It Never Rains

While the parents squabble over real estate investments, Junior Coghlan promises kid sister Gloria Browne a quarter if she'll give him an excuse to get away from the anticipated drip of a girl. When it turns out to be Dorothea Kent, he changes his mind, but Miss Browne wants that quarter.

For the first few episodes of Educational Pictures' FROLICS OF YOUTH shorts, the kid sister role was taken by Shirley Temple. Now, of course, she was the biggest star at Fox Films, so the part was taken by Miss Browne, who gets a big dance number at the end, leading a chorus of grown-up starlets. She never became a star, but her dog looks to be Skippy, who was a star, playing Asta in the THIN MAN series at MGM.

In the 1930s, Educational Pictures made a series of shorts under the umbrella term "Frolics of Youth" starring Junior Coglan in the lead. In the first four of these, his bratty little sister was played by Shirley Temple, though her popularity caught on so well she left the series to make her own films. "It Never Rains" is one of these films with a different young actress taking on Temple's role.

The family has invited the Donovans to come over and stay for a few days. They THINK the Donovans are rich....and vice-versa. However, Mr. Donovan is a sponger and soon gets sucked into a business scheme with them. As for the son, he is instantly smitten with Dorothy...and when the relationship between his family and the Donovans goes sour, it's tough for the young lovers. Can the strained relationship between the families be worked out or is it another case of Romeo and Juliet?

Overall, while I don't think the film is funny, it is pleasant and entertaining. As for the replacement for Shirley, she seemed just fine and the show went on okay without her.