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"Little Miss Broadway" (20th Century-Fox, 1938), directed by Irving Cummings, presents popular child star Shirley Temple in a showbiz background story ranking one of the most musical of all her movies thus far. Not precisely a backstage musical in the typical sense of the 1930s bearing "Broadway" in the title, but a movie by which almost every other scene includes singing and dancing, and with a handful of fine tunes, the plot nearly becomes secondary.

The story opens in the auditorium of the Madrey Orphanage for Girls where the talented Betsy Brown (Shirley Temple) leads the quartet singing an optimistic song to an audience of cheerful little orphans. Moments later, Miss Hutchins (Jane Darwell), matron of the orphanage, announces that Betsy is leaving to go live with William J. "Pop" Shea (Edward Ellis), a close friend of her deceased parents, and his daughter, Barbara (Phyllis Brooks). Now a resident of the Hotel Variety in New York City, Betsy finds herself happily surrounded by a handful of unemployed vaudevillians living under the generosity of "Pop" Shea, who manages the place. Living across the street is the middle-aged grouch named Sara Wendling (Edna May Oliver), landlord of the Hotel Variety who detests both show people and loud noise, and intends to close down the hotel unless Shea comes up with the full payment of back rent. In order to help out, Betsy pleas with Miss Wendling, better known to her as "the old pumpkin," but to no avail. She does, however, succeed in charming Wendling's brother, Willoughby (Donald Meek), and her song and dance man nephew, Roger (George Murphy). Complications follow leading the actors to show off their musical talent in the courtroom s preceded by an old but lovable judge (Claude Gillingwater Sr.).

With music and lyrics by Walter Bullock and Harold Spina, the musical program includes: "Be Optimistic" (sung by Shirley Temple and the Brewster Twins); "Auld Lang Syne" (traditional New Year's Eve song); "How Can I Thank You?" (sung by Temple to Phyllis Brooks); "We Should Be Together" (sung and danced by George Murphy and Temple); "If All the World Were Paper" (sung by Temple); "When You Were Sweet 16" (by James Thornton); "Happy Birthday to You," "How Can I Thank You?" (reprise); "Be Optimistic" (reprise); "Thank You for the Use of the Hall" (sung by Temple); "I'll Take the High Road and You'll Take the Low Road" (traditional Scottish song); "Swing Me and Old-Fashioned Song," and "Little Miss Broadway"/ "I'll Build a Broadway for You" (sung and danced by Temple and Murphy).

The supporting cast features the likes of Jimmy Durante as Jimmy Clayton, leader of a swing band consisting of Eddie Collins, Syd Saylor, Jerry Colonna and Heinie Conklin; El Brendel as Ole, owner of a talented penguin; George Barbier as Mr. Fiske; George and Ella Brosno, a midget couple; The Brian Sisters, among many others. With a handful of fine character and veteran actors, many don't appear on screen long enough to make their performances count. Compared to others it appears that Jimmy Durante, one of the most notable and recognizable entertainers, to be regrettably the one whose has become the victim of severe editing. He's there but hardly shares any scenes opposite Temple, and in the finished product, he doesn't even get to sing nor dance in the popular Durante tradition. All this has been revealed when American Movie Classics presented one of its well constructed documentaries around 1997 titled, "Hidden Hollywood, From the Vaults of 20th Century-Fox," showcasing deleted scenes from Fox films, especially "Little Miss Broadway", many involving Durante, especially the Durante and Temple show-stopper, "Hop, Skip and Jump." How much more of Durante was filmed and scrapped is uncertain, but the reason given is so not to take away any attention from Temple. It has always been evident that "Little Miss Broadway" was originally intended to be a much longer film, around 85 minutes or so, since everything happens and ends so quickly.

"Little Miss Broadway" plays like an MGM film, especially those annual "Broadway Melody" musicals since singing and dancing takes more precedence in the story rather than on the stage. George Murphy, on loan from MGM, whose "We Should Be Together" dance number opposite Temple is reminiscent to her fancy footwork opposite Buddy Ebsen from "Captain January" (1936), where they do their fancy footwork ranging from floor to table tops. As the story goes, Murphy plays a nice guy and romantic interest to Shea's attractive daughter (Brooks). Edna May (misspelled Mae in the credits) Oliver, another resident MGM character actress, makes a fine villain, but in spite of her meanness, succeeds in making her nasty character lovable.

"Little Miss Broadway", which was distributed on video cassette in either the black and white and colorized format, played on numerous cable stations over the years, such as The Disney Channel in the early 1990s, American Movie Classics (1996-2001), and both Fox Movie Channel and Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: July 13, 2015) in original black and white format.

