Dimples (1936)

Director:

William A. Seiter

Writers:

Arthur Sheekman (screenplay) and
Nat Perrin (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 October 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Musical

Plot:

Shirley Temple lives with the pick-pocket grandfather in 19th century New York City. She entertains the crowds while he works his racket...

Plot Keywords:

New York City | Street Entertainer | The Bowery | 19th Century | Minstrel Show

Cast

Shirley Temple	...	Dimples Appleby
Frank Morgan	...	Prof. Eustace Appleby
Robert Kent	...	Allen Drew
Helen Westley	...	Mrs. Caroline Drew
Stepin Fetchit	...	Cicero
Astrid Allwyn	...	Cleo Marsh
Brook Byron	...	Betty Loring (as Delma Byron)
Hall Johnson Choir	...	Choir (as The Hall Johnson Choir)
Berton Churchill	...	Colonel Loring
Paul Stanton	...	Mr. St. Clair
Julius Tannen	...	Hawkins
John Carradine	...	Richards
Billy McClain	...	Rufus
Jack Clifford	...	Uncle Tom
Betty Jean Hainey	...	Topsy

Also Known As:

The Bowery Princess (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Australia:G | Canada:G | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #2352)

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Two lines in the end cast list credits are subject to two different interpretations: "Children's Band ... Leonard Kibrick Warner," and "Walter and George Weidler." The IMDb cast lists 3 actors: Leonard Kibrick Warner, Walter Weidler and George Weidler. However, The AFI Catalogue lists 4 actors: Leonard Kibrick, Warner Weidler, Walter Weidler and George Weidler.

Quotes:

Dimples: Sometimes I wonder if men are worth all the trouble they give us.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "20 to 1: Child Stars: Where Are They Now? (#6.6)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)

slow, rarely interesting

I usually really like watching the old and charming Shirley Temples. But this one, Dimples, just simply isn´t a very good movie. Some fairly good actors are in it but all together it´s very tiring and unrealistic little film. Shirley´s charisma just doesn´t hit it this time. And when it doesn´t hit, the only thing that shows is her acting which is not anything special. The only quite good thing is the songs and dance rutines but other wise: boring. Also it just shines out how bad possition black actors had in Hollywood on the 30s. This is not Shirley´s best, watch Curly top or The Little Princess instead.