Poor Little Rich Girl

THE POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL (20th Century-Fox, 1936), directed by Irving Cummings, stars Shirley Temple who may be little, not quite poor but rich in talent, as displayed in the screenplay suggested by the stories by Eleanor Gates and Ralph. The plot was used earlier as a Mary Pickford film back in 1917, and with numerous alterations and updated material, the revised version, turns out to be, in fact, a modern-day fairy tale on how a little girl, acting out her storybook fantasy, to happily go out and change the lives of the people she meets along the way, only to become a popular radio star, at least during its second half anyway.

The story revolves around a child named Barbara Barry (Shirley Temple), a rich little girl who has everything but the utmost attention of her widowed father (Michael Whalen), a wealthy soap manufacturer, and the joys of being like other children by having playmates her own age as companions. She is cared by a Collins (Sara Haden), her nurse, and Woodward (Jane Darwell), the housekeeper who takes the time to read "Betsy Ware" stories to her. Because she is a lonely child, Barry decides to have Collins accompany Barbara to the Forest Grove School in the Adirondacks (upstate New York) where her late mother once attended. While at Grand Central Station waiting for the train, tragedy strikes as Collins walks out in traffic to locate her missing purse (which has been stolen) only to be struck by a passing car. Left alone with her luggage, Barbara takes off on her own, assuming the fictitious name of her favorite storybook character, orphan Betsy Ware, and starts her own adventure. She first encounters Tony (Henry Armetta), an Italian organ grinder with his monkey, who, feeling sorry for this "orphan," agrees to take her into his home along with his wife (Mathilde Comonte) and his other "bambinos." Sometime later, "Betsy" displays her tap dancing talent to Tony's family that catches the attention to an upstairs neighbor and unemployed hoofer and singers, Jimmy and Jerry Dolan (Jack Haley and Alice Faye). Seeing this child to have a considerable amount of talent, she's "adopted" to become part of their musical act called "Dolan, Dolan & Dolan," with Barbara, a/k/a Betsy, now acting as their "daughter," Bonnie. The audition lands them a job performing for soap manufacturer Simon Peck (Claude Gillingwater), who turns out to be Barry's competitor, who in turn, has become very much interested in Margaret Allen (Gloria Stuart), Peck's advertising girl.

The music and lyrics by Mack Gordon and Harry Revel include: "Oh, My Goodness" (sung by Shirley Temple); "Buy a Bar of Barry's" (sung by radio singers); "When I'm With You" (sung by Tony Martin); "When I'm With You" (sung by Temple); "But Definitely" (sung by Alice Faye and Temple); "Where There's Life, There's Soap" (sung by Temple); "When I'm With You" (sung by Faye); "You've Got to Eat Your Spinach, Baby" (sung by Faye, Temple and Jack Haley); "When I'm With You" (sung by Temple) and "Military Man" (sung and dance finale with Temple, Haley and Faye).

Musically entertaining, often amusing, occasionally cutesy, quite contrived, yet never dull, POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL has many fine things going for it. While such a story might lack logic for first time viewers, having child separating herself from father and nurse only to roam about the city by herself to meet new people, never considering how they must feel once her disappearance is discovered. Along the way, child meets up with several she identifies from her storybook (particularly Jimmy whom she calls "Puddenhead"), a great many being good people, but in true storybook form, there's usually a villain. John Wray, cast as Fagin, is such a character. He's in and out throughout the story, visually seen as spying on little Barbara from a distance or nearby. It's quite evident that his intentions are not honorable. While much of the story cannot actually happen in real life, the stalker following a child comes to be more true to life now than ever before, thus giving the writers some opportunity in adding a little touch of suspense. On the brighter side, the story also features an old grouch, wonderfully played by Gillingwater, whose Ebenezer Scrooge-type performance softens into giving little "Bonnie" a piggy back ride in his office.

With Temple as the talented child who can sing and dance to perfection, she's equally surrounded by secondary performers Haley and Faye as the song and dance team, who not only share the spotlight with their leading star, but get to solo or perform together as well. Gloria Stuart and Michael Whalen, enacting as the second secondary actors, provide some love interest, but on the whole, have very little to do during its 80 minutes of screen time. The obvious success to POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL, having turned out to be another assembly of popular Temple vehicles, was revamped two years later under the guise as REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM (1938), also set in a radio station.

Not counting commercial television broadcasts prior to the 1990s, POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL's cable history did enjoy frequent television showings, ranging from its colorized version from the Disney Channel (colorized), to black and white on American Movie Classics (1997-2001) Fox Movie Channel, and Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere July 23, 2010) as well as availability on video cassette and DVD in both B&W and colorized formats. During its AMC broadcasts, there were occasions when a theatrical trailer preceded the feature presentation. Quite interesting in fact the trailer includes a couple of outtakes, Temple in the bath-tub, and a completely different musical conclusion. Temple fans might find it hard to imagine watching POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL without that military dance finale (although tap dancing would be hard to appreciate listening to from the radio). In spite of some pros and cons, is POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL recommended viewing? But definitely. (***)

Not only does SHIRLEY TEMPLE have the opportunity to co-star with ALICE FAYE and JACK HALEY (just slightly before both of them hit it big), but she gets a chance to shine in a made to order Temple vehicle that closes with a memorable 'Military Man' tap routine, easily keeping up with the talented adult troupers.

