Greetings,
And now for the Worst Hit Songs of 2006, again, only my opinion. If you like these, good for you. I just sort of don't. Also, if it looks as though I may be picking on a particular genre, I apologize. I didn't mean to do that. I actually can be quite of fan of said particular genre. It's just that, this year, it gave me some not so great stuff. Come to think of it, a lot of this stuff, though it still appears on the 2006 year end chart, was actually released in 2005. And we all know about the reputaion 2005 has when it comes to music. Yeah. Anyway, let's get started. My worst of 2006 awaits.
An honorable mention first, though, for the song "I'm 'n Luv (Wit a Stripper) by T. Pain. Mostly because, no, sir, I don't quite think you are in love with that stripper. Sure, you might be, but I just don't think so.
#10. "Life is a Highway" Rascal Flatts - This song only barely made the list for one reason - I like it. Hold on there. I like the song; I do not like this cover version of the song. Not at all. Whilst the original singer, Tom Cochrane, had this rough, gravely voice that suited the song, what these guys did to it with their vocals just ruined it for me. Also, it was a tie in to the movie Cars. Enough said.
#9. "Promiscuous" Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland - When Nelly Furtado first showed up, she was a relief. In the midst of all the carbon copy pop princesses with which we had been dealing for a while, she and her music really stood out. Then, she released a second album that didn't do so well. Then, she decided to do a 180 into the world of...whatever the heck genre of music this is. I mean, her sound and her lyrics were so unique and thoughtful, but, after one critical disappointment being herself, she decides to just sound like everyone else. Of course, I can't say she wasn't successful at it or even that she wasn't pleased with it. I'm not against an artist evolving, but believe it or not, I think there is a difference between evolving and changing. If that makes any sense.
#8. "Check On It" Beyonce featuring Slim Thug - So, The Pink Panther remake. Man, did that movie suck! What's worse than getting a group of amazing actors together, the likes of Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Emily Mortimer, JEAN FLIPPIN' RENO of all people, and then ending up with something like this? Well, how about we add a terrible tie in song to the mix? Okay, so here's the thing with Beyonce. I would not call myself a fan of hers, but I don't deny anybody whatever talent they have. When she does get something right, I won't say she didn't. She did not get it right this time. It just sounded the same all the way through, without a decent hook or anything. I don't know. Beyonce can certainly be good. Just, no thank you, this time.
#7. "My Humps" Black Eyed Peas - Do I even have to talk about what's wrong with this thing? The lyrics are beyond awful, the beat is just...whatever. I pretty much consider this song unlistenable, if that's even a word. So why is only at #7? Well, get yourself over to the YouTube and search the title of this song along with the name Alanis Morissette. Then, you'll know why a part of me is glad that this song exists.
#6. "London Bridge" Fergie - Back in the summer of 1999, I went to see Cher in concert. Seriously. Her opening act was Cyndi Lauper, and her opening act was a trio called Wild Orchid. What is the point, you may ask? Well, there was a girl in that group named Stacey Ferguson, who we know today as Fergie. If you haven't heard the way she sang when she was in Wild Orchid, particularly a song called "At Night I Pray", go have a listen. She has a phenomenal singing voice. So why does she not use said phenomenal voice nearly as much as she should? She certainly didn't use it on this song. I just don't get it.
#5. "Laffy Taffy" DTL - When I did my Worst of 1995 list, I had a song on there called "Tootsee Roll". And now this. Maybe I just don't songs with the name of a candy in the title. Maybe I'm trying to cut back on sweets and I don't want anything encouraging me to go against that. Or maybe this song just does everything a song can do to be irritating.
#4. "Ms. New Booty" Bubba Sparks featuring Ying Yang Twins and Mr. ColliPark - This song says the word "booty" a lot. A LOT! And when I hear the word "booty", it makes me think of my own booty. I'd rather not, thank you. I am kind of not in the best shape of my life at the moment. Now I know that in my Best of 2006 list, I had that "Hips" song by Shakira, and no, I don't want to think of my own hips either. But, as I mentioned, her dancing, even the thought of it, is enough to distract me from my personal body image woes. This song, on the other hand? I just...I just can't.
#3. "Photograph" Nickelback - So there were about three Nickelback songs on the Hot 100 list of this particular year. I could have picked any one of them. Still, if I had to pick a worst, and I did, this was the winner. Well, "winner".
#2. "Run It" Chris Brown - I would like to make it abundantly clear that I did not put this song on the list because of the...incident back in 2009 or whenever. How could I? This song came out before that happened. No, I am judging this song on its merits, which are, at best, few. I am not a fan of Chris Brown. I was never one, unless you count that song he did with Jordin Sparks. That was good. This was not.
#1. "Stupid Girls" Pink - I hate a few things in this world. Hypocrisy is one of them. And I don't just mean in other people. Oh, no, I can be guilty of it myself, and I do not approve. And this song and its "message" is so full of it. It's basically Person A and Person B doing exactly the same things, and then Person A says "Hey, Person B. Shame on you, only you, for doing these things, as I continue to do them myself". I think the attempt here was to tell girls that they need not act stupid to be sexy, prompted, no doubt, by the whole Jessica Simpson phase the world went through, and I'm not saying that that's wrong. I quite agree, actually. But this song, and especially the video, seem to be more of an attack on specific people for just being a way that Pink chooses not to be. And perhaps if she, herself, wasn't so vocal about being open minded in other areas, I could find the joke or the point, but I can't. It's all just "Shame on you for getting plastic surgery; shame on you for spending your money; shame on you for being skinny; shame on you for...having a dog?" Seriously, what the heck? Also, when you criticize someone for acting like a whore after you got up at an awards show when you won for your Moulin Rouge song and say "Thanks to everyone who thought we would make good whores", even if it's a joke, you lose a little credibility there. I'm going to try and give her, like, a B for effort, since I see what she was trying to do, and what she was trying to do was good. But the end result was just...no.
And there are the Worst Hit Songs of 2006, in my opinion. If you agree, great. If you don't, even better. Do not be a sheep, my friends. I just can't like everything. And I don't. Hmmm. That should be my tagline on all of these.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Monday, May 5, 2014
Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2006
Greetings,
So what happened in 2006? Well, there was an Olympics in Italy, Twitter started, SOMEBODY decided that Pluto wasn't a planet anymore, Wallace and Gromit won an Oscar, Paul McCartney, who wrote "When I'm Sixty-Four" turned 64, whilst his one-time collaborator and piano genius, Billy Preston, passed away, and Salzburg erupted in numerous celebrations in honor of it being 250 years since the birth of Mozart. Also, a ton of other more important things, but I need to move on. So why exactly did I choose this year to discuss my opinions of the best and worst in pop music? Someone requested it. That's why. See, I said I take requests for things seriously.
So let's get to it, shall we? Chosen, as always, from Billboard's Year End chart, these are the Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2006...in my opinion.
#10. "Love" Keyshia Cole - You know, there is something so enjoyable about a beautifully sung, nice, simple love song, and that is what this is. You can just sit there and listen to it and let it be music in its purest form. Nothing crazy or over the top. Just a good song. I swear, those can exist.
