Captain January

This was the first Shirley Temple movie I remember watching as a kid during the early '80s when I-along with my siblings and parents-visited some family friends in Gulfport, Mississippi. I remember liking her singing and dancing and feeling for her when she had to leave her beloved father figure of the title character. That title character was warmly played by Guy Kibbee and most of the best scenes are between him and Ms. Temple. Also loved Buddy Ebsen-especially when he's dancing with Shirley-and Slim Summerville. There were also plenty of laughs like the scenes of Shirley and Jerry Tucker-who had quite a year in 1936 as he was not only a member of Our Gang performing with the likes of Spanky, Alfalfa, and Darla, but also appearing with Bing Crosby in Anything Goes and Clark Gable in San Francisco-who plays an arrogant nephew of the truant officer who's not very nice to Captain January. So on that note, this movie is very much recommended.

Once again, Shirley Temple steals the show, and warms the heart with her curls and dimples. This is a great movie for the kids and the whole family, along with all of Temple's other family features. Guest star Buddy Ebsen puts on an entertaining show in the beginning of the movie with little Shirley Temple. 7 out of 10.

A vindictive truant officer attempts to wrest little Star from CAPTAIN JANUARY, the old lighthouse keeper who saved her from a watery grave.

Shirley Temple captivates her audience once again in this, one of her most popular films. Aided by fine production values courtesy of Fox, the Tiny Tyke does not disappoint. Singing & dancing, laughing or crying, she once again exhibits all the talents which for years made her top of the Hollywood box office heap.

It's difficult to imagine anyone other than cuddly Guy Kibbee in the title role. He's excellent, but he's also given firm support from old pros Slim Summerville & Jane Darwell. Sara Haden makes a nasty villainess, while OUR GANG bad boy Jerry Tucker is her obnoxious nephew. Pretty June Lang plays the sweet village schoolteacher.

Amiable hoofer Buddy Ebsen joins Shirley in a wonderful song & dance number, ‘The Cod Fish Ball.' Tall & pliable, with plenty of goofy facial expressions, Buddy's performance gives a little idea as to how much he might have contributed to THE WIZARD OF OZ three years later over at Metro, had not health reasons forced him to withdrawal.

Shirley also sings ‘Early Bird' and, in a delightful nursery fantasy, ‘The Right Somebody To Love.'

I had an unusual opportunity to see both the original 1924 version of "Captain January" (Starring Baby Peggy) and the 1936 version (Starring Shirley Temple). And, while I will freely admit that Shirley was an amazing talent, I actually preferred the original a bit more. Much of it might be because the singing and dancing in the remake seemed a bit out of place with such a sad story. Part of it might be that I just prefer originals in almost every case.

The story is not exactly the same as the original. The biggest difference is WHO Captain January is. In the 1924 film, it was the child's nickname but in this film, it's the name given to the child's adoptive father. Either way, the child was found along the shore following a shipwreck where the child's parents were killed. She was raised by a nice old lighthouse keeper (Guy Kibbee) and years later, a nasty old biddy wants to take the child away and put it in an orphanage because she feels the man is a bad influence on the kid. In the original, it was the child's aunt and uncle who threaten to take the kid and the old biddy was only a minor character. Either way, it all ends well--and everyone, naturally, is very happy.

This is a good family film....but not a great one. Shirley was fine and the film enjoyable but it just didn't seem like an improvement on an already lovely film. Worth seeing, but I recommend you see both.

This is the kind of film to make anyone a SHIRLEY TEMPLE fan. Here the little miss is once again an orphan but this time a kind-hearted lighthouse keeper (Guy Kibbe) is raising her as his own. Troubles come when the local schoolmarm decides Shirley needs a better education and upbringing.

Shirley not only sings a couple of bright tunes, but has a big dance scene on the wharf with Buddy Ebsen--complete with intricate taps and all kinds of whirls as they dance to "At the Codfish Ball". This and her opening number "Early Bird" are among the film's most charming routines.

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.

Highly recommended.