Copyright 18 March 1938 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy: 25 March 1938. U.S. release: 18 March 1938. Australian release: 1 September 1938. 7,289 feet. 81 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Shirley wows the producer and sponsor at a radio station in an audition for "Little Miss America". Unfortunately, due to a series of bungles, the producer loses contact with her. In the midst of a frantic search, he retires to his farm for a rest. Next door, would you believe, is Shirley herself! And this all happens just in the first two reels!
NOTES: Third re-make of the Kate Douglas Wiggin novel, a 1903 million-copy bestseller. In the novel, the play and the previous films, Rebecca is a young lady, not a little girl, who comes from a rustic Sunnybrook farm to stay with a couple of rich relatives in the big city, where she gets into a number of genteel romantic scrapes. She does not sing, nor of course does she audition for the radio (which did not even commence in the United States until 1919).
In the movie, Miss Temple is supposedly playing an eight-year-old. She was actually ten at the time — and her comparative maturity is showing. Although Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm earned big money, it was not enough to position the movie amongst the top twenty of the nation's money-makers. In fact her career as the world's top movie star was now over. True, she did hold her place as the number one money-making star of 1938, but in 1939 she slipped to fifth position; from there on, she disappears from the list forever. Not until 1944 did she make a movie that placed among America's champion box-office attractions, namely "Since You Went Away".
Still it was a phenomenal career while it lasted and she did have no less than four adolescent triumphs, including Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), Fort Apache (1948), and Mr Belvedere Goes To College (1949), which brought her almost back to the pinnacle of her previous successes.
COMMENT: Plenty of merriment and song in this one which is — despite its poor reputation — amongst Miss Temple's most entertaining. In fact, it's not at all the sentimental tosh the Wiggin novel promises to be — the result of ditching the original story-line almost completely. What we actually get is a mild satire on radio, with plenty of amusing lines delivered by gifted character actors with a talent for tomfoolery, such as Jack Haley, Slim Summerville, William Demarest and the wonderfully acidic Helen Westley.
Little Miss Shirley herself can banter quips with the best of them. She's in fine voice too, singing some originals and reprising some of her catchiest from Poor Little Rich Girl including an imitation "Military Man" climactic number with Bill Robinson. (Her original partner, Jack Haley doesn't dance so much as a single step in this one, though he does get to join the lovely Phyllis Brooks in a song). Nice to see Randy Scott in such good form too (love him falling into the well). Miss Stuart makes an attractive heroine.
Some of our favorite character players shine brightly in this one too, including Franklin Pangborn, Paul Hurst and Dixie Dunbar. Dwan's direction is pacily slick. Other credits are equally smooth. Sound recording as usual with Fox, is a delight.
ANOTHER VIEW: Suggested by the book, read the credits. In my view, contemporary critics were unkind to attack the film because it was unfaithful to the book. True, the script does have an odd habit of introducing plot elements which it fails to milk for suspense by resolving them too quickly, but I think the film delightful entertainment. Shirley gets a chance to sing a large bracket of catchy songs, including a reprise of all her favorites such as "The Good Ship Lollipop" and "Animal Crackers In My Soup". There is a fine support cast, — including Helen Westley at her most delightfully daffy, — stylish direction and first-class production values. What more do you want? - JHR writing as George Addison.
SYNOPSIS: Shirley wows the producer and sponsor at a radio station in an audition for "Little Miss America". Unfortunately, due to a series of bungles, the producer loses contact with her. In the midst of a frantic search, he retires to his farm for a rest. Next door, would you believe, is Shirley herself! And this all happens just in the first two reels!
NOTES: Third re-make of the Kate Douglas Wiggin novel, a 1903 million-copy bestseller. In the novel, the play and the previous films, Rebecca is a young lady, not a little girl, who comes from a rustic Sunnybrook farm to stay with a couple of rich relatives in the big city, where she gets into a number of genteel romantic scrapes. She does not sing, nor of course does she audition for the radio (which did not even commence in the United States until 1919).
In the movie, Miss Temple is supposedly playing an eight-year-old. She was actually ten at the time — and her comparative maturity is showing. Although Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm earned big money, it was not enough to position the movie amongst the top twenty of the nation's money-makers. In fact her career as the world's top movie star was now over. True, she did hold her place as the number one money-making star of 1938, but in 1939 she slipped to fifth position; from there on, she disappears from the list forever. Not until 1944 did she make a movie that placed among America's champion box-office attractions, namely "Since You Went Away".
Still it was a phenomenal career while it lasted and she did have no less than four adolescent triumphs, including Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), Fort Apache (1948), and Mr Belvedere Goes To College (1949), which brought her almost back to the pinnacle of her previous successes.
COMMENT: Plenty of merriment and song in this one which is — despite its poor reputation — amongst Miss Temple's most entertaining. In fact, it's not at all the sentimental tosh the Wiggin novel promises to be — the result of ditching the original story-line almost completely. What we actually get is a mild satire on radio, with plenty of amusing lines delivered by gifted character actors with a talent for tomfoolery, such as Jack Haley, Slim Summerville, William Demarest and the wonderfully acidic Helen Westley.
Little Miss Shirley herself can banter quips with the best of them. She's in fine voice too, singing some originals and reprising some of her catchiest from Poor Little Rich Girl including an imitation "Military Man" climactic number with Bill Robinson. (Her original partner, Jack Haley doesn't dance so much as a single step in this one, though he does get to join the lovely Phyllis Brooks in a song). Nice to see Randy Scott in such good form too (love him falling into the well). Miss Stuart makes an attractive heroine.
Some of our favorite character players shine brightly in this one too, including Franklin Pangborn, Paul Hurst and Dixie Dunbar. Dwan's direction is pacily slick. Other credits are equally smooth. Sound recording as usual with Fox, is a delight.
ANOTHER VIEW: Suggested by the book, read the credits. In my view, contemporary critics were unkind to attack the film because it was unfaithful to the book. True, the script does have an odd habit of introducing plot elements which it fails to milk for suspense by resolving them too quickly, but I think the film delightful entertainment. Shirley gets a chance to sing a large bracket of catchy songs, including a reprise of all her favorites such as "The Good Ship Lollipop" and "Animal Crackers In My Soup". There is a fine support cast, — including Helen Westley at her most delightfully daffy, — stylish direction and first-class production values. What more do you want? - JHR writing as George Addison.