#9. "Because of You" Kelly Clarkson - So this song came from Kelly's second album, Breakaway,a.k.a. the album she made to prove that she was not just some chick who got lucky on a singing contest. And she did prove that for awhile. She managed to achieve some really great songwriting with the help of others, and ended up with a darn good collection of tunes. I know her career is going to this day, but I'd say this is still Kelly at her best.
#8. "Show Stopper" Danity Kane - Sigh. I hate being completely honest on this blog sometimes. This is one of those times. The whole Danity Kane thing was so bizarre and yet somehow entertaining, thanks to the reality show that put them together. But that more had to do with the behind the scenes drama. I would never call myself an actual fan of this group, though I can admit they were quite talented vocally. And yet, I cannot help but really, really like this song. It wasn't as big as their hit "Damaged", I don't think, but I kind of like this one better. Also, I sure am glad that this song mentions cars, otherwise, I'd think that guy saying "Jingle them keys" was a euphemism.
#7. "Too Little, Too Late" JoJo - I do not know what happened to JoJo after her initial success. I recall hearing something about "label trouble" which is never good. But I certainly wish she was still around making music and getting hits. Why? Because, Holy Crap, that little girl could sing. And she was very young at the time, with a voice far more mature than her years and far better than any of her contemporaries, no matter what their age. I suppose I could refer to her as the Ariana Grande of her day. And this is one of the hits she had. It's pretty much a straight forward pop song, but her vocals take it to another level. I just hope she manages to make a comeback. We could use her.
#6. "You're Beautiful" James Blunt - Yeah, I'm a sucker for this one. I'm a sucker for any heartfelt, tragic love song. That's right, people. It's a TRAGIC love song, because it's about a broken relationship. For the love of all things pure and good, stop using it at weddings! I suppose you can use it at your "conscious uncoupling" ceremonies, though. Ya know, if those become an actual...thing.
#5. "Crazy" Gnarls Barkley - I really don't like it when things get all samey sounding on the charts. A breath of fresh melodic air is always welcome in my book. When this song hit, it was hailed as being very unique and very good. It was. I'd venture to say that there wasn't a single other song that was anything like it at that time or since. And, unlike a lot of songs, it still holds up today. And it's Cee Lo, so there you go.
#4. "Hips Don't Lie" Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean - I always say that, no matter how good you are at something, you'll always be more impressed by what you can't do that others can. For example, I would not call myself a good dancer, so I am quite impressed by people who can dance, in any way or style. Enter Shakira. I don't mean this in a weird way, but I do get kind of mesmerized watching her move the way she does. So why not have an entire song dedicated to showcasing that talent? Also, I hear Tom Hiddleston likes this song. I'm actually surprised it isn't his theme song. If you've seen him dance, you'll know what I'm talking about. Moving on.
#3. "Feel Good Inc." Gorillaz featuring De La Soul - Again, samey sounding music, not always that great. Unique and good, thumbs up. And this song was...yeah. It was weird. It is weird. But, therein, lies why I love it so much. You just listen to it and you think, "What the heck is this? What am I listening? I have no idea, but I love it". A similar reaction may be had whilst watching the video. I know there were actual human people behind this music, but it was also like a cartoon band, right? Just like Jem and the Holograms! I'm in!
#2. "Call Me When You're Sober" Evanescence - I love it when a musician is so gifted that they can mix it up and it seems effortless. Take Amy Lee, the front woman for Evanescence. She is a legit classically trained pianist (who can also play the harp, apparently. Who plays the harp?) but she can totally rock out. Her versatility has always been evident within the music of her band, and it's no different here. Though they have continued to make music, despite some turmoil, this was pretty much their last big hit. Until they get another one. Hopefully, they will.
#1. "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" K.T. Tunstall - So here we have a song with a catchy melody, great lyrics, fantastic vocals, all done by another artist who seems to have disappeared. WHY! Why do all these amazing and unique artists not get the success they deserve? I just don't get it. To this day, I absolutely love this song. This should have been the start of a career full of massive popularity and acclaim, but, no, this talented woman had to get shoved aside to make way for all the crap to follow. Sorry. This makes me sad. I'm going to go and listen to this song, and it will make me feel better.
And there are my favorite hit songs of the year of 2006. I'd like to think I was eclectic enough with my choices. I even hope for that more so with my next list. Speaking if which, tune in tomorrow for my least favorites of the year.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
So what happened in 2006? Well, there was an Olympics in Italy, Twitter started, SOMEBODY decided that Pluto wasn't a planet anymore, Wallace and Gromit won an Oscar, Paul McCartney, who wrote "When I'm Sixty-Four" turned 64, whilst his one-time collaborator and piano genius, Billy Preston, passed away, and Salzburg erupted in numerous celebrations in honor of it being 250 years since the birth of Mozart. Also, a ton of other more important things, but I need to move on. So why exactly did I choose this year to discuss my opinions of the best and worst in pop music? Someone requested it. That's why. See, I said I take requests for things seriously.
So let's get to it, shall we? Chosen, as always, from Billboard's Year End chart, these are the Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2006...in my opinion.
#10. "Love" Keyshia Cole - You know, there is something so enjoyable about a beautifully sung, nice, simple love song, and that is what this is. You can just sit there and listen to it and let it be music in its purest form. Nothing crazy or over the top. Just a good song. I swear, those can exist.
#9. "Because of You" Kelly Clarkson - So this song came from Kelly's second album, Breakaway,a.k.a. the album she made to prove that she was not just some chick who got lucky on a singing contest. And she did prove that for awhile. She managed to achieve some really great songwriting with the help of others, and ended up with a darn good collection of tunes. I know her career is going to this day, but I'd say this is still Kelly at her best.
#8. "Show Stopper" Danity Kane - Sigh. I hate being completely honest on this blog sometimes. This is one of those times. The whole Danity Kane thing was so bizarre and yet somehow entertaining, thanks to the reality show that put them together. But that more had to do with the behind the scenes drama. I would never call myself an actual fan of this group, though I can admit they were quite talented vocally. And yet, I cannot help but really, really like this song. It wasn't as big as their hit "Damaged", I don't think, but I kind of like this one better. Also, I sure am glad that this song mentions cars, otherwise, I'd think that guy saying "Jingle them keys" was a euphemism.
#7. "Too Little, Too Late" JoJo - I do not know what happened to JoJo after her initial success. I recall hearing something about "label trouble" which is never good. But I certainly wish she was still around making music and getting hits. Why? Because, Holy Crap, that little girl could sing. And she was very young at the time, with a voice far more mature than her years and far better than any of her contemporaries, no matter what their age. I suppose I could refer to her as the Ariana Grande of her day. And this is one of the hits she had. It's pretty much a straight forward pop song, but her vocals take it to another level. I just hope she manages to make a comeback. We could use her.
#6. "You're Beautiful" James Blunt - Yeah, I'm a sucker for this one. I'm a sucker for any heartfelt, tragic love song. That's right, people. It's a TRAGIC love song, because it's about a broken relationship. For the love of all things pure and good, stop using it at weddings! I suppose you can use it at your "conscious uncoupling" ceremonies, though. Ya know, if those become an actual...thing.
