Susannah

This is one of my favorite Shirley Temple films. She as always is captivating. The story line is interesting, and the characters believable. I would recommend this to any family to watch.

I have a vast collection of Shirley Temple movies in my possession. I don't however have all of them I am still in search of some of the ones that I don't have but, I do have Susannah of the Mounties and I watch it often. I enjoy this movie because I've always liked movies that have a variety of nationalities in it. And Susannah of the Mounties has a mixture of white and native americans in it and I liked it. True she doesn't sing or dance in it like she is known for in her earlier works but, she still touches the hearts of watchers through her talents. In this movie she ends up teaching watchers that not all native americans are bad and that indeed whites and native americans could live together peacefully. Through her befriending the young native american chief she is showing people that all ethnic groups can live together peacefully and be friends to. She also shows how important it is to be there for loved ones or good friends when they are in need like she does for Inspector Montague after she finds out that he has been captured and almost put to death by the Blackfeet Tribe. And by being friends with Chief Big Eagle and Little Chief she convinces the Blackfeet tribe to save Inspector Montague and to punish the real traitor. I think all her movies teaches us the lessons of life we need to learn and because of her being the popular child star she was and how everyone loved her she was able to teach children good from bad and be the positive influence that she was and always will be.

I happen to be viewing the colored version on tv, which is fine. Young Shirley had grown up just a little more since her last role as the Little Princess (1939).

This movie about Mounties, Indians, and adventure is the kind of entertainment we as kids would sit through in a dark theater on Saturday afternoons, with much noise, lots of popcorn, and plenty of fun. I believe the main storyline deals with the troubles encountered when laying down the railroad line out West. Such an action clashed with the Indians' way of life; they also felt threatened by the white man's progress into their territory.

It's questionable to see Victor Jory as an Indian. Well this is a movie so anything can happen. Little Susannah (Shirley Temple) has a harrowing time at the beginning, being the only one left after an Indian raid. She's found hiding under a barrel and befriended by Inspector Monty (Randolph Scott) who takes her under his wing and gives her shelter. One episode later shows her having a good time teaching Monty how to dance (with a book on his head), him being so tall and her still short, it's very amusing to watch.

Much action of Indians, war dances, troubles afoot. I liked the scenes of beautiful mountains as I live west of the Rockies too. Original Blackfoot tribesmen were a big part of this film.

Good adventure, lots of activity, great for youngsters and those who are still young at heart!

Well, "all good things come to an end," or "nothing lasts forever." One of those clichés can pertain to this film which, sadly,signaled the end of Shirley Temple's career as the cute kid America and the world fell in love with during the 1930s. Her films that were so successful during this decade that she was number one at the box office for several years. This movie did not do well at the box office and certainly is not a memorable film.

One reason it wasn't appealing was that Shirley only sang one quick number (a waltz). That's it - one song! There was no dancing, nothing up-tempo to perk up the audience.....zilch!

The story is a Canadian Mounted Police/railroad one with good and bad Indians thrown in. The two main bad men, a railroad guy and an Indian, don't have big roles so most of the people in the film are good guys. Randolph Scott and Margaret Lockwood are appealing leads.

I just found the story too bland, too flat....just nothing to get excited about or warrant giving a second look. Most people who saw it at the theater seemed to agree. Her "era" had come to an end.

Mountie Randolph Scott is leading a patrol when they discover a massacred wagon train with the sole survivor, a little girl hidden inside a barrel. Scott takes Shirley Temple back to the post where she becomes the mascot of the post.

Susannah of the Mounties borrows a whole lot from Shirley's previous film Wee Willie Winkie. She's the granddaughter of the post commandant there, also becomes a mascot. She's got an Irish sergeant as a special friend in Wee Willie Winkie it's Victor McLaglen, here it is J. Farrell MacDonald. And of course the little child in all her innocence brings about an accommodation between Indians on two separate continents and the white man.

The period identified here is 1882-1884 when the Canadian Pacific Railway is being constructed and that's worked into the plot also. I thought I had spotted a goof in Susannah of the Mounties when I saw during a flag raising ceremony a British Union Jack raised. A Canadian cyberfriend says I was wrong and proved it. Canada even though it became a self governing dominion in 1867 never got its own flag until 1965. Learn something new every day.

Susannah of the Mounties also reminded me of the Rin Tin Tin series from back when I was a lad. A boy and a German Shepherd puppy were the only survivors of a wagon train massacre and Lee Aaker as Corporal Rusty got to grow up on Fort Apache. I thought the same back in the Fifties when I saw this film re-released as the second half of a double bill.

Randolph Scott and Shirley Temple show some real affection for each other, he may have been the best of her adult male co-stars. Of course Scott also has eyes for the extraordinarily beautiful Margaret Lockwood who is his commanding officer's daughter. Lockwood did two films in Hollywood, Rulers of the Sea and this one before returning to the UK.

Although Shirley was getting a bit old and her box office was just beginning to wane, Darryl Zanuck still made a mint off Susannah of the Mounties. And the public got its money's worth too.