• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Casa Bouquet

let your joy bloom

  • Home
  • About
  • Culture
  • Home-making
  • Education
  • Travel
  • Style
  • Series
You are here: Home / Culture / Lisa’s Home Bijou: Just Around the Corner

Lisa’s Home Bijou: Just Around the Corner

April 20, 2015 by Lisa Grable 1 Comment

Film Festival: Art Deco

IN THE 1930s, architects preferred the Art Deco style when they designed modern buildings. Unfortunately, the economics of the Depression meant that funds were less available for private buildings. In Just Around the Corner, Shirley Temple’s father is a visionary architect with big financial problems.

Lisa's Home Bijou: "Just Around the Corner"

Movies of the 30s often tried to distract audiences from hard times by presenting glamorous settings. Most of the action in “Just Around the Corner” takes place in the luxury Art Deco apartment house, “The Riverview.” In addition to the great view from the building, we get to see Shirley Temple take on The Great Depression.

"Bojangles" Robinson with Shirley Temple

Penny Hale (Shirley Temple) is living a charmed life at Miss Vincent’s School for Girls when Just Around the Corner opens. Penny is suddenly telephoned at school and asked to return home. Home (up until now) had been the penthouse at “The Riverview,” a beautiful Art Deco apartment building in New York City.

art deco housing project - just around the corner

Penny discovers that the Depression has dramatically changed her privileged life. Her father, Jeff Hale (Charles Farrell) had been a wealthy architect. His dream was to create the East Gate Project, a major housing complex along the East River. The bank foreclosed on East Gate, and now Jeff works as the Riverview’s house electrician. He and Penny had to move from the penthouse to the super’s flat in the basement.

happy little ditty - Just Around the Corner

Perky Penny takes her family’s reversal of fortune in stride and helps with relations between the poor alley children she plays with and the rich kids from the Riverview. She figures out what is causing the Depression and sponsors benefits to help out Uncle Sam.

“Gee, but you’re beautiful. . . just like a repaint job!” — Gus

The cast makes this movie worth seeing. Lola, Jeff’s girlfriend, is played by Amanda Duff, while her uncle, Uncle Sam Henshaw is portrayed by Claude Gillingwater, Sr. Kitty, the maid and dog-sitter, is played by Joan Davis. Davis is best known for her early television star-turn in “I Married Joan” with Jim Backus. The chauffer, Gus, is Bert Lahr (without his Cowardly Lion makeup.) Broadway star Bill “Bojangles” Robinson plays The Corporal Jones, the building’s doorman. As always, it’s a treat to see Mr. Bojangles dance with Shirley.

Bert Lahr - Just Around the Corner

The musical numbers are peppy and fun. “This is a Happy Little Ditty” is sung while dog sitting, and Bert, Shirley, Bill, and Joan all take turns dancing along. “Brass Buttons and Epaulets” is a specialty number for Bill Robinson. Shirley and Bill bring the house down at the benefit with “I Love to Walk in the Rain,” a tap dance with a moving set and stage rain.

"Bojangles" Robinson with Shirley Temple

With Shirley Temple in charge, you can be sure that better times are Just Around the Corner.

horizontal bar with plumeria

Let’s talk story

I grew up watching Shirley Temple movies on TV and memorizing the “Shirley Temple’s Greatest Hits” LP. I treasure my Ideal Toy Shirley Temple doll in her “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” outfit. In college, my friend AM and I cooked up one of the most famous sorority skits to “Be Optimistic.” I named one of my daughters for one of Shirley’s characters. I will be happy to get into an argument with you defending my contention that the play “Annie” was based almost song-for-song on “Little Miss Broadway.” What can I say? I will always honor the memory of Shirley Temple and I hope you will share her movies with your family.

Related links for Just Around the Corner

  • http://www.nyc-architecture.com/STYLES/STY-artdeco.htm
    • New York Architecture: Art Deco/Art Moderne
  • http://www.shirleytemple.com
    • The Official Shirley Temple Website
  • http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030302/
    • Just Around the Corner (1938) on IMDb
  • http://www.pbs.org/wnet/broadway/stars/bill-bojangles-robinson/
    • Bill “Bojangles” Robinson from PBS’s Broadway: The American Musical
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkoT-I5cyVs
    • You Tube video of “This is a Happy Little Ditty”: Shirley Temple, Bill Robinson, Bert Lahr, Joan Davis

horizontal bar with plumeria

Affiliate links:  if you make a purchase using these links, I’ll receive a small compensation towards maintaining this blog, at no extra cost to you.

horizontal bar with plumeria

This is an update of a review that appeared originally in RETRO magazine, Nancy Eaton, editor.

Related posts

Stowaway I’ll Be Seeing You Moon Over Miami
Share this post:
error
fb-share-icon
Tweet
fb-share-icon

Filed Under: Culture, Movies Tagged With: 1938, art deco, Bert Lahr, Bill Robinson, classic films, Depression, Joan Davis, Lisa's Home Bijou, Shirley Temple

Previous Post: « Top lipstick picks
Next Post: Lisa’s Home Bijou: Top Hat classic art deco musical »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. marilyn1998

    May 24, 2019 at 4:43 pm

    Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared.

    Reply

What are your thoughts? Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hey, I’m Lisa

Lisa Grable, Casa BouquetI’m an educator, grandmother, classic movie fan, sewer and crafter, and I love Hawaii. Read more about me …

Subscribe for email updates

Don't miss a post! Receive an email when new posts are published. Get freebies!

Please follow & like us :)

Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Pinterest
Pinterest
fb-share-icon
Instagram
Follow by Email
RSS

Amazon

Zoom hula classes from Kanoe Miller

kanoe miller hula Oct. 2022Kanoe Miller teaches 5 week hula sessions on Zoom. Kanoe dances at the Hale Kulani in Waikiki and began her hula studies with Maiki Aiu Lake. Call or email to register. Times listed are Hawaii Standard.

More in Lisa’s Home Bijou

vintage movie theater sign

Recent Posts

joy of giving giveaway hostesses Nov 2022

Joy of Giving giveaway 11.12.22 – 12.15.22

back to school giveaway 08.27.22 - 09.27.22

Back to school giveaway 08.27.22 – 09.27.22

summer cash giveaway

Summer Cash Giveaway 07.23 – 08.23.2022

College preparation at the end of high school includes planning, tips, and checklists. Entrance tests, applications, financial aid, and more!

6 tips for college preparation – applying, FAFSA

Posts by Category

Casa Bouquet parties

Over the Moon

Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party
Wonderful Wednesday
Thursday Favorite Things

Featured series

Casa Bouquet pie recipes series.
College planning posts for middle and high school students. Download free checklist, cost calculation, and career interest worksheets. Resource links!

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework · Design by Stephanie Jones

 

Loading Comments...