#5. "Crazy" Gnarls Barkley - I really don't like it when things get all samey sounding on the charts. A breath of fresh melodic air is always welcome in my book. When this song hit, it was hailed as being very unique and very good. It was. I'd venture to say that there wasn't a single other song that was anything like it at that time or since. And, unlike a lot of songs, it still holds up today. And it's Cee Lo, so there you go.
#4. "Hips Don't Lie" Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean - I always say that, no matter how good you are at something, you'll always be more impressed by what you can't do that others can. For example, I would not call myself a good dancer, so I am quite impressed by people who can dance, in any way or style. Enter Shakira. I don't mean this in a weird way, but I do get kind of mesmerized watching her move the way she does. So why not have an entire song dedicated to showcasing that talent? Also, I hear Tom Hiddleston likes this song. I'm actually surprised it isn't his theme song. If you've seen him dance, you'll know what I'm talking about. Moving on.
#3. "Feel Good Inc." Gorillaz featuring De La Soul - Again, samey sounding music, not always that great. Unique and good, thumbs up. And this song was...yeah. It was weird. It is weird. But, therein, lies why I love it so much. You just listen to it and you think, "What the heck is this? What am I listening? I have no idea, but I love it". A similar reaction may be had whilst watching the video. I know there were actual human people behind this music, but it was also like a cartoon band, right? Just like Jem and the Holograms! I'm in!
#2. "Call Me When You're Sober" Evanescence - I love it when a musician is so gifted that they can mix it up and it seems effortless. Take Amy Lee, the front woman for Evanescence. She is a legit classically trained pianist (who can also play the harp, apparently. Who plays the harp?) but she can totally rock out. Her versatility has always been evident within the music of her band, and it's no different here. Though they have continued to make music, despite some turmoil, this was pretty much their last big hit. Until they get another one. Hopefully, they will.
#1. "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" K.T. Tunstall - So here we have a song with a catchy melody, great lyrics, fantastic vocals, all done by another artist who seems to have disappeared. WHY! Why do all these amazing and unique artists not get the success they deserve? I just don't get it. To this day, I absolutely love this song. This should have been the start of a career full of massive popularity and acclaim, but, no, this talented woman had to get shoved aside to make way for all the crap to follow. Sorry. This makes me sad. I'm going to go and listen to this song, and it will make me feel better.
And there are my favorite hit songs of the year of 2006. I'd like to think I was eclectic enough with my choices. I even hope for that more so with my next list. Speaking if which, tune in tomorrow for my least favorites of the year.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Thursday, May 1, 2014
The Writer's Room: Reminding Us That We Matter
Greetings,
During the many years for which I have been writing, I have come to realize a simple yet unfortunate truth - some people just don't get us. By "us", I mean writers, of course, and when I say "people", I mean non-writers. Sure, we get each other just fine, and we appreciate and acknowledge the art that is created by our peers, alongside our own. And, to be fair, there are actually a few outsiders who value what we do. But I constantly get a feeling that a big part of the world does not think that being a writer holds much worth. I suppose that, when a lot of these people think of the word "writer", they also automatically think "books". BOOKS! NO! Books are for school (maybe, these days!) and nowhere else! Well, newsflash. Writing is not only done in the books, kids.
Yes, I know that people most likely are not reading books as much as they once did, and, if they do happen to read a book, it might not be one that is making them more intelligent or articulate or insightful. Oh, the titles I could mention but will not, because I'm trying to be nice...today. I understand that, currently, we have so much less time and so many more distractions, but therein lies some irony. Some of what distracts people most from the joy of books are things like television and movies and video games. Hello! Every single thing I mentioned there usually begins because of one person - a writer. Yeah, I said it! We tend to be the person with the idea, and the idea is the foundation for all of this. I understand that said foundation must be built upon with the help and talent of others in order to create a great work of art. But, again, a lot of the time, it all starts with us. Yet, somehow, I'm not sure that all of us get the recognition we deserve. I thought that the writer's strike of 2007-08, where writers not writing literally ground an entire industry to a halt, may have made people see how important we are. Perhaps, it helped a bit, but never enough. My point is that WE MATTER! And, thus, after much rambling, this brings us to today's topic, The Writer's Room. Sorry I took so long, but I had to say those things.
The Writer's Room is a show that premiered in 2013 on the Sundance Channel. It is hosted by Jim Rash. Many of you may know him as the super-fun Dean Pelton from Community, but he is also an Academy Award winning writer. Must have been one of those rare times when they got it right. Anyway, this is a thirty minute talk show of sorts wherein the writers from different hit series come in to discuss their work and their process and all the things about which we love to talk. It has featured writers from shows like Scandal, New Girl, Games of Thrones and others. That is the basic and simple premise, and it is downright amazing.
Okay, I may be biased, because I have always been someone who loves to listen to other writers. I relish in hearing their stories and what process they have. It inspires me, encourages me and, hopefully, makes me a better writer myself. But even if you aren't a writer or even someone who ever particularly took notice of the writing, you may still find this show very interesting. Actually, of the series that have been featured, I have personally not watched even half of them. Yet, I still watch the episodes, because writers are writers, good is good, and I can always learn from them. Oh, heck, let's be honest. I can learn a lot from bad writers as well. Mostly, though, in the opposite direction.
In closing, let me just say that I am extremely grateful for The Writer's Room. I am so glad that someone decided to put those who are rarely in the spotlight right at the forefront, so that all the hard and irreplaceable work they do can be seen and appreciated. Growing up, I always thought I was an outcast because I spent so much time with the worlds I created in my own head, and I don't doubt that there are a bunch of youngsters going through the same thing right now. Hopefully, they will watch this show and know that the worlds they create in their own heads might be able to escape into the real one and change it for the better someday. And as a writer, an artist, even on my most difficult days that are filled with staring at empty pages and usually an even more empty wallet, I remember that it's all worth it. If we allow it to be so, we can truly have a rich life.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
During the many years for which I have been writing, I have come to realize a simple yet unfortunate truth - some people just don't get us. By "us", I mean writers, of course, and when I say "people", I mean non-writers. Sure, we get each other just fine, and we appreciate and acknowledge the art that is created by our peers, alongside our own. And, to be fair, there are actually a few outsiders who value what we do. But I constantly get a feeling that a big part of the world does not think that being a writer holds much worth. I suppose that, when a lot of these people think of the word "writer", they also automatically think "books". BOOKS! NO! Books are for school (maybe, these days!) and nowhere else! Well, newsflash. Writing is not only done in the books, kids.
Yes, I know that people most likely are not reading books as much as they once did, and, if they do happen to read a book, it might not be one that is making them more intelligent or articulate or insightful. Oh, the titles I could mention but will not, because I'm trying to be nice...today. I understand that, currently, we have so much less time and so many more distractions, but therein lies some irony. Some of what distracts people most from the joy of books are things like television and movies and video games. Hello! Every single thing I mentioned there usually begins because of one person - a writer. Yeah, I said it! We tend to be the person with the idea, and the idea is the foundation for all of this. I understand that said foundation must be built upon with the help and talent of others in order to create a great work of art. But, again, a lot of the time, it all starts with us. Yet, somehow, I'm not sure that all of us get the recognition we deserve. I thought that the writer's strike of 2007-08, where writers not writing literally ground an entire industry to a halt, may have made people see how important we are. Perhaps, it helped a bit, but never enough. My point is that WE MATTER! And, thus, after much rambling, this brings us to today's topic, The Writer's Room. Sorry I took so long, but I had to say those things.
