jootes-garland Reviews

The Clock (1945)

Just perfect

[10/10 · 30 January 2007]

When I saw this movie for the first time, I thought I wouldn't like it at all, because Judy Garland don't sing a note in it. But I must say that this is one of the greatest movies I've ever seen in my whole life.

It tells a love story, a real love story that, in my own opinion could happen to anyone. The way that Alice (Judy Garland) meets Joe (Robert Walker), everything that happened after they meet...You put this all together and you'll have this great film. "The Clock" wasn't a HUGE production, it was a very simple movie in black-and-white, without the Judy Garland we knew from the other movies: the one who sings and dance. She gives her best in that performance, her first non-musical film.

Directed by Vincent Minnelli, with the fabulous acting of Judy Garland and Robert Walker, "The Clock" is a movie that I'll give 10/10. A great romance.

"The Clock" makes me believe that you can really meet someone and in two days find out that you'll love that person forever.

Captain January (1936)

What a sweetie!

[10/10 · 3 January 2007]

I love this film -- one of the sweetest Shirley Temple's movies(all right, I'm always saying that).

Shirley plays Star, an orphan found by Captain January(played by Guy Kibbee), who is the guardian of a Light House. She loves her life there, but a bad 'officer' tries to take her away from him -- so she must do a test in school for the third grade. Things get worse when they have to leave the light house.

This film is perfect for watch with the kids. Of course, adults can love it too. Shirley is sweet as always, singing and dancing, especially in "At the Codfish ball" and "The Right Somebody to love". Anyway, a very enjoyable movie with the great child-star Shirley Temple, with a great cast of co-stars and a great humor!It's very fun to watch!

Lovely!

Heidi (1937)

Shirley's sweetest 'dramatic' performance

[10/10 · 24 December 2006]

Yes, another very good Shirley Temple movie. I must say I love all Shirley movies, I don't have a "favorite" one(except for the very first movie of hers I saw, which is very close to my heart), but Heidi is a great movie and I think everybody must see it.

Heidi's an orphaned girl who lived with her aunt for six years. Then the aunt got a job and she had to live with her grandfather, a very unsociable man, who have a terrible humor and hates everyone. He lives in the mountains. Later, the aunt comes back to take Heidi to the big city to be the playmate of a girl that can't walk.

I think this is one of the greatest(if it's not the best)Shirley's acting performances. In that movie she shows that she's not just a cute little girl that can tap dance and smile! She shows she's a good actress. A very good actress. I just think that only one sing-and-dance number's not enough for a Shirley Temple movie -- but the only sing-and-dance number in that film is great("In our little Wooden shoes").

That story was adored by me when I was a kid. I saw an animated version, the 1970's movie version and I read the book. When I became a Shirley Temple fan and noticed that she'd played Heidi, I said "WOW! Shirley played Heidi!" and after I saw that movie I absolutely 'fell in love' with Shirley.There are some parts of the film that make me cry, like the Christmas scene and the ending scene(apart from Shirley's cute smile of course!).

Anyway, a very good movie. Enjoyable, happy, and with the great Child-Star Shirley Temple starring in it. Anyone who wants to watch this film with the kids but think they won't like because it's black-and-white, just try. I'm sure they'll get into the story and that they'll love it!

Little Miss Broadway (1938)

The most "musical" of all Temple's movies.

[10/10 · 24 December 2006]

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 Littlest Rebel (1935)

Shirley's not just an Orphan...It's great!

[10/10 · 23 December 2006]

This film is absolutely my favorite of all Shirley Temple films I've ever seen.

Why? Shirley's not just an Orphan(as in most of her films)that is adored by everybody and is adopted by a happy family at the end. This film is certainly a family film, that can be watched by kids and by adults with no doubts. It has a heart-warming story, that teaches how was the relationship between the Yankees and the other ones(sorry can't remember the name right now), and how the racism at the thirties was, of course it's not directly shown in the movie. And the scene when Virgie(Temple) meets the President Lincoln is such a sweetie(that scene is very remembered over here, it's in a very famous book too).

And, as in almost all of her movies, Shirley shows her sweet smiles, dances with Bill Robinson and sings one of her cutest songs ever!(Polly-Wolly-Doodle).

Anyway, Shirley is sweet as always and giving a great performance!