child, and, as in most of her juvenile films, there are no other significant age mates in the film, she only interacting with adults.

I note the strong resemblance of Shirley's typical Fox character to that of the comic strip character and 1932 movie "Little Orphan Anne", and strongly suspect that her typical characterization was largely modeled after this popular fictional character, with the frequent addition of a musical number or two.

The film did poorly at the box office. Shirley was no longer the cute, spunky, curly-headed little girl that audiences loved. Now, she is at the awkward age of a young teen, largely cooped up in a large mansion, populated with a number of functionaries, including a nanny, to take the place of her beloved, presumably deceased, mother, with a father so preoccupied with his business that he very seldom has a meal with Shirley's character: 12 year old Kathleen. She seems to have no agemate friends, and seems to hate her nanny, whom she enjoys playing tricks on. She doesn't even have a friendly dog to pal with. Perhaps her only real friend is Mr. Shone, played by the always charismatic Felix Bressart, with his typical low key friendly immigrant persona, who serves as her substitute father, in the virtual absence of her real father.

Hollywood unjustly made the glamorous statuesque brunette Gail Patrick into a typecast 'the other woman': a role she perfectly plays here. On the surface, she seemed the perfect socialite patrician mate for Shirley's handsome, wealthy, father, played by Brit-born Herbert Marshall. Even though Gail was quite friendly toward Shirley, the latter had an instinctive dislike of her. Shirley verbally blamed it on her intuition that Gail was purely a gold digger, with no real love of her father. However, I suspect it actually had more to do with jealousy and the fear that this radiant, self-confident, woman would monopolize her father's limited private time, leaving Shirley in the dust.

Fortunately, Shirley finds a new friend in her new nanny: many years younger than her former hated nanny, and actually only 8 years Shirley's senior. She is newly-minted child psychologist Dr. Kent, played by Laraine Day. She lacks the superficial glamour of Gail, hence Shirley doesn't feel threatened with a siren woman competitor for her father's attention. Hence, it's not long before Shirley is inquiring into her possible willingness to try to bump Gail as her future mother. At first, Laraine denies she has any such interest. She points out that, traditionally, it's the man's role to lead in romantic manners and, besides, she has definite plans to go to South America in the fall. She might have also pointed out that she was 31 years Marshall's junior, in contrast to Gail's mere 20 year difference. On the other hand, Laraine seemed more mature than her 20 years. With additional prodding, Shirley finally gets her to admit that she finds Shirley's father attractive, and that, under the right circumstances, she might even consider marrying him. Well, when it comes to romantic attachments among her adult friends and relatives, we know that Shirley always gets her way, so we now know how the film will end. But, in the meanwhile, her father announces that he will marry Gail. As a result, Shirley runs away, to hide out with Mr. Shone. But, he knows that various people are very worried about her, and gives her away. This sets up the finale showdown between Gail and Laraine.

In her second daydream, Shirley imagines that she is a musical star, and gets to sing and dance a bit. Obviously, part of her singing is dubbed, as she didn't have an operatic voice. Along with a male chorus, she sings the new composition "Around the Corner", the lyrics of which remind us of "Over the Rainbow", in which Shirley imagines that her life could be more interesting. I think it would have much helped if she wasn't such a snob in relating to her agemates.

Due to poor audience turnouts, MGM decided not to give a Shirley a long term contract. Thus, she spent the remaining 9 years of her film career as a freelancer, working for various studios, occasionally in more popular films. She blossomed into quite a cute late teen. Unfortunately, she was too eager to marry, and, at first, made a bad choice, as things turned out.

See it at You Tube, along with some of her later, forgotten, films.
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3/10
Shirley Temple No Surprise
wes-connors31 July 2011
Bratty 12-year-old Shirley Temple (as Kathleen Davis) sees more of her servants than wealthy widower father Herbert Marshall (as John Davis). She has an imaginary life as a nice girl, and enjoys sneaking out to visit ethnic New York friend Felix Bressart (as Schoner). Family happiness is in the offing when Mr. Marshall brings home fiancée Gail Patrick (as Lorraine Bennett), but Ms. Temple immediately recognizes the woman as wicked. Temple would rather father marry nice child psychologist Laraine Day (as Angela "Angel" Kent), who is brought in to figure out what the heck is wrong with Temple. This MGM feature was considered the first of Temple's comeback attempts, after her successful career at Fox ended.

