Friday movie pick: Hiya, Tightwad

by chuckofish

Recently I was reading Child Star by Shirley Temple Black, which she wrote back in 1988. She is, of course, the amazing film and television actress, singer and dancer, who became the U.S. ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia as well as the White House Chief of Protocol for Gerald Ford. She began her film career in 1932 at the age of three, and in 1934 found international fame in Bright Eyes.

Inspired by her autobiography and the description of the behind-the-scenes goings on of Little Miss Marker (1934), I decided to watch it last week. Also, I had never seen this particular Shirley Temple movie.

Shirley Temple Black's favorite picture of herself from her movie career (from "Little Miss Marker")

Shirley Temple Black’s favorite picture of herself from her movie career (from “Little Miss Marker”)

Based on a story by Damon Runyon (of “Guys and Dolls” fame), it is about a little girl left with a bookmaker named Sorrowful Jones by her father as his “marker” to cover a bet on a horserace. He never returns, so Sorrowful reluctantly takes her in. His motley crew of fellow bookies takes to her and their cynical ways start to rub off on her. Hilarity ensues.

Watch this scene where the guys are passing the 5-year old Shirley around trying to guess her weight. It is classic. Notice when Shirley says, “I like it!” (at 4:12)–it is a key to the mystery of her amazing success.

Shirley Temple was a kid who liked what she was doing. She was having a good time most of the time and that comes across to the audience in spades. Smart as a whip, very few people could fool her and she did not suffer fools gladly. She also had a mother who kept an eagle eye on her at all times and stood up to the studio bosses as her daughter’s staunch advocate. They were a pretty awesome pair.

Anyway, I suggest you get ahold of a copy of Little Miss Marker and watch it tonight. It is a gem. And it is not a children’s movie. It was made for an adult audience. I remember my mother telling the story of how her parents came home from the movies one night and they had seen a film with an adorable little girl in it. My grandmother was over the moon–for Shirley Temple. I bet it was Little Miss Marker. The supporting cast includes Adolphe Menjou, Dorothy Dell, Charles Bickford, and a wonderful cadre of character actors. They don’t make ’em like that anymore.