Stand Up and Cheer! (1934)

A pointless attempt at a feel good musical has the silly premise of a secretary of amusement to cheer the struggling people of the depression. It sort of feels like giving a death row inmate ribeye steak just before pulling the switch. The highlights are the production numbers which includes Shirley Temple and James Dunn performing "Baby Take a Bow", the name of their next movie. "Broadway's Gone Hillbillv", which emulates "Oklahoma!" more than "Li'l Abner" in spite of some snazzy choreography. Warner Baxter basically repeats the same role he played in "42nd Street". Those hoping for a Shirley Temple movie will be sorely disappointed. She has the one musical number, a brief scene and a close-up in the special effects filled finale. A truly tacky scene has Stepin Fetchit confused by a talking penguin who sounds like Jimmy Durante. Aunt Jemima also makes a cameo appearance in the opening musical number. If it wasn't for the camp element, this would rank as a pointless, sometimes tacky bore.

This is a billed as a "Shirley Temple film," but it really isn't because she hardly appears in it. In fact, she doesn't appear until after 20 minutes have gone by, and then after the scene and a subsequent dance routine with James Dunn, disappears again until the very end. When she's here, she's as cute as ever, especially being so young.Warner Baxter had the main role as "Lawrence Cromwell." He was assisted by his secretary played by a very pretty Madge Evans, whom I didn't know until trying to find out on this website because the video box doesn't even have her listed in the billing.The rest of the cast included a couple of people I was familiar with from other roles, such as Nigel Bruce, who played Dr. Watson to Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes. We also have a lady who played Aunt Jemima and Stepin Fetchit, both a couple of embarrassing stereotypes of the period. I was never a fan of Fetchin, not for PC reasons but simply because of his whiny voice and stupid characters he played. He was the same here except when he dove into a fish tank, which made gave me a big laugh.This film had a good share of strange characters but, despite that, overall isn't anything that memorable....perhaps because Shirley had such a small role.

The 80 minute version is the complete film not the cut 69 minute version. I've seen the extended film on TV more than 30 years ago and loved it. If it's still available ( the 80 min. version ) can it be released on DVD? I'm sure there are other admirers of complete Shirley Temple films. The missing scenes has a Hillbilly talking to the incomparable " Steppin Fechit ", whose job it is to locate and sign-up additional novelty acts for his boss Warner Baxster. The Hillbilly commences to sing " Well shes down thar, and I'm up yar...". We see his wife swinging an ax against a tree and taking out huge chunks at a time. Her description is that shes large with a corn cob pipe in her mouth. She calls to him " you who " and he responds the same way back.

Only the scene featuring SHIRLEY TEMPLE singing the title tune is worth watching. Othersise, this has got to be one of the worst musicals ever to come out of the '30s.The script is a mess, the editing is downright atrocious, the performances are flat, and nothing to keep your eyes open happens until Shirley bursts upon the screen with James Dunn and chorines in one of her most charming song-and-dance routines.Believe me, the rest is worthless as entertainment and not even satisfying as a curiosity piece of the Depression era.Let's face it. Shirley Temple became a star despite this mess of a movie and all because of one great number.