Shirley Temple was the biggest box office draw in the late 1930s. Exuberant and energetic, with a radiant smile, she packed the theaters. She was the highest paid actor at 20th Century Fox, with only studio mogul Louis B. Meyer commanding a higher salary in Hollywood. Her career would be in ruins by the time she turned twelve, but that's show business.
Many Shirley Temple films were adapted from classic childrens' literature. "Heidi" and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" were typical vehicles. But it was a rare moment of studio inspiration to cast her in "Wee Willie Winkie", the Rudyard Kipling story set in exotic India.
"Wee Willie Winkie" doesn't merit much respect today. The title, and Temple's very presence, stamps it as an old-fashioned movie for kids, who would rather see a cartoon anyway. Actually, several Shirley Temple films are excellent, and they are far more charming than they are cloying.
Temple's importance to 20th Century Fox was very considerable, and "Wee Willie Winkie" was particularly stocked with talent. John Ford ("Stagecoach", "The Grapes of Wrath") was the director. Hulking, colorful Victor McLaglen was the male lead. He had recently won an Oscar for Best Actor in "The Informer", and would later be known as a supporting actor in John Wayne vehicles such as "The Quiet Man" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon". Also cast were venerable character actor C. Aubrey Smith, the epitome of stuffy British propriety, and campy, charismatic Cesar Romero, best known as "The Joker" in the "Batman" television series. Lovely June Lang plays Shirley's mother, but she is a bland actress in a dull role.
The story bears only a passing resemblance to the Kipling story. Joyce Williams (Lang) is a widow, with young daughter Priscilla (Temple). Destitute, she moves in with her father-in-law (Smith), who happens to be a Colonel commanding a British fort in India. Temple adjusts to military life by playing soldier with Sgt. MacDuff (McLaglen). Tensions rise when Indian guerilla leader Khoda Khan (Romero) is captured, then escapes. The story takes place in the late 19th century.
Ford does a magnificent job as director, aided by the quality of the script, cast, and sets. It's one of his finest films, and except for "Stagecoach", I prefer it to any of his Westerns. (83/100)
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