Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)

Who payed the critics

A different way of telling a story

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Shirley Temple charms your socks off in this delightful story of a rich girl who wanders off on her way to boarding school and is befriended by a couple of vaudeville performers.Shirley is adorable as she sings, dances and plays her imaginary game with Alice Faye and Jack Haley. I love the way she charms the curmudgeonly old man. It is also wonderful to see lovely Gloria Stuart in her heyday.Anyone who complains about the weakness of the plot should have their head examined...these were vehicles for Shirley's rich talent and irresistible charisma. There are no plot holes, the stalker obviously wants to kidnap Shirley for ransom because he always asks her Shirley who her father is (knowing that he is rich) and Collins, the "lost" nanny from the beginning is mentioned in the closing minutes. I am sure they will find "Collins" but it does not really matter to the story arc at this point in the story.If you are not mesmerized by Shirley and this delightful story, you've lost something vital in your memories, your sensibilities and your tenderness of heart.This movie is recommended for ALL AGES...

The second of four films Shirley Temple made in 1936 is a solid star vehicle tailored for her unique talents but, apart from her winning charm, proves to be hard tack as entertainment for this admitted non-fan of musicals! The thing is that the plot is so incredibly contrived that it's impossible to take any of it seriously: Shirley is the pampered daughter of a millionaire soap manufacturer who is eventually sent to an exclusive college so that she can be with children her own age instead of her prissy butler-nanny-guardian combo. However, she is stranded at the train station and never gets to the college but instead follows an Italian immigrant (Henry Armetta, who else?) who is an accordion-playing busker and has a pet chimp for companion. Before long, however, she is 'adopted' by the penniless husband-and-wife performing team of Jack Haley and (a constantly grouchy) Alice Faye who, thanks to Temple's addition to their act, become radio stars publicizing through song the products of a rival (and predictably cantankerous) soap manufacturer! All this while, Temple's dad is blissfully unaware of her absence from school and subsequent radio success because he's perpetually swooning over his rival's ad campaign manager (the lovely Gloria Stuart). Eech! Another decidedly irritating recurrence in the film is the mystifying appearance of a stranger (John Wray) who seems to follow Temple everywhere and is always on the point of molesting or kidnapping her but for Jack Haley's timely and heroic interventions! Having said that, the film satisfactorily climaxes with the "Military Man" production number which is a tour-de-force of virtuoso tap dancing performed by Temple, Faye and Haley in remarkable unison.

I was six years old when I saw Shirley in Poor Little Rich Girl. I had been watching Shirley Temple movies since I was four, and I absolutely adored her.I was very impressionable at this age. My parents used to take me to the movies every Saturday. If Shirley Temple was playing I didn't want to miss it.The day after I saw this movie, we were sitting down for Sunday dinner. My mother was about to serve up spinach. I never had liked it, and Mother had to cut my serving in half to get me to eat it. She had about given up on getting Jerry to eat spinach. She said, "Well, I guess I'll give Norman some spinach today, but I know Jerry doesn't like it, so I'm not going to give it to him anymore." I immediately replied. "But Mom,I want the spinach. Yesterday I saw Shirley Temple at the movies, and she said we've got to eat our spinach. If she says to eat it,I'm gonna eat it! From now on I want spinach."My mother and father turned and stared at each other with their mouths open, in a look of disbelief that I will never forget. A little girl had accomplished in one day what they had been unable to do for months. From that day on, I ate my spinach and even got to like it!

Not only does SHIRLEY TEMPLE have the opportunity to co-star with ALICE FAYE and JACK HALEY (just slightly before both of them hit it big), but she gets a chance to shine in a made to order Temple vehicle that closes with a memorable 'Military Man' tap routine, easily keeping up with the talented adult troupers.Of all the show biz stories associated with Temple's films, this is one of the best. The story has Temple as the neglected daughter of MICHAEL WHALEN, skipping off after her nanny is involved in an auto accident and attracting the attention of entertainers Faye and Haley. A sub-plot has her father winning the love of the lovely GLORIA STUART--and, of course, the outcome is a predictable one when he is reunited with his missing daughter after hearing her perform on a radio show.The slender plot serves mainly as a vehicle for Temple to be adored by her legion of fans. She doesn't disappoint, her winning ways fully exploited in either song or dance. In fact, this is probably one of her most charming song-and-dance performances.Alice Faye, Jack Haley, Michael Whalen, Gloria Stuart, Billy Gilbert and Henry Armetta add to the enjoyment. All of it is directed in fine style by Irving Cummings (who also served as host on the Lux Radio Theater shows) so popular on radio.Henry Armetta has a funny bit as an organ grinder with a monkey who has Shirley enjoy an Italian spaghetti dinner with his family. The only serious moments in the film involve, surprisingly, a stalker who seems to be lurking in doorways waiting for an opportunity to snatch Shirley off the streets. Fortunately, she survives for a happy ending and the stalking incident, while sinister enough, is given minor treatment in the story.Summing up: Good family entertainment.