The Writer's Room is a show that premiered in 2013 on the Sundance Channel. It is hosted by Jim Rash. Many of you may know him as the super-fun Dean Pelton from Community, but he is also an Academy Award winning writer. Must have been one of those rare times when they got it right. Anyway, this is a thirty minute talk show of sorts wherein the writers from different hit series come in to discuss their work and their process and all the things about which we love to talk. It has featured writers from shows like Scandal, New Girl, Games of Thrones and others. That is the basic and simple premise, and it is downright amazing.
Okay, I may be biased, because I have always been someone who loves to listen to other writers. I relish in hearing their stories and what process they have. It inspires me, encourages me and, hopefully, makes me a better writer myself. But even if you aren't a writer or even someone who ever particularly took notice of the writing, you may still find this show very interesting. Actually, of the series that have been featured, I have personally not watched even half of them. Yet, I still watch the episodes, because writers are writers, good is good, and I can always learn from them. Oh, heck, let's be honest. I can learn a lot from bad writers as well. Mostly, though, in the opposite direction.
In closing, let me just say that I am extremely grateful for The Writer's Room. I am so glad that someone decided to put those who are rarely in the spotlight right at the forefront, so that all the hard and irreplaceable work they do can be seen and appreciated. Growing up, I always thought I was an outcast because I spent so much time with the worlds I created in my own head, and I don't doubt that there are a bunch of youngsters going through the same thing right now. Hopefully, they will watch this show and know that the worlds they create in their own heads might be able to escape into the real one and change it for the better someday. And as a writer, an artist, even on my most difficult days that are filled with staring at empty pages and usually an even more empty wallet, I remember that it's all worth it. If we allow it to be so, we can truly have a rich life.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm - Movie Review
Greetings,
I should hate this movie. I really should. Not because it ever did anything bad to me, but because of the countless people who always thought it was hiLARious to call me Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm when I was a kid. Maybe even longer than that. Hey, grown ups! Not funny then; not funny now. Still, I should not hold any of my anger about their misplaced humor against this great film of Shirley Temple's. And it is quite great. Here's the story.
The titular character played by Shirley in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is Rebecca Winstead. At the start of the film, she is in the custody of her stepfather, Harry Kipper, because her parents are...well, you know the drill. Sucks for her where this is concerned, because this guy is kind of creepy. Not as creepy as the guy who was stalking her in Poor, Little, Rich Girl but still. Also, he is obviously trying to capitalize on her talent to make money as he takes her to audition for something called Little Miss America, a radio role being spearheaded by a guy named Tony Kent, played by Randolph Scott. He hears her sing and wants to hire her, but through some miscommunication thanks to Jack Haley's character, Orville, she thinks she didn't get it. So, believing that his chance of making money on her is no more, Harry takes Rebecca to live on a farm with her Aunt Miranda, played by Helen Westley, and her cousin Gwen, played by Gloria Stuart. Now Aunt Miranda is a slightly bitter woman who hates show business people. She says she'll take Rebecca, but Harry can never come back for her. Gee, I hope he doesn't come back and try to take her later!!! Yeah, if there is one lesson we can learn from these movies, it's that if someone leaves a Shirley Temple on your doorstep, they'll be back for her.
In a crazy twist, the house next to Aunt Miranda's is owned by Tony Kent, the guy who wanted to hire Rebecca to sing. What are the odds! He's there on vacation, because farmland for rich people was the Hamptons of the 1930's. He meets Rebecca and Gwen, with whom he begins a ongoing flirt session, but, of course, it takes a while for him to find out who the little girl is. When he does, he still wants her for his radio show, but Aunt Miranda says NO! I'm not kidding. She just shouts "NO!" You know, because she hates showbiz people. It also doesn't help that Tony employs a guy named Homer Busby, who was an old sweetheart of Aunt Miranda's and she is not fond of him at all anymore. And I'm sure that won't change. Not at all. Oh, yeah. They went there, alright.
A big part of the movie after this has to do with everyone trying to trick Aunt Miranda so Rebecca can get on the radio anyway. They do, but she finds out and gets mad. For like two seconds. Sometimes I wonder if this whole thing was just to pad the movie a bit, since she had to get on the radio anyway. Her being on the radio is what brings back her stepfather (no kidding!), along with his new and hilariously awful wife, and turns the last chunk of this film into a big custody battle, which is resolved as you would expect in these movies. You know, where somebody knows what should be done, but decides that Shirley getting whatever she wants is more important. And you know what? IT IS!!!
The highlights in this film certainly include the radio show wherein Shirley does a medley of some of the songs for which she has been known over the years. I can't decide if it was meta or breaking the fourth wall. You pick, but I think it might be both. Also, we get some more dancing with her and Bill Robinson, who plays Aloysius, Aunt Miranda's farmhand. I can never complain about a movie that has that in it. I should also point out that they gave us quite an interesting subplot concerning a love quadrangle. Seriously. I know I mentioned that Tony was getting flirty with Gwen, but I failed to mention that he already had a sort of girlfriend-ish named Lola. She's nuts about him, though you can see that he might not be so much into her. Who is into her? Orville, of course. He knows his chances are slim, but they do have some chemistry. Especially when they sing "Alone With You" together. It's another major highlight, I must say.
So, despite people's efforts to make me hate this movie, as I mentioned at the start of this review, I actually love it, a lot. It doesn't have a ton of music, yet it is some of the best. Same goes for the comedy, and all the performances are fantastic. It's another of the must see films. Oh, who am I kidding? All of Shirley Temple's movies are must see!
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I should hate this movie. I really should. Not because it ever did anything bad to me, but because of the countless people who always thought it was hiLARious to call me Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm when I was a kid. Maybe even longer than that. Hey, grown ups! Not funny then; not funny now. Still, I should not hold any of my anger about their misplaced humor against this great film of Shirley Temple's. And it is quite great. Here's the story.
The titular character played by Shirley in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is Rebecca Winstead. At the start of the film, she is in the custody of her stepfather, Harry Kipper, because her parents are...well, you know the drill. Sucks for her where this is concerned, because this guy is kind of creepy. Not as creepy as the guy who was stalking her in Poor, Little, Rich Girl but still. Also, he is obviously trying to capitalize on her talent to make money as he takes her to audition for something called Little Miss America, a radio role being spearheaded by a guy named Tony Kent, played by Randolph Scott. He hears her sing and wants to hire her, but through some miscommunication thanks to Jack Haley's character, Orville, she thinks she didn't get it. So, believing that his chance of making money on her is no more, Harry takes Rebecca to live on a farm with her Aunt Miranda, played by Helen Westley, and her cousin Gwen, played by Gloria Stuart. Now Aunt Miranda is a slightly bitter woman who hates show business people. She says she'll take Rebecca, but Harry can never come back for her. Gee, I hope he doesn't come back and try to take her later!!! Yeah, if there is one lesson we can learn from these movies, it's that if someone leaves a Shirley Temple on your doorstep, they'll be back for her.
