Miss Broadway

20th Century Fox was having a hard time coming up with original story material for Shirley Temple and this is one of their least inspired efforts. Yet, despite a weak script and the obvious fact that Shirley herself was getting a little too plump for her diminutive figure, there is a generous sprinkling of song routines to keep Shirley's fans satisfied. The added bonus is George Murphy as her dancing partner, no slouch in the tap-dance department.

Edna May Oliver comes on strong as a cantankerous old woman who wants to close a theatrical hotel for boarders. Jimmy Durante has a few fun moments but one of his routines with Temple was cut from the final print.

The courtroom finale has everyone doing a musical revue in court--something that could happen only in a Temple film! Shirley has a few pleasant ditties to sing: "Be Optimistic" and a song-and-dance routine with Murphy to "We Should Be Together".

Not one of Shirley's best. Recommended only for Temple fans.

Darryl F. Zanuck gave Shirley Temple a really great supporting cast for Little Miss Broadway. You can't go wrong with a cast that includes Donald Meek, Claude Gillingwater, Edna Mae Oliver, El Brendel, and the great Jimmy Durante.

Shirley is adopted from Jane Darwell's orphanage by Edward Ellis a friend of her deceased parents and his daughter Phyllis Brooks who run a hotel for theatrical types. Ellis is a guy who gives easy credit so when the imperious dowager landlady of the hotel wants what is due he's caught in a bad cash flow situation.

It's more than that, Oliver hates theatrical folks and is determined to close the hotel even going against her brother Donald Meek and their dancing nephew George Murphy who likes Ellis, Temple, and especially Brooks.

The finale is a courtroom scene where Shirley pleads the case of the performers who have to prove how good they are to the satisfaction of Judge Gillingwater. Shirley is a persuasive advocate.

For fans of Fox's eternal moppet and fans to be.

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.

What a spectacular Shirley Temple movie I have chosen to see. It is entitled "Little Miss Broadway." I have been, for long, a big lover of musicals.

That is especially true for those with little Shirley Temple. She has adored audiences worldwide with her singing, acting, and tap-dancing in the films.

This is one of those rare movies that I would automatically give the number 10 to. It has an array of great songs such as the title. Shirley opens her act with the song "Be Optimistic." That is one of those songs where you can learn a life lesson.

"Little Miss Broadway" -- the song and the film itself -- are indeed heartwarming. That is rare for a musical show or film. Since it is a 1930s filmusical with Shirley Temple, I'd say it is right up there with the rest.

I'm not the biggest fan of black and white films but this was still good. That shouldn't interfere with the acting and story itself, but that's just me.

I actually enjoyed this even though it lacked color. During the first ten or fifteen minutes, I was pretty determined that I was going to hate this film. It was kind of slow and the writing wasn't all that great. Then I realized that it was made in the '30s and should think how this would have appeared back then. I thought and began to enjoy it.

I'll be honest, this is the first Shirley Temple film that I have ever seen. I've heard of her and had been wanting to see her in something for a while, but never did. I was so impressed with her acting ability. Plus, she's so cute dancing around that office. The rest of the cast is pretty good but I especially liked the part of Betsy Brown.

While 'Little Miss Broadway' was still very slow, I enjoyed it because of the dancing number(s). Also, the writing was somewhat comical.

This isn't one of the best films I have ever seen, not even close, but it was/is something good to see on a quiet afternoon when there is nothing else on.