Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes

Starring:Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Jane Darwell, Judith Allen, Lois Wilson, Charles Sellon, Walter Johnson, Jane Withers, Theodore von Eltz, Dorothy Christy, Brandon Hurst, George Irving, Steve Pendleton, Wade Boteler, John McGuire, Robert Dalton, Robert Burgess, Rodney Hildebrand, Gardner James, Dale Van Sickel
Director: David Butler
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
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Shirley Temple, the original dancing baby, sings her signature song, "On the Good Ship Lollipop," in this heart-rending drama, one of eight films she made in 1934 (!) at the ripe age of 6, and for which she was honored with a special pint-sized Academy Award. Temple stars as Shirley, the curly-headed "gosh, oh gee"-adorable mascot to a group of aviators since her pilot father "cracked up and went to heaven." Get out your handkerchiefs when Shirley's mother is also killed, setting up a custody battle between the nasty, highfalutin Joy Smythe's curmudgeon uncle Ned; Loop, another pilot; and the society girl who once left Loop grounded at the altar.

Temple's movies are today marketed as children's films, but, like the classic Warner Bros. cartoons, they were made for adults. Her plucky, indomitable spirit helped America get through the Depression. She's perky and precocious to beat the band, but she suffers so on the way to the inevitable happy ending. When she gushes, "It's the best day I've ever had in my whole life," you know tragedy is imminent.

Amazon.com essential video

Shirley Temple, the original dancing baby, sings her signature song, "On the Good Ship Lollipop," in this heart-rending drama, one of eight films she made in 1934 (!) at the ripe age of 6, and for which she was honored with a special pint-sized Academy Award. Temple stars as Shirley, the curly-headed "gosh, oh gee"-adorable mascot to a group of aviators since her pilot father "cracked up and went to heaven." Get out your handkerchiefs when Shirley's mother is also killed, setting up a custody battle between the nasty, highfalutin Joy Smythe's curmudgeon uncle Ned; Loop, another pilot; and the society girl who once left Loop grounded at the altar.

In Bright Eyes she is also at the mercy of bratty Smythe (scene-stealing Jane Withers), a pint-sized tantrum-throwing terror who makes Linda Blair in The Exorcist look like a Teletubbie. A further parental advisory in these politically correct times: Joy's eagerly awaited comeuppance is a real slap in the face. --Donald Liebenson

Description

The first big film created especially for her, Bright Eyes helped make Shirley Temple a huge box-office star and features her most famous song: "On The Good Ship Lollipop".

The little darling of a group of aviators, Shirley splits her time between her pilot godfather Loop (James Dunn) and her long-suffering mother (Lois Wilson), housemaid for a selfish, wealthy family. When a tragic accident suddenly leaves Shirley orphaned, Loop sets out to adopt Shirley- until he learns he's not the only one determined to keep the adorable youngster.

Customer Reviews:

ONE OF MY FAVORITE TEMPLE FILMS.......2007-03-26

This is an early Shirley that is hard to resist. The movies features Shirley singing "On the Good Ship Lolli Pop" and shows off her talents as a very young actress. There are only a hand full of her films that I will always remember and this is one of them. Heidi,Curly Top and The Little Colonel were the others. The DVD has both Black and White and Colorized version. I am not a fan of colorizing anything,but since they kept the original intact, I did enjoy watching both.

Next generation of Shirley Temple watchers.......2006-11-06

My three-year old daughter was recently dancing around and someone told her she looked like Shirley Temple. Of course, she kept asking me who Shirley Temple was. I showed her photos on the internet and decided to get her "Bright Eyes" because I knew it had the song "On the Good Ship Lollipop." What's nice about this DVD is that you have the option of watching it in black and white or color. My daughter often asks to watch "the gray one"!!! It's a cute movie but obviously dated. But a good movie to introduce the young ones to Shirley Temple.

