Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)

What memories!

What fun to curl up and watch a clean, uplifting movie again. I loved all of the Shirley Temple movies as a child and 50 years later, I still do! Of course, now I can watch them in color! April 28, 2008

Cute, old-fashioned charm

Cute, old-fashioned charm - the way movies should be - is the best way to describe this. If you're a fan of Shirley Temple, you'll enjoy this sweet movie. The only disappointing part is that in a description, I had read that she sings a number of her classics (Good Ship Lollipop and others), but she really only sings a couple of lines from them. March 23, 2008

"Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938) ... Shirley Temple ... 20th Century Fox (2005)"

20th Century Fox presents "REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM" (released: 18 March 1938) (80mins) (B&W/Color Versions) - Under Allan Dwan (Director), Raymond Griffith (Producer), Darryl F. Zanuck (Producer), Don Ettlinger (Screenwriter), Charlotte Thompson (Play Author), Karl Tunberg (Screenwriter), Kate Douglas Wiggin (Play Author / Short Story Author), Arthur C. Miller (Cinematographer), Mack Gordon (Composer (Music Score), Art Lange (Musical Direction/Supervision), Sidney D. Mitchell (Composer (Music Score), Lew Pollack (Composer (Music Score), Harry Revel (Composer (Music Score), Raymond Scott (Composer (Music Score), Jack Yellen (Composer (Music Score), Allen McNeil (Editor), Bernard Herzbrun (Art Director), Hans Peters (Art Director), Thomas K. Little (Set Designer), Nick Castle (Choreography) - - - - Our Little Shirley Temple turns in another crowd-pleasing performance in this pleasant family film --- Her smile & vivacity are still stunning decades later --- Shirley is at her peak as a girl singer who is sought by two rival cereal companies to promote their radio commercials --- Randolph Scott and Gloria Stuart provide the romance, heading a fine supporting cas is Helen Westley, Slim Summerville and William Demarest --- and the great Bill `Bojangles' Robinson is cast as a farmhand - but wait until the film's final moments when he gets to shine in a tap routine with Little Shirley --- Shirley's numbers include "Come and Get Your Happiness" and she also sings a medley of hits from her previous films, among them "On the Good Ship Lollipop", "When I' m With You" and "Animal Crackers in My Soup".

the cast includes:
Shirley Temple ... Rebecca Winstead
Randolph Scott ... Tony Kent
Jack Haley ... Orville Smithers
Gloria Stuart ... Gwen Warren
Phyllis Brooks ... Lola Lee
Helen Westley ... Aunt Miranda Wilkins
Slim Summerville ... Homer Busby
Bill Robinson ... Aloysius
Raymond Scott ... Leader of Musical Ensemble (as Raymond Scott Quintet)
Alan Dinehart ... Purvis
J. Edward Bromberg ... Doctor Hill
Dixie Dunbar ... Receptionist
Paul Hurst ... Mug
William Demarest ... Harry Kipper
Ruth Gillette ... Melba

BIOS:
1. Shirley Temple
Date of Birth: 23 April 1928 - Santa Monica, California
Date of Death: Still Living

If you enjoyed this film, check out 20th Century Fox present "The Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 1" (Heidi/Curly Top/Little Miss Broadway) (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- now in COLOR and Glorious Black and White --- In 2004, Shirley Temple teamed with Legend Films to restore, colorize and release her earliest black and white films, as well as episodes of her 1960 television series, The Shirley Temple Storybook Collection --- a patented coloring and remastering process makes her picture perfect charm more vivd than ever --- no one can resist Shirley's charm in all her heart warming films.

Hats off and thanks to Barry B. Sandrew Ph.D. (Founder, COO & CTO) and his Legend Films Staff --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage era of the '20s, '30s & '40s --- order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out Legend Films where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 80 mins on DVD ~ 20th Century Fox. ~ (11/22/2005) August 12, 2007

charming Temple vehicle

Despite it's title, REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM is not a re-telling of the classic Kate Douglas Wiggin story. This is one of the most charming films that Shirley Temple starred in, and I enjoy revisting it often.

Temple plays Rebecca Winstead, a young radio singer who is discovered by talent scout Tony Kent (Randolph Scott). There's only one hitch: Rebecca's frosty Aunt Miranda (Helen Westley) who isn't about to have her niece go into showbusiness. You can pretty much guess the rest...

This little gem runs at a brisk pace and is filled with warmth and humour. Temple gets to share the screen with some of her regular cohorts (Helen Westley, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Jack Haley, Gloria Stuart and Randolph Scott).

The musical score includes such delights as "An Old Straw Hat", "Happy Endings", "Come and Get Your Happiness", and "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers". Temple also gets to sing a medley of her greatest hits.

The cast also features Phyllis Brooks, Slim Summerville, Ruth Gillette, William Demarest, and Dixie Dunbar. Look out for a young Mary McCarty, playing Florabelle, the singer with "mike-fright" in the auditions scene. May 4, 2007

Be optimistic and smile! Oh, how Shirley could sing and dance without even trying...

Shirley Temple earned great fame as a child actress in Hollywood; and this movie shows us why. Shirley Temple sings and dances her way through many numbers, including "An Old Straw Hat" and an olio of her classic melodies including "Animal Crackers In My Soup" and "On The Good Ship Lollipop." Temple shines like no other child star ever did; and we will have to wait a very long time to see another quite like her.

Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm stars Temple as a young child named Rebecca Winstead who has incredible talents; she even wins a radio gig as "Little Miss America" just based on her being herself when she sings. Of course, even a musical needs something of a plot; therefore there's a misunderstanding and Shirley and her stepfather (William Demarest) go away thinking they lost the talent contest. Her stepfather takes her to Sunnybrook Farm which is run by her crusty old aunt Miranda (Helen Westley). Miranda agrees to take care of Rebecca on the condition that the stepfather never returns. Fortunately, though, instead of being sad about her very different new environment, Rebecca is an upbeat, optimistic kid who takes to the farm rather well.

Things begin to snowball much faster when it turns out that just by pure coincidence (oh, sure) the man who ran the talent contest lives just next door to her Aunt Miranda's home. At this point in the film many questions arise: Will he finally recognize that Shirley is the girl who won the talent contest? Even if Shirley is recognized, will her Aunt Miranda let them put her on the radio? And what happens when her stepfather ultimately hears of all this fuss going on? No spoilers here, folks; you'll have to watch the movie to find out! There are some funny moments using slapstick, too.

The DVD offers us the motion picture in both black and white as well as color. This movie was originally filmed in black and white and then colorized. The DVD lacks extras except for some clips from Heidi and Little Miss Broadway.

The cinematography shines with the characters being filmed very artistically within the confines of the screen and the choreography of the dance numbers is terrific. The finale, "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers," showcases Shirley Temple and Bill Robinson dancing wonderfully and this will thrill you!

Overall, I highly recommend this for Shirley Temple fans; and people who want to watch classic movies with their children will enjoy this film, too.

Enjoy! Great job, everyone!!!
May 3, 2007

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