In a crazy twist, the house next to Aunt Miranda's is owned by Tony Kent, the guy who wanted to hire Rebecca to sing. What are the odds! He's there on vacation, because farmland for rich people was the Hamptons of the 1930's. He meets Rebecca and Gwen, with whom he begins a ongoing flirt session, but, of course, it takes a while for him to find out who the little girl is. When he does, he still wants her for his radio show, but Aunt Miranda says NO! I'm not kidding. She just shouts "NO!" You know, because she hates showbiz people. It also doesn't help that Tony employs a guy named Homer Busby, who was an old sweetheart of Aunt Miranda's and she is not fond of him at all anymore. And I'm sure that won't change. Not at all. Oh, yeah. They went there, alright.
A big part of the movie after this has to do with everyone trying to trick Aunt Miranda so Rebecca can get on the radio anyway. They do, but she finds out and gets mad. For like two seconds. Sometimes I wonder if this whole thing was just to pad the movie a bit, since she had to get on the radio anyway. Her being on the radio is what brings back her stepfather (no kidding!), along with his new and hilariously awful wife, and turns the last chunk of this film into a big custody battle, which is resolved as you would expect in these movies. You know, where somebody knows what should be done, but decides that Shirley getting whatever she wants is more important. And you know what? IT IS!!!
The highlights in this film certainly include the radio show wherein Shirley does a medley of some of the songs for which she has been known over the years. I can't decide if it was meta or breaking the fourth wall. You pick, but I think it might be both. Also, we get some more dancing with her and Bill Robinson, who plays Aloysius, Aunt Miranda's farmhand. I can never complain about a movie that has that in it. I should also point out that they gave us quite an interesting subplot concerning a love quadrangle. Seriously. I know I mentioned that Tony was getting flirty with Gwen, but I failed to mention that he already had a sort of girlfriend-ish named Lola. She's nuts about him, though you can see that he might not be so much into her. Who is into her? Orville, of course. He knows his chances are slim, but they do have some chemistry. Especially when they sing "Alone With You" together. It's another major highlight, I must say.
So, despite people's efforts to make me hate this movie, as I mentioned at the start of this review, I actually love it, a lot. It doesn't have a ton of music, yet it is some of the best. Same goes for the comedy, and all the performances are fantastic. It's another of the must see films. Oh, who am I kidding? All of Shirley Temple's movies are must see!
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Friday, April 25, 2014
The Little Princess - Movie Review
Greetings,
Oh, no! Shirley Temple is eleven-years-old in this one. Eleven! Too old. TOO OLD! I kid, though of all the movies of hers I am reviewing this week, this is the one wherein she is the oldest. And whilst I do, at this point, miss some of the adorable chub that has abandoned her cheeks, I also enjoy seeing her growing up into a young lady and maturing a bit as an actress. And since this is considered a classic, it seems other people felt the same way about The Little Princess. And here's the story of it.
The Little Princess is set against the backdrop of the Second Boer War. A man named Captain Crewe is called to fight and must leave his daughter, Sara, played by Shirley, along with her pony, at Miss Minchin's School for Girls. What's that you say? You're wondering about the pony? Well, Captain Crewe is a very wealthy man and wealthy people give their kids ponies, because why not? And all of this money is why Miss Minchin is overwhelmingly, albeit insincerely, nice to Sara. Now, mind you, the actress playing Miss Minchin is the same one who played Fraulien Rottenmeir in Heidi. Call that foreshadowing, if you must.
Anyway, Sara befriends many people whilst at the school, including many of her fellow students and a servant girl named Becky, who has one of the thickest accents I have ever heard. She also becomes friends with Bertie, Miss Minchin's brother, who is played again by Arthur Treacher. Yes! And then, there is also her riding instructor, Geoffrey Hamilton, and Rose, one of her teachers. There's a bit of a subplot about Geoffrey and Rose having a secret relationship, because...I don't know, Miss Minchin is a control freak? And, sadly, not everyone can love Sara. Enter the 'mean girls' clique. No, I'm not kidding. This squad of wenches is led my Lavinia, the former top dog of the school who resents Sara for seeming to take her place as Miss Minchin's favorite. This girl, amazingly enough, is played by Marcia May Jones, who also played Clara in Heidi. Quite a shift in character, I see. And, yes, you counted correctly. Four actors who were in Heidi, were also in this. It's a thing that happened a lot back then, so, obviously, the Shirley Temple oeuvre was The Avengers of the 1930's. Actually, this was a thing back then, wherein certain actors were signed certain studios and could not make movies with anyone else. I don't think they do this anymore. But I digress. Back to the story.
We soon learn that Captain Crewe has been reported killed in the war, and his money is gone. So that means that Miss Minchin doesn't like Sara anymore, because poor people - ewww! No lie, she does a complete 180 on this little girl, making her live in the attic and work as a servant. I think she even sells off her belongings. That can't be legal. Of course, Sara rarely complains, and she does make yet another friend named Ram Dass, played by the great Cesar Romero, who lives across the way and is servant to a man named Wickham. Holy crap, Sara, don't you read Jane Austen. Never trust a man named Wickham. I kid. He's actually a nice guy.
Now the later part of the story is basically Sara being in denial about her father being dead and running off in the hopes to find him in the hospital. Also, a couple of her other friends are sent off to the war, and we get a cameo from not actually Queen Victoria. I will say this, though. The ending is quite a bit of a tearjerker.
So the highlights of The Little Princess would include pretty much anything involving Arthur Treacher, as per usual, and a very interesting dream sequence. Good times. Also, whilst other of Shirley's movies were eventually released in color instead of black and white, for better or worse, this was the first one actually filmed in Technicolor. And it was the most expensive movie of hers to be made to date. You can certainly see why. Now I don't know if I would call this one of my most favorites, but it certainly is charming enough to be enjoyable. If for no other reason than to see the amazing production and Shirley give her most mature performance at the time, I say check it out.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Oh, no! Shirley Temple is eleven-years-old in this one. Eleven! Too old. TOO OLD! I kid, though of all the movies of hers I am reviewing this week, this is the one wherein she is the oldest. And whilst I do, at this point, miss some of the adorable chub that has abandoned her cheeks, I also enjoy seeing her growing up into a young lady and maturing a bit as an actress. And since this is considered a classic, it seems other people felt the same way about The Little Princess. And here's the story of it.
The Little Princess is set against the backdrop of the Second Boer War. A man named Captain Crewe is called to fight and must leave his daughter, Sara, played by Shirley, along with her pony, at Miss Minchin's School for Girls. What's that you say? You're wondering about the pony? Well, Captain Crewe is a very wealthy man and wealthy people give their kids ponies, because why not? And all of this money is why Miss Minchin is overwhelmingly, albeit insincerely, nice to Sara. Now, mind you, the actress playing Miss Minchin is the same one who played Fraulien Rottenmeir in Heidi. Call that foreshadowing, if you must.