Wonderful trip back in time........2006-08-19

Shirly Temple started early in films and at age six was a box office sensation where even Santa Claus wanted her autograph. My wife's great grandmother stated that Shirley got her through the depression. I can believe it. Shirley is an idealistic child that finds her way through unbelievable odds without ever shedding a tear or even a pout. The plots are all the same. Shirley starts off with either being an orphan or will be one when her parents (or parent) inevidably dies in the film giving Shirley that sad crying scene. The death sequence is always after a peppy musical number where everything just seems great at the time. The rest of the film finds Shirley trapped with vial caretakers who find her worthless and a burden (sort of an Oliver Twist scenario). Naturally there is always someone there to rescue her from the cruelty that she endures and finds herself off into the sunset with a new father or mother who is as idealistic as one can be. Throughout Shirley endures and provides us with whimsical and lively facial expressions that will break your heart. You feel manipulated and don't care because Shirley is a master with the camera. Bright Eyes is one of her best and of course includes "The Good Ship" song that's in many ways her signature piece.

One Of Shirley Temple's Best Early Films !.......2006-06-14

The year was 1934.America was wheeling from the devastation of the Great Depression and economic woes.Then came a young actress that helped bring movie patrons back to theatres and also helped an upcoming studio that nearly faced bankruptcy.Shirley Temple was just six years old when she made nearly eight feature films in 1934,but the most beloved and well made of those eight was her second Fox feature film "Bright Eyes" and it definitely shows!

"Bright Eyes" is the simple story of a young girl (Temple) who ends up becoming fascinated with her aviator stepdad pilot (James Dunn) and also facing the hardships of life such as death,adoption and her unquestionable future.Her life is combined with that of a rich family named the Smythe's and their bratty daughter (Jane Withers) and her stepdad's friends.But when tragedy strikes Shirley's mom,it brings her and her stepdad closer than ever.Directed by David Butler and featuring Temple's signature song "On The Good Ship Lollipop",and a standout hilarious performance by Withers,"Bright Eyes" is definitely at times sad,but hilarious,and enjoyable film that has a strong central story mixed with comedy and child-like mischief that will appeal to any family member and adults old or new.Recommended for all !

ABOUT THE DVD:
Originally released as part of a short-lived three movie collection of Temple's films to DVD in 2002,it's easy to see why this version is such a big improvement over the '02 release.This version has been digitally restored to its original black & white version with very few specks,dirt,and contrast boosting that plagued the earlier DVD version and also the main intrusion of this new DVD is a brand-new,digitally restored,and enhanced colorized version.The '02 release simply took a lousy-looking and poor color version done in the late '80's and the results were just poor and unnatural-looking compared to today's technology.Speaking of which,this new color version was produced by Legend Films as with previous new Temple DVD releases and the new technology brings out the film's color appeal than the previous incarnation.Purists will definitely stick to the original restored b&w and very little extras (hence the four star rating) round out the disc.All you get is an unrestored trailer for "Heidi" and a trailer for "Little Miss Broadway" which is missing its text and narration (note that the two same trailers both appear on most of the recent Fox Temple DVD's).Finally,Fox has put out a very decent and well-deserved presentation of one of Shirley's best-loved films and far superior to the version beforehand.Highly recommended for classic film buffs and fans alike !

Shirley Temple in her first big starring vehicle.......2006-01-24

BRIGHT EYES was Shirley Temple's first big movie, tailored especially for her, in which she plays the darling of a group of aviators. Shirley Blake (Temple) is a little tomboy who loves to hang around the airport with her pilot godfather `Loop' (James Dunn). Her widowed mother Mary (Lois Wilson) works as a maid to the snooty Smythe family, where Shirley must contend with bratty Joy (Jane Withers). When an horrific accident leaves Shirley orphaned, `Loop' sets out to adopt her but soon discovers he is only one of many who want to take home the adorable moppet.

Shirley shines in her first big role. After proving her mettle in "Baby Take a Bow" and many short subjects for the "Baby Burlesques" series, she was more than ready to tackle her first emotionally challenging part. Jane Withers is hilarious as the antithesis to Shirley's sweetness ("There ain't no Santy Claus, `cause my psychoanalyst told me").

This film also introduced Temple's signature tune "On the Good Ship Lollipop". The DVD includes the computer-coloured version of the film.

Average customer rating:

Shirley Temple in Bright Eyes
Starring: Shirley Temple , James Dunn , Jane Darwell , Judith Allen , and Lois Wilson
Director: David Butler
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005RT3R
Release Date: 2002-01-29

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