Shirley Temple

Lisa’s Home Bijou: I’ll Be Seeing You

December 9, 2020 by Lisa Grable 4 Comments

Film Festival: Christmas classics

I’ll Be Seeing You (1944) is a World War II drama brought to the screen by David O. Selznick. It’s a Christmas story and a love story starring Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotton, and Shirley Temple.

Selznick bought the rights to the 1938 Broadway song I’ll be seeing you. The song was used for the title and provides a theme song for the film.

“I’ll be seeing you / In all the old familiar places / That this heart of mine embraces / All day and through”

We are introduced to the young lovers at a busy train station at Christmas time. Zachary Morgan (Joseph Cotton), a sergeant, is overly hesitant trying to buy a magazine at the stand. We see Mary Marshall (Ginger Rogers) asking for candies that aren’t available and haven’t been for awhile under rationing. There is something mysterious about these 2 people.

Zach and Mary ride on a busy train with lots of GIs traveling for Christmas furlough. They share seats with two young soldiers who are excited and want to talk.

“What do you say we look up the coffee guy and get something to eat? I’m loaded. I’ll buy everybody coffee and sandwiches. No ifs, ands, or buts, the treat’s on me. Papa’s out on leave. I’ll be back in a flash with the trash!” –friendly sailor

Pine Hill

Zach decides to get off at Pine Hill, the town where Mary is visiting her uncle. He says he is visiting his sister, but he moves into the YMCA. He has a healed bayonet wound and he’s on 10-day leave from the hospital to see if he can manage psychologically. He has a Purple Heart hidden in his bag.

Mary arrives at the Marshall home to be greeted by Aunt Sarah (Spring Byington) and her teenage daughter Barbara (Shirley Temple). It’s a cozy home all decorated for Christmas.

“Look, there’s just one thing. We all know that I’ve been in prison and that I’m going back in 8 days. And there’s no use pretending it isn’t so. It just won’t be any good unless everybody says what he thinks and doesn’t try to cover up.” – Mary

Barbara has to share her bedroom with Mary. Barbara is seventeen and very lively. She’s got tennis rackets, pennants, and photos on walls. Barbara has labeled things and divided things so that Mary doesn’t touch her things.

Aunt Sarah is very welcoming to Mary, and trying to help her be optimistic about her future after prison. She makes biscuits, rolling out the dough and cutting them with a jelly jar.

Zach calls and Aunt Sarah agrees to invite him over for dinner. Barbara is very interested in Zach when he arrives and turns up the flirt. Zach admits to Mary that he made up the story about having a sister in Pine Hill. He just wanted to get off the train where Mary was getting off. In another room, Uncle Henry won’t tell Barbara why Mary is serving a prison term.

Zach and Mary’s first date

Mary and Zach go to a war movie and it is very hard on Zach. He can’t really watch it.

“Is the war really like that? –I guess so. –That’s funny. – Why? –I mean that you should only guess so. –Well they have experts making those pictures. I guess that’s the way they see the war. Beach a mile long, thousands of soldiers and tanks and machine guns and everything. I guess that’s the way it is. –But it wasn’t that way for you, huh? –It’s just a difference in size. To a guy that’s in it the war is about 10 feet wide and kind of empty. It’s you and a couple fellows in your company maybe… It’s all kind of mixed up. Sometimes it’s all full of noise and sometimes it’s quiet. It all depends on what you’re thinking about I guess. It depends on how scared you are, how cold you are, and how wet you are. I guess if you ask 100 guys what the war is like they’d all give you a different answer.” –Mary and Zach

Zach feels better after talking to Mary, so he invites her to a diner. The owner gets jazzed up about Zach’s medals and talks about his own time fighting in World War I. Zach freaks and runs out. He can’t explain to Mary and ends up leaving her standing on street.

Once home, Mary decides to tell Barbara her secret.

“One day when I was called into my boss’ office he invited me to a party in his apartment. He was single and I started dreaming. Bosses do marry their secretaries.” –Mary

Zach calls to ask to take Mary out in country so he can explain his behavior. Mary lies to him about being a traveling salesperson.

Christmas and New Year’s Eve

Zach joins the family for Christmas. Aunt Sarah makes a flaming plum pudding. Uncle Henry leads singing at the table with Oh come all ye faithful. They all open gifts together by the tree. This loving family atmosphere gives Zach and Mary lots of feelings.

Zach invites the family to the YMCA New Year’s Eve dance. He brings corsages, camellias for Sarah and orchids for Mary. At the party, Zach and Mary meet a senator who wants the soldier’s point of view from Zach.

“What gives you the idea that just because a fellow puts on a soldier suit he thinks any different than anybody else? … A lot of soldiers have got one idea about what should happen after the war. A lot of soldiers have other ideas.” –Zach

Zach and Mary are two lonely people with secrets. Will Barbara understand what is going on between them? (Have you seen how cute and fashionable Shirley Temple was as a teenager?) Will Zach and Mary manage to find happiness? Tune in to I’ll Be Seeing You for a homey old-fashioned Christmas and a good holiday drama.

Want more Christmas and holidays? See 28 Christmas movies (includes TV specials) and The Holidays film festival.

