Just Around the Corner (1938)

Begins with Shirley leaving an exclusive girl's school because her architect father can no longer pay for it. Also, she discovers that her father is no longer living in a penthouse on the top floor of an apartment complex. He's living in a cheaper basement apartment. We have 2 wonderfully charismatic comedic character actors present in Franklin Pangborn, as the harried apartment building manager, and Claude Gillingwater. Pangborn, as Waters, is the classic prissy, snobbish, nervous, befuddled, functionary. He has an intuitive dislike for Shirley, always trying to find an excuse to kick her out of the building. He's subjected to several onerous indignities: being pushed into a pool while forcibly playing blind man's bluff , being pushed down a laundry shoot, and being taken away by police. Gillingwater is a crotchety befuddled old tycoon whose involvement in a building project is a central part of the plot. He served as the judge in the previous "Little Miss Broadway". Here, he is called Uncle Sam by his relatives living in the complex. Shirley's father also talks about another Uncle Sam, and Shirley thinks they are the same, because the cartoon in the paper looks just like Uncle Same upstairs. This misconception leads to some comedic and serious consequences.Shirley does a makeover of the mamma's boy Milton. She shaves off his long curls and buys him some "he-man" clothes to replace his preppy clothes. His society mother faints when she sees him, but eventually gets used to it. The title song is only heard during the opening credits. The two main production numbers are danced to "This is a Happy Little Ditty" and "Ï Love to Walk in the Rain" For the former song, Shirley and Bill Robinson form one dance pair, while Burt Lahr and Joan Davis form another. Shirley and Robinson are the main players in the latter production. Also, Robinson and a team of African American backups dance to "Brass Buttons and Epaulettes".As always, Shirley is cute and vivacious.

Coming home from boarding school, Shirley Temple rushes out of a chauffeured limousine (driven by a cowardly lion), heads up an elevator and into the penthouse where she believes her father (Charles Farrell) still lives. Much to her shock, the pickle-pussed apartment manager (Franklin Pangborn) gleefully tells her that her place is not there anymore. Residential maid Joan Davis rushes into her while walking a bunch of giant dogs (or actually, they are walking her), and takes her down to where she really lives: the garage apartment residence of the live-in engineer who now happens to be her father! It seems that Farrell's design of a residential skyscraper caused him to loose his job when the building of it stalled and now, he is in debt. The building's owner's niece (Amanda Duff) has tried to encourage her uncle (crotchety Claude Gillwater) to go through with the project, and when Temple meets "Uncle Sam" (as he is known), she tries to help him after seeing a look-alike drawing of America's "Uncle Sam" in the newspaper.Just another "Little Miss Fix-It" showcase for Temple, she is as cute as ever, but some serious talent threatens to outshine her. As maid and chauffeur, Joan Davis and Bert Lahr get little to do, but share a musical number with her that is taken over by the tap-dancing talents of Bill Robinson who also dominates the benefit finale. Farrell and Duff provide the romance, while Shirley gets a partner in crime with the precocious Benny Bartlett, a sniveling bratty rich kid who stands up to a bully and gets a silver dollar from Gillingwater for getting a black eye while his snooty dim-witted mother (Cora Witherspoon) faints in shock after Temple cuts off Bartlett's obnoxious looking curls.Then, there's Franklin Pangborn in one of his largest parts, basically playing an unlikable apartment manager whose main goal seems to keep Shirley from having fun. That makes him a villain of sorts, although he's a villain who never gets to win at his schemes. In certain scenes, he even begins to resemble Bela Lugosi with the teeth clenched in so far into his mouth that he seems either toothless or lipless. He laughs in brown-nosed mock humor at Witherspoon's unfunny jokes and at the end involves the police in his vendetta against Shirley which, of course, doesn't go off as he planned. His exit scene is reminiscent of Margaret Hamilton's "I'm melting!" speech in "The Wizard of Oz".By 1938, 20th Century Fox was obviously running out of ideas for new Shirley Temple stories, and while she certainly appears to be younger than her 10 years, the tide was beginning to turn with singers like Judy Garland and Deanna Durbin (ironically older than her) taking over "slowly but surely". The films were still entertaining, featured some great supporting players, and had decreased running times for the most part. In this case, "Just Around the Corner" was an ironic title considering that within two years, Shirley's Fox career would be history.

I would agree with other reviewers who felt this was a mediocre Shirley Temple outing--neither particularly good nor particularly bad. It's worth seeing, however, some might have a hard time stomaching the schmaltz and propaganda--the film does lay it on pretty thick.The film begins with Shirley being taken from her boarding school and sent home. It seems her father (no mention is EVER made of the mother, by the way) has lost his fortune and cannot afford to keep her in the school. But, as Shirley is MORE optimistic and chipper than Pollyanna or Ned Flanders, she sees this as all a grand adventure. Through the course of the film, she remains unabashedly optimistic and does her best to make everyone have a happily ever after--even the nasty old man she refers to as 'Uncle Sam'! I liked and disliked the film. The humor was very sweet and you can't help loving Shirley. Additionally, the theme song throughout the film is very peppy and you'll most likely find yourself humming along with it. But, on the other hand, the optimism angle wore a bit thin, as did the stuff about Uncle Sam and the Depression. In fact, it came off, at times, as pure propaganda. Had the intent been disguised a bit, it would have made it all less obvious.If you do see the film, pay attention to the fund-raiser at the end. Shirley had a huge bag of nickels from all the kids who paid to see it. However, when you see the ridiculous sets and costumes, the kids should have paid at least $100 a ticket to break even!! Silly, but also kind of funny.Additionally, look for Charles Farrell in a rare starring appearance. Although Farrell was arguably the most famous male star of the late silent age, by 1938 his career was pretty much over in Hollywood. Why? I have no idea nor is there any indication why on his IMDb page. Also, this is the fourth and final film pairing Shirley and Bill Robinson--and to watch them dance, that's more than enough reason to watch the movie.

A precocious little moppet mistakes a misanthropic tycoon for Uncle Sam. She believes that by helping the old fellow, Depression woes will cease for her father and the country JUST AROUND THE CORNER.This friendly, fanciful film was exactly what the nation needed to help it forget economic hard times. Shirley Temple is bright & cheerful, as always, and never fails to amuse. The talents which made her Hollywood's top box office draw for years are abundantly on display. Legendary Bill `Bojangles' Robinson is on hand with 3 of his celebrated dance routines. Watch, when he dances with Shirley, how she matches him step for step - a marvelous terpsichorean treat.Comedy is handled by Bert Lahr, Joan Davis (why aren't they included in the climactic Benefit show?) & especially Franklin Pangborn, in his glory as the quintessential harried apartment manager. Charles Farrell, a big star himself a few years previous, does a fine job as Shirley's dad, while Claude Gillingwater once again has fun with the part of a crotchety, rich old man. Cora Witherspoon scores as a society snob.Movie mavens will recognize Charles Williams as a persistent photographer & Leonard Kibrick as Shirley's tough kid friend.Shirley, with help from Miss Davis, Lahr & Bojangles, sings & dances her way through `This Is A Happy Little Ditty' & `Just Around The Corner'.