Susannah

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.

I found this Shirley Temple film delightful. It would not meet the current climate's cancel police nor pass any political correctness test, but Shirley Temple actually got first billing over the handsome Randolph Scott in this film about the Canadian westward movement and the Royal Mounties battle with the first peoples.

Mounties lead by Randolph Scott come upon an native raid and rescue the only survivor, a small girl named Sue. Sue, who is now orphaned, is brought back to the Mounties' station where she lives with Randolph Scott, gets jealous of a visiting woman who attracts his attention and makes friends with Little Chief who is left there by his father to guarantee his word and learn the ways of the white man.

The interaction between Sue and Little Chief are delightful, he teachers her to ride a pony and she puts up with him treating her like a little squaw...including walking behind the Chief!

No it is not politically correct but it speaks of a different time. Shirley is adorable and Randolph Scott is handsome in this film that does not try to do too much.

Sweet and one of the better Shirley Temple films...I highly recommend it if you are a fan and it was wonderful to watch for the anniversary of her birthday!

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.

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.

Susannah - Shirley Temple - is a young girl in the rough Canadian wilderness. Her grandfather died in a Blackfoot Native American raid, leaving her scared and alone. She is transported to a Canadian Mounties post nearby. It's there she meets Mountie Monty - Randolph Scott - a handsome man. He helps her recover. Soon, there is a surprise visit from the daughter of the regiments leader. She is lovely and Monty is bewitched. Meanwhile, Blackfeet are stealing horses. Monty tries to make peace with the Chief, who tells him it is a rogue group of Blackfoot stirring up trouble. He loans the Post his son who amazes Sue with his riding abilities. But, peace is fleeting. The Natives are upset that a railroad track is being built through their land. Can Susannah help make peace? I loved this film as a little girl, being a big Shirley fan. It still has humor and heart and gorgeous scenery. There is probably some accuracy in the depiction of the Blackfeet tribe but of course, they are made to be the villains of the movie. Too bad. Nevertheless, this is an enjoyable film with Shirley as enchanting as always. Do encourage family members to seek information and understand the history of the Blackfoot and that there are two sides to history.