Anyway, Sara befriends many people whilst at the school, including many of her fellow students and a servant girl named Becky, who has one of the thickest accents I have ever heard. She also becomes friends with Bertie, Miss Minchin's brother, who is played again by Arthur Treacher. Yes! And then, there is also her riding instructor, Geoffrey Hamilton, and Rose, one of her teachers. There's a bit of a subplot about Geoffrey and Rose having a secret relationship, because...I don't know, Miss Minchin is a control freak? And, sadly, not everyone can love Sara. Enter the 'mean girls' clique. No, I'm not kidding. This squad of wenches is led my Lavinia, the former top dog of the school who resents Sara for seeming to take her place as Miss Minchin's favorite. This girl, amazingly enough, is played by Marcia May Jones, who also played Clara in Heidi. Quite a shift in character, I see. And, yes, you counted correctly. Four actors who were in Heidi, were also in this. It's a thing that happened a lot back then, so, obviously, the Shirley Temple oeuvre was The Avengers of the 1930's. Actually, this was a thing back then, wherein certain actors were signed certain studios and could not make movies with anyone else. I don't think they do this anymore. But I digress. Back to the story.
We soon learn that Captain Crewe has been reported killed in the war, and his money is gone. So that means that Miss Minchin doesn't like Sara anymore, because poor people - ewww! No lie, she does a complete 180 on this little girl, making her live in the attic and work as a servant. I think she even sells off her belongings. That can't be legal. Of course, Sara rarely complains, and she does make yet another friend named Ram Dass, played by the great Cesar Romero, who lives across the way and is servant to a man named Wickham. Holy crap, Sara, don't you read Jane Austen. Never trust a man named Wickham. I kid. He's actually a nice guy.
Now the later part of the story is basically Sara being in denial about her father being dead and running off in the hopes to find him in the hospital. Also, a couple of her other friends are sent off to the war, and we get a cameo from not actually Queen Victoria. I will say this, though. The ending is quite a bit of a tearjerker.
So the highlights of The Little Princess would include pretty much anything involving Arthur Treacher, as per usual, and a very interesting dream sequence. Good times. Also, whilst other of Shirley's movies were eventually released in color instead of black and white, for better or worse, this was the first one actually filmed in Technicolor. And it was the most expensive movie of hers to be made to date. You can certainly see why. Now I don't know if I would call this one of my most favorites, but it certainly is charming enough to be enjoyable. If for no other reason than to see the amazing production and Shirley give her most mature performance at the time, I say check it out.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Thursday, April 24, 2014
The Little Colonel - Movie Review
Greetings,
This Shirley Temple movie is weird, very weird. Why, you may ask? Because in this Shirley Temple movie, she has - brace yourself - TWO PARENTS! That's right. A mom and a dad, right the heck there! Now I know that in all the films I'm discussing, she always has someone to take care of her, so don't think I'm undermining them. Anyway, though she does have mom and dad, due to the circumstances of the story, one of them isn't around the whole time. More on that in a second. Still, she does get something of another father figure in her life, and that is what the plot of the movie revolves around. Off we go.
The Little Colonel begins just after the Civil War when a young Southern woman named Elizabeth Lloyd falls in love with and marries a man from the North named Jack Sherman. You'd think that would be okay, since the war is over, but it isn't, especially when it comes to Elizabeth's father, Colonel Lloyd, played by Lionel Barrymore. Being a proud Southerner, he does not approve of their relationship and disowns his daughter. With that, Elizabeth and Jack move out West. Wow, I feel bad for us in the East. We get no love in this thing.
Cut to six years later, where we see Shirley for the first time playing Lloyd Sherman and being made an honorary colonel in the Army. Get it? SHE is the little colonel. Whilst her father remains in the West to go looking for gold, as you did in those days, Lloyd returns to the South with her mother, where they are both shunned when seen by Colonel Lloyd. Little Lloyd has no idea what's going on but is told the whole story by their housekeeper, Becky Porter, played amazingly here by Hattie McDaniel, who is hilarious in this. She is lovingly referred to as Mom Beck, and I love the way Shirley says her name always in an inquisitive way, because she always has so many questions for her. After hearing what happened, Lloyd eventually and officially meets her grandfather and promptly throws mud on him. Yep. She makes sure he knows how stubborn she can be, as she is known to stamp her foot when she gets mad, and she gets all red in the face, and she hollers back at people. Her words. They begin to have a bit of a relationship, albeit a combative one, but it's there, nonetheless.
When Jack Sherman arrives home, he is quite sick from a fever, and Lloyd must be kept away from him. This leads her to have to stay with her grandfather. Though, they had been getting to know each other, there is still tension and she really doesn't want to be there. Still, during her stay, she begins to learn about her own maternal family history. Most memorably, there is a touching scene where Little Lloyd sings a song and Colonel Lloyd tells her about his deceased wife, her grandmother. It is quite a pivotal moment in the story.
Things go nuts, though, when some former partners of Jack's show up with not so good intentions. Lloyd is forced to run to her grandfather for help and realizes that her biggest hurdle will be working her way through his stubbornness in order to help her family and waiting to see whether he decides to put aside the contention and assist them is the nail biting end to this film.
I enjoy The Little Colonel for a lot of reasons. As I said, I like the Mom Beck character, especially when she takes Shirley to the baptism, and I also like how Shirley gets a chance to be a little bratty in this film. Now it's mostly to show how Lloyd has clearly inherited the stubbornness of her grandfather, but it's still entertaining. But, without a doubt, the highlight of this film is the work that Shirley did with Bill Robinson who played Colonel Lloyd's butler, Walker. He is one of the most phenomenal and legendary dancers of all time. They worked together on no less than four films, but this was their first, and because of this casting, they are recognized as the first interracial dancing couple. Amazing. In fact, he was known for this very complicated dance done on stairs, and whilst he did not have time to teach it to Shirley in the few days that they had, he modified it for her and mimicked what she could do, in order to make it look as though she was mimicking him. And yet, though it was whittled down, the dance was still incredible. Actually, he and Shirley stayed friends, and she always said she loved him because he treated as an equal while others talked down to her. I don't doubt that he felt the same way about her for the same reason.
So if I am going to give this film some extra credit for something other than what I already mentioned, I'd have to say that this is one of the better stories where Shirley's movies are concerned. It does entertain us, but it also gives us a lot to think about.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
This Shirley Temple movie is weird, very weird. Why, you may ask? Because in this Shirley Temple movie, she has - brace yourself - TWO PARENTS! That's right. A mom and a dad, right the heck there! Now I know that in all the films I'm discussing, she always has someone to take care of her, so don't think I'm undermining them. Anyway, though she does have mom and dad, due to the circumstances of the story, one of them isn't around the whole time. More on that in a second. Still, she does get something of another father figure in her life, and that is what the plot of the movie revolves around. Off we go.
The Little Colonel begins just after the Civil War when a young Southern woman named Elizabeth Lloyd falls in love with and marries a man from the North named Jack Sherman. You'd think that would be okay, since the war is over, but it isn't, especially when it comes to Elizabeth's father, Colonel Lloyd, played by Lionel Barrymore. Being a proud Southerner, he does not approve of their relationship and disowns his daughter. With that, Elizabeth and Jack move out West. Wow, I feel bad for us in the East. We get no love in this thing.