"Little Miss Broadway" may not work well to those with lack of patience or understanding towards movie musicals such as this, but standard to enjoyable by those familiar with the Temple formula: young orphan makes good. An ordinary musical at best highlighted by some lavish dance numbers credited to Geneva Sawyer and Nick Castle, ranking this a very optimistic film. Oh my goodness! (***)

Little Miss Broadway is a very enjoyable movie musical format in miniature with bright,bouncy tunes,a plot that moves with light touches of comedy,sentiment and slight conflicts..All the main characters perform solidly,but THE main sharply etched brilliant performance belongs to Edna May Oliver...when I was a child,I was at first repelled by her "mean old pumpkin" ways...OH! but to look closer as one grows older..WOW! What subtle hysterical faces and brilliance beneath that unique face and her ever so subtle softness of heart which peeks out more and more towards the end..She truly stands out..such a marvelous artist!

Not-bad musical fluffball starring Shirley Temple, predictably sentiment-driven and extravagant, yet somehow fruitier than usual. Shirl plays an orphaned tyke adopted into a show-biz family overflowing with kooky characters (including tap-dancing midgets and a Swede with a pet penguin). A highlight of the film is the courtroom climax, which turns into a Busby Berkeley-styled musical production. Temple isn't at her peak here, in fact she seems rather unsure of herself on occasion. Fortunately, the rest of the players (including Jimmy Durante and Phyllis Brooks) are game, making up for the star's stiffness, and director Irving Cummings adds a good deal of eccentric pizazz. **1/2 from ****

What a spectacular Shirley Temple movie I have chosen to see. It is entitled "Little Miss Broadway." I have been, for long, a big lover of musicals.

That is especially true for those with little Shirley Temple. She has adored audiences worldwide with her singing, acting, and tap-dancing in the films.

This is one of those rare movies that I would automatically give the number 10 to. It has an array of great songs such as the title. Shirley opens her act with the song "Be Optimistic." That is one of those songs where you can learn a life lesson.

"Little Miss Broadway" -- the song and the film itself -- are indeed heartwarming. That is rare for a musical show or film. Since it is a 1930s filmusical with Shirley Temple, I'd say it is right up there with the rest.

Darryl F. Zanuck gave Shirley Temple a really great supporting cast for Little Miss Broadway. You can't go wrong with a cast that includes Donald Meek, Claude Gillingwater, Edna Mae Oliver, El Brendel, and the great Jimmy Durante.

Shirley is adopted from Jane Darwell's orphanage by Edward Ellis a friend of her deceased parents and his daughter Phyllis Brooks who run a hotel for theatrical types. Ellis is a guy who gives easy credit so when the imperious dowager landlady of the hotel wants what is due he's caught in a bad cash flow situation.

It's more than that, Oliver hates theatrical folks and is determined to close the hotel even going against her brother Donald Meek and their dancing nephew George Murphy who likes Ellis, Temple, and especially Brooks.

The finale is a courtroom scene where Shirley pleads the case of the performers who have to prove how good they are to the satisfaction of Judge Gillingwater. Shirley is a persuasive advocate.

For fans of Fox's eternal moppet and fans to be.

We all know the early Shirley Temple movies are the best, but if you're a die-hard fan of the little curly top, you've probably seen Little Miss Broadway a couple of times. It's one of those "let's put on a show!" musicals that doesn't really have much of a story. Lots of unrelated songs, lots of performers, but all in all, not that great. Shirley Temple was credited to saving America from the Great Depression, and this movie served as a miniature tribute to her.

George Murphy is the manager of a small hotel, and he adopts little orphan Shirley. The hotel is populated with a bunch of out-of-work entertainers, and Shirley gets the idea of putting on a big show. They need backers (and Shirley sings a song about it), but the hotel owners, Donald Meek and Edna May Oliver, don't like showbiz and refuse to help. Will Jimmy Durante, Jane Darwell, Phyllis Brooks, and the others be able to make their mark on the stage?

Shirley is very sweet, but she's transitioning into her adolescence and you can see it in her eyes that she's tired of being a little girl. This probably won't end up as a favorite in your collection, but you can check it out on a rainy afternoon.

Being this the very first Shirley Temple movie I've ever seen, I must say it's my favorite. Shirley gives a great performance singing and dancing in all her numbers! And that one we can really call "musical". On the other ones we can see only one or two scenes with singing and dancing, but at this one you can see singing and dancing almost all the time.

Shirley's an optimistic orphan who is adopted by a Vaudeville hotel "owner" and his daughter. She meets a guy (George Murphy, who is FABULOUS dancing with Shirley on the number "We Should be Together") trying to convince his aunt (Edna May Oliver, the real owner) to not close the hotel.

Shirley looks so sweet in that movie, in all her numbers -- especially in "If the world was a paper", "We should be together" and "Little Miss Broadway".

