Susannah Of The Mounties

A good-quality set...
... to add to your collection of Shirley Temple movies. While these aren't some of her best, they are still entertaining.

"Captain January" is probably the most fun of the bunch. I like most of the movies Shirley made between 1934 and 1936, and this one falls neatly in amongst them. "At the Codfish Ball", a great song-and-dance number with Buddy Ebsen, is included.

By the time "Just Around the Corner" came out, Shirley was getting a little old, and the mannerisms that might have passed for cuteness as a child were beginning to get a little annoying. The movie is still worth seeing though, if only for her dance routines with Bill Robinson.

When watching "Susannah of the Mounties", keep in mind that it was a story about a different time (the 1880s) that was made in a different time (the 1930s). It will probably come across as somewhat racist to today's viewers, but it will still probably appeal to Shirley fans.

The problems with sound...

Susannah of the Mounties
10-year-old Shirley stars with Randolph Scott in this powerful movie about a young girl, orphaned after a group of Native Americans kill the rest of her wagon train. She is then taken in to live with Randolph Scott at a military base. When a different group of Native Americans want to gain their trust their cheif gives his son to live with them. After learning to cope with the 'little cheif's' behavior, he and shirley become friends and together must save the life of a dear friend. This is not one of Shirley's best films with only one song. She shows her dramatic acting talent and is not always her sweet little self. Don't forget, this 1939 movie was after she was #1 in box office cumes and was only #5, soon to be pushed aff the top 10 list, completely.

Shirley Temple in the Great Northwest.
20th Century Fox tried to rework the plot of "Wee Willie Winkie" in this Shirley Temple flick. One key person missing from the picture was director John Ford. The product suffers without Ford's vision of humor, action, and sentiment. Don't get me wrong. Shirley Temple is still America's Sweetheart. She is the lone survivor of a wagon train massacre, and RCMP Randolph Scott comes to her aid. This time it's American Indians on the warpath. Shirley almost single-handed prevents war on the Canadian frontier, while charming everybody in sight. By 1939, Shirley was starting to show definite signs of growing up, dangerous in a child star. She has a crush on Scott and tries to keep him from mooning around a good-looking woman visiting the outpost. As usual, Shirley's "isn't that cute" antics are amusing. Her culture clashes with the deadpan Indian kid, Little Chief, are comic. There is even some Western style action-adventure. Victor Jory is menacing if somewhat cliched as a...

Click to Editorial Reviews