Cut to six years later, where we see Shirley for the first time playing Lloyd Sherman and being made an honorary colonel in the Army. Get it? SHE is the little colonel. Whilst her father remains in the West to go looking for gold, as you did in those days, Lloyd returns to the South with her mother, where they are both shunned when seen by Colonel Lloyd. Little Lloyd has no idea what's going on but is told the whole story by their housekeeper, Becky Porter, played amazingly here by Hattie McDaniel, who is hilarious in this. She is lovingly referred to as Mom Beck, and I love the way Shirley says her name always in an inquisitive way, because she always has so many questions for her. After hearing what happened, Lloyd eventually and officially meets her grandfather and promptly throws mud on him. Yep. She makes sure he knows how stubborn she can be, as she is known to stamp her foot when she gets mad, and she gets all red in the face, and she hollers back at people. Her words. They begin to have a bit of a relationship, albeit a combative one, but it's there, nonetheless.
When Jack Sherman arrives home, he is quite sick from a fever, and Lloyd must be kept away from him. This leads her to have to stay with her grandfather. Though, they had been getting to know each other, there is still tension and she really doesn't want to be there. Still, during her stay, she begins to learn about her own maternal family history. Most memorably, there is a touching scene where Little Lloyd sings a song and Colonel Lloyd tells her about his deceased wife, her grandmother. It is quite a pivotal moment in the story.
Things go nuts, though, when some former partners of Jack's show up with not so good intentions. Lloyd is forced to run to her grandfather for help and realizes that her biggest hurdle will be working her way through his stubbornness in order to help her family and waiting to see whether he decides to put aside the contention and assist them is the nail biting end to this film.
I enjoy The Little Colonel for a lot of reasons. As I said, I like the Mom Beck character, especially when she takes Shirley to the baptism, and I also like how Shirley gets a chance to be a little bratty in this film. Now it's mostly to show how Lloyd has clearly inherited the stubbornness of her grandfather, but it's still entertaining. But, without a doubt, the highlight of this film is the work that Shirley did with Bill Robinson who played Colonel Lloyd's butler, Walker. He is one of the most phenomenal and legendary dancers of all time. They worked together on no less than four films, but this was their first, and because of this casting, they are recognized as the first interracial dancing couple. Amazing. In fact, he was known for this very complicated dance done on stairs, and whilst he did not have time to teach it to Shirley in the few days that they had, he modified it for her and mimicked what she could do, in order to make it look as though she was mimicking him. And yet, though it was whittled down, the dance was still incredible. Actually, he and Shirley stayed friends, and she always said she loved him because he treated as an equal while others talked down to her. I don't doubt that he felt the same way about her for the same reason.
So if I am going to give this film some extra credit for something other than what I already mentioned, I'd have to say that this is one of the better stories where Shirley's movies are concerned. It does entertain us, but it also gives us a lot to think about.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Poor Little Rich Girl - Movie Review
Greetings,
I am posting this on April 23rd, the day our beloved Shirley would have turned 86-years-old. In honor of that, I have chosen today to discuss what is my all-time favorite of her movies, Poor Little Rich Girl. Oh, friends, it is just glorious. There's so much singing and dancing and funny. Also, car accidents and kidnappings, sort of, and creepy creeper dudes and a ton of things that you could get away with in the 1930's that you SO could not get away with today. More on that later. I'd say that this review will have the most spoilers this week, probably because there is so much I want to talk about, what with this being my favorite. Hope you don't mind.
In Poor Little Rich Girl, Shirley plays a poor, little, rich girl named Barbara Barry. She is the daughter of a wealthy soap manufacturer played by Michael Whalen and no one else. Get it? Because she's Shirley Temple and she's not allowed to have two parents in a movie. Anyway, Mr. Barry begins to worry about her and the fact that she's alone too much with no friends. But wait, sir, she does have friends: her dolls. Say, do you remember when I mentioned that this film had some things that you could get away with in the 1930's that you couldn't today? Well, let me introduce you to the "Oh My Goodness" song. Whoa, boy!
Okay, so in the beginning of the movie, Barbara is confined to her room because her nanny thinks she's getting sick. She feels lonely so she starts to sing to her dolls. So far, so cute. Then, we get some instrumental music and the dolls start to dance on their own. Alright, she has an active imagination. Also, I'd say those were good special effects for the time. And THEN, she re-sings the song to each of the dolls, individually. Oh, did I mention that these are dolls of the world, each one a different nationality, featuring one Dutch, one Russian, one Japanese and one African-American? And as she sings she takes on their accents and, let's say, personas...in the 1930's. Um...yeah. Look, I can't even get into this and do it justice. It's a thing you need to see for yourself. It also may be the reason why I can't find this thing on DVD. Maybe. Moving on.
Anywho, since she has no friends and no mother and he works a lot, Mr. Barry decides to send her off to boarding school, as you do when you're rich. Of course, this is not before she sings a little song she made up for him, which also has a couple of creepy lyrics, though I'm sure the intention was for them to be cute. Again, go hear it for yourself. So Barbara goes off to the train station with her nanny, Collins, to send her to school. Whilst they are waiting with their luggage, Collins realizes that she misplaced her purse somewhere outside, so she leaves Barbara alone and then gets hit by a car. Wow! First, what happened in Bright Eyes and now this? Shirley Temple sure is dangerous to be around.
It doesn't matter, though, because, after a quick conversation with one of the train station employees that also might cause you to cringe a little, she just wanders off into the crowd. Why? Because she's, like, 8-years-old and she loves lollipops and everyone in the world is a good person who is pure of heart. No, not even in the 30's. So she runs into an Italian organ grinder named Tony. He has a monkey, a wife and about 87 children. They take her in after she tells them that her name is Betsy Wear, an orphan who ran away because they treated her badly. She's basically pretending to be a character she read about it a book. Hey, why not? That night, we get a glimpse of this guy who we saw earlier at the train station WATCHING HER THROUGH THE WINDOW AS SHE SLEEPS! What in the actual heck? Some people say that he knew whose daughter she was and was going to go all extortionist on us. My mind goes to a more sinister place, as it tends to do. But who knows?
Anyway, the next day she dances for all the kids and Tony as he plays his organ grinding thing, whilst above live a former Vaudeville couple, Jimmy and Jerry Dolan, played by the amazing Jack Haley and Alice Faye. Man, these people are fantastic in this movie. Jimmy's working on some new tap dancing moves, and he hears someone downstairs matching him, step for step. And it's Betsy, formerly Barbara. She feeds the Dolans her sob story and they decide to take her and make her part of their act, so that they can make a comeback. Wait, what? That easy, huh? Just find a kid, take a kid, I guess.
So they rename her Bonnie, say she's their kid and put her in the act. So, to recap, she has, in about ten minutes, gone from being Barbara Berry to Betsy Wear to Bonnie Dolan. This is getting harder to follow than Face/Off. Anyway, they go on an audition for a radio spot where they sing the song "But Definitely". Now Shirley does get her part, and she's so cute. But the part where Alice Faye performs is incredible. Besides the fact that her voice is gorgeous, they shot her in a way that made her look so unbelievably beautiful. The whole thing is breathtaking.