Resource links for I’ll Be Seeing You

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036940/
- I’ll Be Seeing You (1944) from IMDb
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/39836%7C89287/Joseph-Cotten/biography.html
- Joseph Cotten biography from Turner Classic Movies
http://www.gingerrogers.com/about/biography.html
- Biography from Ginger Rogers’ Official Site
http://www.shirleytemple.com/biography.html
- Biography from Shirley Temple’s Official Website
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-teachers/primary-sources/rationing.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
- World War II rationing from the National WWII Museum
http://www.thepurpleheart.com/history/
- History of the Purple Heart
http://www.irishamericanmom.com/2014/12/17/how-to-light-a-christmas-pudding/
- How to light a plum pudding from Irish American Mom
http://vintagedancer.com/1940s/1940s-teenage-fashion-girls/
- 1940s teen fashion from Vintage Dancer

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.

The Bishop’s Wife

Remember the Night

The Muppet Christmas Carol

Stowaway far east Shirley Temple: Lisa’s Home Bijou

February 22, 2019 by Lisa Grable 5 Comments

Film Festival: Cruise Ship Romance

Stowaway (1936) stars Shirley Temple as a little girl orphaned during conflicts in China. She finds happiness and love on a cruise ship with Robert Young and Alice Faye.

I’ve always loved the fantasy life of people cruising on ships in the old days. Dressing up for dinner, meeting all the strangers, and the romance of the sea just get to me.

Stowaway begins in San Chow, an island to the west of Hong Kong. A messenger rides into town bringing scary news. A bandit is on his way but the missionary Cruikshank couple refuse to flee. The mayor, Sun Lo, wants to take their little ward, Barbara “Ching-Ching”, to safety, but Cruikshank won’t let him.

“May the bird of prosperity continue to nest in your rooftop!” –Barbara

Sun Lo arranges for Ching-Ching (Shirley Temple) to be taken to his brother in Shanghai. When the little boat arrives in port, the servant in charge leaves Ching-Ching asleep on the boat while he gambles with her money. When she wakes up, she leaves the boat looking for breakfast for her little dog, Mr. Woo. And now we have a little girl lost in the huge city of Shanghai!

Tommy Randall (Robert Young) is a rich American traveling the world by cruise ship. Ching-Ching helps him in the market and he buys her a meal. While he is in the International Club drinking with his friends, it begins to rain on the waiting Ching-Ching and she hides inside the rumble seat on the car (a Duesenberg!). [Note: the car is a way to let the audience know how incredibly wealthy Tommy is. He has a high-end performance car, and he is traveling with it so he can use it in any port.] The car gets loaded on the ship, making Ching-Ching a stowaway.

Ching-Ching gets discovered in the stateroom of Susan Parker (Alice Faye) and Mrs. Hope. Susan takes an immediate liking to her and wants to help her.

“Goodnight my love / Your mommy is kneeling beside you” – Barbara

Some cute comedy comes from Tommy and his valet Atkins (Arthur Treacher) trying to take care of a little girl. She sings a lullaby and puts them to sleep.

Tommy is very interested in Susan, but she is engaged to Mrs. Hope’s son Richard and is traveling to marry him in Bangkok.

“You’re a museum piece. You should be in a glass case in an exhibit of the Terrible Twenties with a cocktail shaker in your hand and your shirt front scrawled with chorus girls telephone numbers and a label, Playboy, BC, before the crash, former habitat Broadway, now extinct.” –Susan

Tommy and Susan share a romantic dance on deck as she sings “Goodnight, My Love.” Mrs. Hope fears for her son’s engagement and wires him to take a plane and meet the boat in Hong Kong.

Tommy, Susan, and Ching-Ching spend the day on shore in Hong Kong. They go to a Major-Bowes-style amateur show, with a gong and everything. Ching-Ching decides to go on stage to compete for 10 yuan. She sings “You’ve Got to S-M-I-L-E”. She imitates Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, and Fred and Ginger. The day doesn’t end so well when Susan’s fiancé arrives and Tommy and Ching-Ching end up in jail.

“Bangkok is a very romantic city, isn’t it? –Oh, there are a lot of old temples and places like that. But our colony doesn’t bother with the native things. We have our own little set. Fine, substantial people, too. Bridge and tennis, you get to know your opponent so well you can tell in advance every move he’s gonna make. –Oh that must be interesting.” –Susan and Richard

Will Susan and Tommy find a way to be together? Will Ching-Ching end up in an orphanage? What will happen to Mr. Woo? Be sure to watch Stowaway for some great cruise ship romance!

Resource links

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028315/
- Stowaway (1936) from IMDb
https://oppositelock.kinja.com/was-the-rumble-seat-named-after-its-inventor-1791495079
- Rumble seat from OPPO
http://www.alicefaye.com/bio.htm
- Alice Faye biography
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/1570727%7C132892/Robert-Young/
- Robert Young overview at Turner Classic Movies
http://www.shirleytemple.com/
- Official Shirley Temple website
https://www.songhall.org/profile/Mack_Gordon
- Mack Gordon at the Songwriters Hall of Fame

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.

Swing Time	Just Around the Corner	Weekend in Havana
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes	The Lady Eve	Shall We Dance

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.