Of all the show biz stories associated with Temple's films, this is one of the best. The story has Temple as the neglected daughter of MICHAEL WHALEN, skipping off after her nanny is involved in an auto accident and attracting the attention of entertainers Faye and Haley. A sub-plot has her father winning the love of the lovely GLORIA STUART--and, of course, the outcome is a predictable one when he is reunited with his missing daughter after hearing her perform on a radio show.

The slender plot serves mainly as a vehicle for Temple to be adored by her legion of fans. She doesn't disappoint, her winning ways fully exploited in either song or dance. In fact, this is probably one of her most charming song-and-dance performances.

Alice Faye, Jack Haley, Michael Whalen, Gloria Stuart, Billy Gilbert and Henry Armetta add to the enjoyment. All of it is directed in fine style by Irving Cummings (who also served as host on the Lux Radio Theater shows) so popular on radio.

Henry Armetta has a funny bit as an organ grinder with a monkey who has Shirley enjoy an Italian spaghetti dinner with his family. The only serious moments in the film involve, surprisingly, a stalker who seems to be lurking in doorways waiting for an opportunity to snatch Shirley off the streets. Fortunately, she survives for a happy ending and the stalking incident, while sinister enough, is given minor treatment in the story.

Summing up: Good family entertainment.

The precocious & incredibly talented little daughter of a widowed soap merchant dreams of living like a normal child. On her way to boarding school, she loses herself in New York City, changes her name and ends up living with a couple of ex-vaudeville performers. With spunk & vitality, the child makes them all stars of a radio show sponsored by her father's greatest business rival. Will she continue to enjoy her new freedom, or will her identity be revealed so that she once again becomes a POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL?

Shirley Temple is in top form in this winning film which gives her ample opportunity to display her many charms. She lights up the screen with her youthful joy. It's no wonder she was Hollywood's biggest star for several years.

Shirley is given fine support from Jack Haley & Alice Faye as her musical partners, and Michael Whalen & Gloria Stuart as her father & his new lady love. Claude Gillingwater is very good as the crotchety business rival who is melted by Shirley's affection. That's Jane Darwell as Shirley's nanny & Henry Armetta scores as an Italian organ grinder. Film mavens should keep an eye out for Billy Gilbert, in a tiny bit as a hilarious waiter.

Shirley sings `Oh, My Goodness', `When I'm With You' & `But Definitely' and joins with Faye & Haley in `You Gotta Eat Your Spinach, Baby' & "Military Man".

Little Shirley Temple stars as Barbara Barry, a pampered only-child growing tired her lonely, friendless life in her big empty mansion. She craves attention from her loving but absentee dad, the owner of a major soap brand, and even devotes an entire song sequence to how much she misses him, but the clueless man still thinks it is better to buy his daughter riches than to spend time with her.

When her nanny is struck in a hit-and-run at the train station, little Barbara strikes on her own to meet friends. After spending a day with an Italian organ grinder and his colorful family, Barbara joins up with Jack Haley and Alice Faye as down-on-their-luck married singers Dolan and Dolan. Adopting the identity of her favorite book character, Barbara tells the Dolans that she is runaway orphan Betsy Weer. Soon she is given another alias: Pretending to be the Dolan daughter, Bonny Dolan, Barbara turns their failing act around, and the trio is hired to advertise for the Peck Soap Company, the arch rival of Barbara's father's soap brand.

As Bonny, Barbara wins the hearts of all her audiences, until her father hears her voice singing on the radio. Mr. Barry finds his daughter just in time to save her from a mysterious stalker who has been following the young girl around throughout the entire movie, always accompanied by eerie orchestral music. In one scene, he peers through a window and watches Barbara sleeping, and in another, he tries to lure her away with the promise to buy her candy. What's even more disturbing is that the movie never says exactly what this creep wants with Barbara. The fate of Barbara's nanny is never revealed either; she is simply whisked away to a hospital after the car collision and is not seen or mentioned again.

Despite these two loose ends, Poor Little Rich Girl is a perfect example of the standard Temple story. All ingredients for a Shirley smash are here: long tap-dance numbers (Shirley's dance-off with Jack Haley will knock your socks off), lots of cute songs (particularly enjoyable are "Oh My Goodness" and "You've Gotta Eat Your Spinach, Baby"), a cranky curmudgeon who warms his heart to Shirley (in "Poor Little Rich Girl," it's Mr. Peck, but see Ned Smith in "Bright Eyes," Colonel Lloyd in "The Little Colonel," or Lord Wickham in "The Little Princess," for other examples), and a happy ending. Her story lines may seem trite and repetitive now, but they were what the nation wanted to see in the 1930s, when Shirley Temple was one of the biggest stars in the world and a guaranteed box office smash. Shirley was obviously enjoying the height of fame at the time of this movie, as one song, "But Definitely," makes a reference to two of her most famous songs, "The Good Ship Lollipop" and "Animal Crackers in My Soup."

...it's still vastly entertaining. It was common practice for 20th Century Fox to buy film rights to a classic novel, and turn it into a Shirley Temple vehicle that has not even a passing resemblance to the original. The book "The Poor Little Rich Girl" is far more tragic than this cute-fest, but as an entertainment film, it certainly succeeds.

The performances are right up there. One of my favourite screen stars Alice Faye is so brilliant, she never gets lost in Temple's glare as do so many of her costars. Jack Haley is hilarious, and the songs are amazing. Alas, Gloria Stuart isn't given much to do but she looks wonderful.

Favourite moments include the spaghetti-eating scene, Shirley's conversation with the curb-side porter and of course "You Gotta Eat Your Spinach Baby." Fine film for parents to watch with their kids.

Try to get the original black and white version if you can, the colorized version looks a little weird.