Even by the standards of Shirley Temple vehicles, this is a weird one: our hero is the neglected daughter of some rich radio mogul widower (someone called Michael Whalen), who is looked after by a mean (Sara Haden) and nice (Jane Darwell) maid. Shirley snuggles into dad's lap as a wife substitute, which is a little uncomfortable, then the nice maid suggests to dad that Shirley is being neglected; instead of spending more time with her or anything he bundles her off to camp to mix with other kids. But the maid taking her to the station (that's right, dad doesn't even take her to the station) is run over by a car (!) so Shirley doesn't go to camp. She goes walkabout, and winds up being looked after by a vaudevillian couple.
At this stage the film gives up on the poor little rich girl plot, not that they ever used it that much (Shirley was best playing orphans and poor girls, not rich brats), and becomes a rise to fame story. Shirley and the two vaudevillians (Jack Haley and Alice Faye) become a trio and rise to fame. Dad doesn't even realise that she's missing until the very end!! (He spends his running time in the film romancing some girl.) Then the movie throws in a creepy pedophile/ child kidnapper, whose attempt to kidnap Shirley gives the ending its climax - really full on.
The star does her schtick expertly and there are some first rate numbers, particularly the one at the end, with the little moppet madly tap dancing away with Haley and Faye. But it's just too confusing and weird to be an entertaining movie.
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