Bright Eyes (1934)

Copyright 28 December 1934 by Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall, 20 December 1934 (ran one week). Australian release: 13 March 1935. 7,741 feet. 86 minutes.NOTES: At its annual awards ceremony honoring pictures released in 1934, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave a miniature statuette to Shirley Temple, "in grateful recognition of her outstanding contribution to screen entertainment during the year."COMMENT: Even in its mercifully cut to 70 minutes TV version, this slopping over with sentiment, impossibly contrived yarn, is a bit of a chore to sit through. As if the impossibly tedious plot were not imposition enough, David Butler's direction never rises above the routine and pedestrian — and almost all the other behind-the-camera credits prove likewise tiresomely routine and solidly bereft of rousing any rounds of applause from even the most indulgent audience. Any such enthusiasm is reserved for Shirley herself, for the one bright spot in the technical department, is a favorite Temple song, "On the Good Ship Lollipop", which Shirley delivers in her usual ingratiating style. (Why Sammy Lee receives a dance director credit in this version is a total mystery: All Shirley does is a tiny jig down the narrow corridor of an airliner).The other players also strive valiantly to overcome script and technical shortcomings. Miss Temple is her usual perky self, James Dunn displays his customary charm, and it's nice to see silent star Lois Wilson as Shirley's mum (though it's pretty easy to understand why her star slipped in the sound era. Nothing wrong with her voice, but she looks old, is unattractively photographed and costumed and, what is most important of all, she has little personality). It's good to see Charles Sellon in a meaty part (and he makes the most of it), but Jane Darwell has only a couple of tiny scenes (at least in this cut-down version). Also presumably snipped away in this print are some of Judith Allen's scenes. She makes a late entrance and while her role is by no means large, she certainly comes across as a delightful heroine. It's also interesting to find Shirley's film rival, Jane Withers, sharing many episodes with her. Jane is inspiredly cast as an atrociously spoiled brat — one of the most effective portrayals in the whole movie.The rest of the supporting performers are equally competent — not a dud in the bunch. Aside from this solid acting, however, production values of Bright Eyes are very moderate.AVAILABLE on DVD through 20th Century-Fox in its full theatrical version which, allowing for DVD's 25 frames per second (versus the original movie's 24 frames per second), runs a correct 83 minutes. Quality rating: ten out of ten.

Bright Eyes became the signature film for Shirley Temple as America's favorite moppet launched the Good Ship Lollipop and that song was the launching of her. It wasn't long after that the little girl became the number one seller of movie tickets in the Great Depression.Shirley lives with her mother Lois Wilson who is a live-in maid for Dorothy Christy and Theodore Von Eltz and their hellion brat of a daughter Jane Withers. Wilson is the widow of an aviator and the pilots have all made her a kind of mascot. Most of all James Dunn who was her father's best friend and her godfather. The outlook is grim for our plucky little moppet when mom is killed in a traffic accident. Shirley becomes a pawn in a great scheme for Von Eltz and Christy to get their cranky uncle Charles Sellon's money because he's always liked her. Still pluck and luck rule the day in the end.I really did love Jane Withers who had America hating her because she was so mean to Shirley. That scene at the very end when Withers finally got what was coming to her was priceless.Bright Eyes gave Shirley Temple her signature song On The Good Ship Lollipop which millions of stage mothers taught their daughters in the hopes the kid would be discovered as the next Shirley Temple. As a lad I remember hearing it on a 78 record sung by Rosemary Clooney though.Bright Eyes holds up very well even after over 80 years. It's still a nice voyage.

This is the third Shirley Temple film, that I also enjoy watching during the Christmas season. Again it is not a Christmas story, but it does takes place at Christmas. This film is also a perfect example of the sweet, kind, and adorable curly-topped little girl, that endeared Shirley Temple to the Depression-era audiences of the 1930s. She sings her famous trademark song " On The Good Ship Lollipop " in Bright Eyes, and deals with the snobby, spoiled brat character, that Jane Withers plays so convincingly. Shirley Temple would never be upstaged again by another child in any of her other films. Another scene stealer in this movie, is Charles Sellon, who is wonderful to watch as the cranky Uncle Ned Smith, who softens so sweetly towards Shirley. A very tender scene takes place Christmas eve, when Shirley says her prayers with her mother, and she hangs the longest stocking on her bedpost. Christmas morning, the happy child excitedly tells Mrs. Higgins ( Jane Darwell ) the housekeeper what Santa Claus brought her, meanwhile bratty Jane is seen tearing through her presents. James Dunn has a prominent and important part in this story, and it's always a delight to watch his scenes with Temple. Unfortunately, in this story the mother is struck by a car and killed, which maybe a difficult moment for little children to understand. But as in all Shirley Temple films, a happy ending always prevails. Bright Eyes is one of those endearing stories, that continues to deliver pure entertainment.

Author/Director David Butler put together a script that showcases SHIRLEY TEMPLE as a lovable little girl who gets caught up in a nasty custody battle when her mother dies and her aviator god-father (JAMES DUNN)wants to adopt her. Scenes between Temple and Dunn are so natural that you'll have a hard time not getting a lump in your throat in the scene where he assures her that her mother (who has just died) is in heaven with the angels. Yes, it does get a little sticky at times.But wait!! Before things become to saccharine and predictable, little JANE WITHERS, America's most lovable brat, shows up as a nasty rich girl who delights in tormenting everyone around her, especially Shirley. It's a great role for Jane and she makes the most of it, whether imitating a machine-gunner or threatening to make mincemeat of Shirley's dolls.And believe me, she's a welcome presence in a Shirley Temple vehicle that does tend to get all dewy-eyed over the adorable princess. Watch the scene on the plane where the aviators all watch Temple as she sings "On the Good Ship Lollipop", strolling down the aisle and enjoying all the male attention. You can almost sense something darker than is supposed to meet the eye with the way they all leer at her. But she is, quite simply, at her most fetching in that casually charming little number.Shirley's first film tailored just for her, and it opened at Radio City Music Hall in 1934 to cheer Depression-era audiences with its innocent star at her most disarming. Easy to see why she would become the nation's number one box-office star four years in a row.