Anyway, this is a very enjoyable movie. Anyone who watches it can enjoy not just Shirley's performances but almost everything in the movie: the story, the characters, the songs, the dancing and so on. A heartwarming movie starring one of the sweetest Child-Stars of all the time with fabulous co-stars. A family movie that can be watched by children, adults and even teenagers and old people.

The highlight in this one is Edna May Oliver who made a wonderful detective in earlier films (she paired with James Gleason in several 30's efforts). I mean, to be mean to little Miss Everything--what can you say? Shirley looks a little chubby in this outting but no less talented as she reacts, moves that mouth, smiles and keeps up with famous hoofers.

This might be the best of all the Shirley Temple movies of the 1930s because its so interesting start-to-finish.

The only annoying person is Edna May Oliver, who plays the standard mean old lady who is out to ruin things for the ""good guys" Fortunately, she's not in a lot of scenes and eventually even changes her thoughts for the better.

The rest of the film is nothing but nice people who are a lot of fun to watch. George Murphy and Phyllis Brooks are the typical (for Temple movies) super nice, handsome young couple which gets together in the end.

Edward Ellis plays a nice old man and Donald Meek nearly steals the show with some funny lines and funny faces. I thought James Durante would be funny, but he had more of a straight than comedic role.

Other features which make this movie stand out from normal Temple fare were unique characters (midgets, twins, penguins and more) and a tremendous amount of songs and dances (much more than normally heard).

All the elements that made Shirley Temple's films so successful are rolled up into this movie. Great stuff!

An orphaned Shirley is adopted by an elderly man and his daughter who run a hotel for "Entertainers", however when the rent is past due, the grumpy wealthy landlady who lives next door, tries to have the hotel closed. When that attempt fails, she has Shirley sent back to the orphanage, because of the " unwholesome " atmosphere at the hotel. But fear not, it IS a Shirley movie---it always works out!

I think this is an adorable movie. It's hard to grasp the reality of how YOUNG Shirley was when she did these films. To be so talented at such a young age! The story is cute, with a probably predictable ending, but the characters stand out and keep your interest. And watching Shirley dance to " We Belong Together " with George Murphy always makes me smile. Edna Oliver is PERFECT as a cantankerous IL' landlady. The film clearly isn't an Oscar winner, but if you enjoy good, wholesome entertainment without all the sex, violence and fowl language, you will LOVE this movie.

"Little Miss Broadway" isn't a bad film. However, Shirley Temple sure made a lot of films that were a lot better. Overall, it's watchable but most likely a film for someone who is more the die-hard Shirley Temple fan than anyone else.

George Murphy, Edna May Oliver, Jimmy Durante and Jane Darwell are among the supporting cast for Temple and this is a rare case when the support actually was a bit better than she was. That's because whoever wrote the music for Miss Temple really missed the boat--making quite a few songs which were not particularly suited for her range. Again and again, Shirley sounded off due to this. Plus, there were just too many production numbers and not enough schmaltz--the good sort in which Shirley excelled. It's clearly a second-rate effort overall.

The plot is rather minimal in this one. Shirley is an orphan that's been adopted by a nice old man who owns a hotel for actors. Not surprisingly, the place is awfully loud--with the residents singing, dancing and acting all the time. Their neighbor is a nasty old rich lady (Oliver) and she HATES the noise and is determined to use her money and power to send Shirley back to the orphanage and close the hotel. In many ways, it's a lot like "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas", actually! By the end of the film, the nasty old lady's nephew (Murphy) is planning on using his fortune to put the folks in the hotel in a Broadway review. But, the aunt (who is the executor of his estate) is determined not to let this happens and the case goes to court. In an insane move you'd only see in a movie, the judge orders the actors and dancers and singers to put on a show in the courtroom--to convince him whether or not Murphy is throwing away his money. And, the rest is rather predictable.

While some story elements are very familiar, the plot is too thin and the film makes poor use of Temple's amazing talents. Here, she just seems pretty ordinary--and is a testament to poor writing and direction.

Orphaned Betsy Brown is sent to live in a New York City theatrical boarding hotel and quickly becomes involved in the struggle to keep the sour old landlady from closing down the establishment. By starring as LITTLE MISS BROADWAY in a show staged in a judge's courtroom, the moppet hopes to sway the verdict in her friends' favor.

Shirley Temple shines in this pleasant musical comedy. Her youthful spunk and astonishing talent are very much on display. As her leading man, dancer George Murphy is elegant & charming, just what the audience expects from Shirley's knight errant. Murphy's flirtation with Phyllis Brooks is dull stuff; we can't wait for him to dance again with Miss Temple.

Along with Murphy, Shirley faces unusually stiff competition from the comics & character actors involved in this film. The inimitable Edna May Oliver is the villainess here, and she doesn't care a fig for the feelings of the little girl; diminutive Donald Meek is her brother who longs for an adventurous theatrical life.