*** Kathleen (12/18/41) Harold S. Bucquet ~ Shirley Temple, Herbert Marshall, Laraine Day, Gail Patrick
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8/10
good for the younger crowd
pipslost12 January 2007
I first saw this film when I was about 13 and loved it then. It's a good film for the right age group. I was fascinated with the tricks Kathleen plays on her nurse, the strict household she lived in and how she gets away. It was also interesting to see the difference in the manners of the 40's. For example, Kathleen politely says "how do you do" to an adult she hates. She accepts a decision her father makes which she feels is unfair. I can see how this film might not be very interesting to an adult seeing it for the first time. But is good classic entertainment for the right audience. It's also great seeing Shirley in a role where she's not a sweet little tyke!
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5/10
Poor little rich girl
bkoganbing23 April 2019
By the time Shirley Temple makes Kathleen in 1941 she had been cut loose from 20th Century Fox by Darryl Zanuck as the budding teen Shirley was no longer box office. Imagine being a has been at 12.

Still MGM grabbed her for Kathleen where she's a girl entering puberty and quite frankly in this film a bit spoiled. She's a rich kid, daughter of Herbert Marshall who is all about business. She misses her late mom and Shirley also cannot stand the housekeeper/governess Nella Walker. And the one she really can't stand is Gail Patrick, the woman who Marshall wants to marry.

These films are usually so loaded in the sense we watch and can't believe that Marshall is such a blockhead that he can't see that Patrick is a bad woman and the lady psychologist that is there to treat Temple, Laraine Day is the woman for both of them.

Kathleen is not in a league with some of Shirley's best work at 20th Century Fox, but it is reasonably entertaining.
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4/10
What happened to our wonderful child actress?
vincentlynch-moonoi14 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I've often wondered that, because once she left childhood, that wonderful talent just seemed to disappear. The only film I've enjoyed with an older Shirley Temple was "The Bachelor And The Bobbysoxer", and while she was good in that film, it really was more a Cary Grant vehicle.

This film is so poor that I turned it off before it concluded. What exactly the point of the film? And I say that after enjoying Shirley's childhood vehicles, being rather a fan of Herbert Marshall, and long thinking that Laraine Day was a pleasant and underrated actress.

Nope, better leave this one on the shelf. You'll only be disappointed that there is so little substance in this film.
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10/10
A heartwarming hidden gem
HotToastyRag23 January 2020
I love Kathleen so much, the only way I can think of to express how much is to say it's one of my favorite Shirley Temple movies. If you know me, you know that's quite a compliment. She's a bit older in this one, with her party dresses revealing a bit more than you'd expect, but the story is very similar to those she'd acted in as a child. She's motherless and lives with her workaholic father who often ignores her. Longing for more attention, she tricks her governesses and often runs away from home to spend time with her friends.

The script of Kathleen is sweet, humorous, and heartwarming. She has fantasies about how life could be and imagines her father, Herbert Marshall, declaring that he's quit his job so he can spend every waking minute with her. When her fantasy ends, she merely sits on her bed with a faraway look as she struggles to accept that life isn't what she hoped it would be. Her dearest friend, shopkeeper Felix Bressart, is also given some sweet and sad scenes as he tries to cheer her up. To Felix, Shirley lies and pretends she has a big, loving family, rather than a lonely life at home. They have tea together, and Felix sees through her stories but lets her keep pretending because it's what she needs to do. He even gives her a special music box to play when she's alone and sad.

As wonderful as the story is, and as compelling as Shirley Temple is, to me, the supporting cast makes this movie a true gem. Herbert Marshall is given a chance to show his comedic flair during Shirley's fantasies, and the hired psychologist Laraine Day gives a wonderful layered performance. Like Felix, she also sees through Shirley's antics, and she deals with them differently than the other governesses that came before her. She listens to Shirley with compassion and understands that a pre-teen girl needs a female figure in her life to guide her. Kathleen holds one of my favorite performances of all three supporting actors.

If you like anyone in the cast, or more importantly if you like Shirley Temple and want to give her a chance during her older years, you've got to check out Kathleen. I know you'll love it.
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10/10
Kathleen with Shirley temple
gailconway4 January 2022
I loved the movie and cast so much I am watching the film again. The movies from the 1940s are always my favorite and I collect them. These looked like wonderful times. People respected everything and everyone. People were grateful and kind. So much can be learned from films of this Era.
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