Now whilst we follow Shirley's character, there are also other things going on. Her father, Mr. Barry, starts getting flirty with a woman he met at the start of the film named Margaret played by Gloria Stuart. You youngsters will know her as older Rose from Titanic. The problem is, though, she works for Barry's biggest competitor, the Peck's Soap Company. Oh, no! And here's the thing with these two companies. Mr. Barry is all about using the radio to do advertising through hour long entertainment shows and whatnot. Mr. Peck, on the other hand, who is played brilliantly by Claude Gillingwater, is very much against radio, though his employees are trying desperately to talk him into it. In fact, the radio show that the Dolan's were auditioning for was for the Peck's Soap Company. What a twist! And after Barbara/Betsy/Bonnie melts his heart, Peck decides to go ahead with the radio show.
At this point, we get some great musical numbers and a boat load of moments where Mr. Barry almost finds out where his daughter actually is. It's not until a night when he and Margaret are having a date and listening to the show that he realizes what's been going on. Craziness ensues after this, but not to worry. Everyone is punished according to their crimes, sort of. Okay, creepy creeper dude is punished. Everybody else becomes friends with everybody and we get a nice big musical number at the end. Good times.
And that is my most favorite movie from Shirley Temple, Poor Little Rich Girl. I know I made some jokes about some of the things that go down in this film, and I stand by what I said about some of those things being a little off, but I still love it for some reason. It's got so much good music and the dancing is phenomenal. Seriously, the last number they perform has this part where there is no music, just tapping, and it's mesmerizing. Also, we get a song about spinach. What else, as an audience, do we need.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
I am posting this on April 23rd, the day our beloved Shirley would have turned 86-years-old. In honor of that, I have chosen today to discuss what is my all-time favorite of her movies, Poor Little Rich Girl. Oh, friends, it is just glorious. There's so much singing and dancing and funny. Also, car accidents and kidnappings, sort of, and creepy creeper dudes and a ton of things that you could get away with in the 1930's that you SO could not get away with today. More on that later. I'd say that this review will have the most spoilers this week, probably because there is so much I want to talk about, what with this being my favorite. Hope you don't mind.
In Poor Little Rich Girl, Shirley plays a poor, little, rich girl named Barbara Barry. She is the daughter of a wealthy soap manufacturer played by Michael Whalen and no one else. Get it? Because she's Shirley Temple and she's not allowed to have two parents in a movie. Anyway, Mr. Barry begins to worry about her and the fact that she's alone too much with no friends. But wait, sir, she does have friends: her dolls. Say, do you remember when I mentioned that this film had some things that you could get away with in the 1930's that you couldn't today? Well, let me introduce you to the "Oh My Goodness" song. Whoa, boy!
Okay, so in the beginning of the movie, Barbara is confined to her room because her nanny thinks she's getting sick. She feels lonely so she starts to sing to her dolls. So far, so cute. Then, we get some instrumental music and the dolls start to dance on their own. Alright, she has an active imagination. Also, I'd say those were good special effects for the time. And THEN, she re-sings the song to each of the dolls, individually. Oh, did I mention that these are dolls of the world, each one a different nationality, featuring one Dutch, one Russian, one Japanese and one African-American? And as she sings she takes on their accents and, let's say, personas...in the 1930's. Um...yeah. Look, I can't even get into this and do it justice. It's a thing you need to see for yourself. It also may be the reason why I can't find this thing on DVD. Maybe. Moving on.
Anywho, since she has no friends and no mother and he works a lot, Mr. Barry decides to send her off to boarding school, as you do when you're rich. Of course, this is not before she sings a little song she made up for him, which also has a couple of creepy lyrics, though I'm sure the intention was for them to be cute. Again, go hear it for yourself. So Barbara goes off to the train station with her nanny, Collins, to send her to school. Whilst they are waiting with their luggage, Collins realizes that she misplaced her purse somewhere outside, so she leaves Barbara alone and then gets hit by a car. Wow! First, what happened in Bright Eyes and now this? Shirley Temple sure is dangerous to be around.
It doesn't matter, though, because, after a quick conversation with one of the train station employees that also might cause you to cringe a little, she just wanders off into the crowd. Why? Because she's, like, 8-years-old and she loves lollipops and everyone in the world is a good person who is pure of heart. No, not even in the 30's. So she runs into an Italian organ grinder named Tony. He has a monkey, a wife and about 87 children. They take her in after she tells them that her name is Betsy Wear, an orphan who ran away because they treated her badly. She's basically pretending to be a character she read about it a book. Hey, why not? That night, we get a glimpse of this guy who we saw earlier at the train station WATCHING HER THROUGH THE WINDOW AS SHE SLEEPS! What in the actual heck? Some people say that he knew whose daughter she was and was going to go all extortionist on us. My mind goes to a more sinister place, as it tends to do. But who knows?
Anyway, the next day she dances for all the kids and Tony as he plays his organ grinding thing, whilst above live a former Vaudeville couple, Jimmy and Jerry Dolan, played by the amazing Jack Haley and Alice Faye. Man, these people are fantastic in this movie. Jimmy's working on some new tap dancing moves, and he hears someone downstairs matching him, step for step. And it's Betsy, formerly Barbara. She feeds the Dolans her sob story and they decide to take her and make her part of their act, so that they can make a comeback. Wait, what? That easy, huh? Just find a kid, take a kid, I guess.
So they rename her Bonnie, say she's their kid and put her in the act. So, to recap, she has, in about ten minutes, gone from being Barbara Berry to Betsy Wear to Bonnie Dolan. This is getting harder to follow than Face/Off. Anyway, they go on an audition for a radio spot where they sing the song "But Definitely". Now Shirley does get her part, and she's so cute. But the part where Alice Faye performs is incredible. Besides the fact that her voice is gorgeous, they shot her in a way that made her look so unbelievably beautiful. The whole thing is breathtaking.
Now whilst we follow Shirley's character, there are also other things going on. Her father, Mr. Barry, starts getting flirty with a woman he met at the start of the film named Margaret played by Gloria Stuart. You youngsters will know her as older Rose from Titanic. The problem is, though, she works for Barry's biggest competitor, the Peck's Soap Company. Oh, no! And here's the thing with these two companies. Mr. Barry is all about using the radio to do advertising through hour long entertainment shows and whatnot. Mr. Peck, on the other hand, who is played brilliantly by Claude Gillingwater, is very much against radio, though his employees are trying desperately to talk him into it. In fact, the radio show that the Dolan's were auditioning for was for the Peck's Soap Company. What a twist! And after Barbara/Betsy/Bonnie melts his heart, Peck decides to go ahead with the radio show.
At this point, we get some great musical numbers and a boat load of moments where Mr. Barry almost finds out where his daughter actually is. It's not until a night when he and Margaret are having a date and listening to the show that he realizes what's been going on. Craziness ensues after this, but not to worry. Everyone is punished according to their crimes, sort of. Okay, creepy creeper dude is punished. Everybody else becomes friends with everybody and we get a nice big musical number at the end. Good times.
And that is my most favorite movie from Shirley Temple, Poor Little Rich Girl. I know I made some jokes about some of the things that go down in this film, and I stand by what I said about some of those things being a little off, but I still love it for some reason. It's got so much good music and the dancing is phenomenal. Seriously, the last number they perform has this part where there is no music, just tapping, and it's mesmerizing. Also, we get a song about spinach. What else, as an audience, do we need.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
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