The great Jimmy Durante brings his own brand of insanity to the proceedings as a band leader; it's almost criminal that he's given so little screen time with Shirley. Dialect comedian El Brendel has some funny moments and gets to interact with a peculiar penguin. That's Jerry Colonna as one of the band members.

Jane Darwell is sweet, as always, in her matronly role as the orphanage director - she would appear in several Temple films in similar roles. Old Claude Gillingwater has fun with his role as the sympathetic judge. George & Olive Brasno, two of Hollywood's famous Little People, appear as themselves.

Movie mavens will spot an unbilled Dick Elliott as a cheerful cellist.

Shirley warbles `Be Optimistic,' `How Can I Thank You?' & `If All The World Were Paper;' Murphy joins her in singing & dancing through `We Should Be Together' & `Little Miss Broadway.'

One of Shirley Temple's most musical ventures, and its fab-tastic. The gang's all here, beautifully handled by director Irving Cummings, who made a great team with Temple. 10 Stars.

The story certainly inspired musicals and comedies to come, all about a hotel-filled with a lot of artists with hearts of gold. One film you can't get enough of; so much to see and with some of the best veteran actors strutting their stuff.

Naturally... it all begins at Jane Darwell's orphanage. There's no one else better than Jane to play the motherly figure to so many poor and unfortunate kids. Among them a larger than life little girl called Betsy (played by Shirley Temple). She's also going places, destined to live with a distant relative called Pop ( played by Edward Ellis) and his sweet daughter, Barbara (Phyllis Brooks).

Fast forward to the wild on wheels hotel where Pop lives, populated by some very talented but NOISY tenants, getting on to the nerves of stone-fanced owner, Miss Wendling (who else but Edna May Oliver).

Bottom line; A close tie as to WHO outdoes WHO--Shirley Temple or Edna May Oliver. An unforgettable match, assuringly at odds with each other. Wendling wants to throw everybody into the street -- but not before the proverbial BIG SHOW.

Among the performers is Jimmy Durante as a band leader! Song and dance man George Murphy plays Oliver's young nephew. Donald Meek plays Oliver's kindly brother, who really likes Shirley.

Look for famous brother and sister midgets George and Olive Brasno, who were featured in the OUR GANG/LITTLE RASCALS short films and in CHARLIE CHAN AT THE CIRCUS, also shot at Fox.

This is a whole lot of fun, and with some dynamic singing and dance routines. So many memories if you grew up on this movie back in the day. A thank you --more recently-- to Public TV in Los Angeles for constantly re-running this classic for everyone to see and see again.

I agree with the last reviewer, there were scenes cut with Jimmy Durante and Shirley Temple together, more than likely to trim the long running time. A missed opportunity.

Always on dvd and re-mastered blu ray for all us Shirley Temple buffs. Thanks also to TCM for running this golden oldie.

I'm not the biggest fan of black and white films but this was still good. That shouldn't interfere with the acting and story itself, but that's just me.

I actually enjoyed this even though it lacked color. During the first ten or fifteen minutes, I was pretty determined that I was going to hate this film. It was kind of slow and the writing wasn't all that great. Then I realized that it was made in the '30s and should think how this would have appeared back then. I thought and began to enjoy it.

I'll be honest, this is the first Shirley Temple film that I have ever seen. I've heard of her and had been wanting to see her in something for a while, but never did. I was so impressed with her acting ability. Plus, she's so cute dancing around that office. The rest of the cast is pretty good but I especially liked the part of Betsy Brown.

While 'Little Miss Broadway' was still very slow, I enjoyed it because of the dancing number(s). Also, the writing was somewhat comical.

This isn't one of the best films I have ever seen, not even close, but it was/is something good to see on a quiet afternoon when there is nothing else on.

20th Century Fox was having a hard time coming up with original story material for Shirley Temple and this is one of their least inspired efforts. Yet, despite a weak script and the obvious fact that Shirley herself was getting a little too plump for her diminutive figure, there is a generous sprinkling of song routines to keep Shirley's fans satisfied. The added bonus is George Murphy as her dancing partner, no slouch in the tap-dance department.

Edna May Oliver comes on strong as a cantankerous old woman who wants to close a theatrical hotel for boarders. Jimmy Durante has a few fun moments but one of his routines with Temple was cut from the final print.

The courtroom finale has everyone doing a musical revue in court--something that could happen only in a Temple film! Shirley has a few pleasant ditties to sing: "Be Optimistic" and a song-and-dance routine with Murphy to "We Should Be Together".

Not one of Shirley's best. Recommended only for Temple fans.

With very memorable musical numbers and interactions, this picture is another shining example of Shirley temples brightness. Yes it is well worth watching. James Welch Henderson Arkansas 6/6/21.