Just Around the Corner

One of my all-time favorite Shirley Temple moments comes from Just Around the Corner. Her father, Charles Farrell, works in a hotel, and he doesn't have much money. He used to be well-to-do, but he's been ruined by the Great Depression. To help "pull her weight", Shirley cleans the house and cooks the meals. She bundles her hair in a little kerchief and dusts and polishes until their little place gleams. It's the cutest little thing! Back in 1938, it wasn't considered exploitative child labor or neglectful for him to leave her alone without a sitter. It was just cute.

Shirley also has lots of cute little episodes with the rest of the hotel staff, as well as some of the guests. She gets a spoiled brat to cut off his curls, she puts on a talent show, and she dances with Bill Robinson. There aren't too many songs in this one, and Bert Lahr's antics get a little long in the tooth, but this is definitely one worth watching if you're having a Shirley Temple marathon.

This is a pretty entertaining Shirley Temple movie. Basically, Shirley singlehandedly ends of the Great Depression. Sure, it's unrealistic, but does anyone really expect a Shirley Temple movie to be a display of stark realism? Shirley was still cute, there were good musical numbers, and a good deal of funny scenes (aka run-ins with Mr. Waters). It's not a serious movie; it's just plain fun.

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'.

Here's a so-so Shirley Temple entry with a catchy song that plays throughout the film. The movie features a bunch of nice characters. The "bad guys" in here - a snotty woman, her butler and a crabby "Uncle Sam" - aren't overly mean and don't have huge roles in here so the atmosphere, for the most part, is very genial.

In addition to the main song ("This Is A Happy Little Ditty," a very catchy song), there is a good production number near the end of the film. Both of those numbers feature Shirley and Bill Robinson. Those two were always fun to watch dance and sing together.

There are two negatives in here: some of the spoken lines are a little stupid and poorly delivered, mostly by the male rich kid "Milton Ramsby" (Bennie Bartlett) who looked like he was reading his lines and the female adult lead, "Lola Ramsby," played by Amanda Duff, was weak. I can see why Duff never had much of a screen career.

I would like to have heard a few more songs, too, but it's still a charming film: not her best, but not the worst, either.

There is such a lackluster quality about JUST AROUND THE CORNER--everything from script to performances to the songs--is below average. And Shirley is not quite as cute as the story wants her to be--clearly, she is starting to develop into a chubby preteen youngster with just a modicum of talent left over from her earlier films as a tot.

Only a couple of the songs are pleasant enough to be worth mentioning--"A Happy Little Ditty" and "A Walk in the Rain" have the kind of charm expected in a Temple musical. But staging of the numbers and overall set decoration leaves a lot to be desired. Bert Lahr and Joan Davis are on hand as a chauffeur and a maid but both are defeated by some flat one-liners. Charles Farrell is clearly past his career as a romantic leading man and is just so-so as Charlie's depressed father on the skids.

For Temple fans only--weaknesses in both script and song numbers--and not much else can be said for it. It's all very routine and quite forgettable.