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Cult Review
Senior Film Conservator
Is it worth watching today? Only if you really love old-school Hollywood history or if you want to see where child stars like Shirley Temple basically got their start.
Most people will probably find it a bit weird. It is basically ten minutes of children performing like they have a mortgage to pay and a boss who doesn't take excuses.
The Meglin Kiddies were a big deal back then. They were like a factory for fame, turning toddlers into professional entertainers who could tap dance better than most adults.
You can see the effort in their eyes. It is actually a little bit much for a casual Tuesday afternoon watch, to be honest.
The stage setup is super simple. It looks like a high school play but with a much bigger budget for shiny costumes and bright lights.
There is a lot of tapping. So much tap dancing that my ears started to ring after about five minutes.
It reminds me a bit of The Dance of Life. But imagine that movie with much smaller people and way less romantic drama.
The costumes are actually pretty impressive for 1930. One kid is dressed like a tiny sailor and he is really giving it his absolute all, bless him.
I noticed the camera doesn’t really move much. It just sits there like a heavy piece of furniture while the kids zoom around in front of it.
Compared to something like Frisco Sally Levy, this feels way more like a filmed stage play than a proper movie. It is more of a showcase than a story.
Eugene Taylor and Marilyn Meglin show up too. But it is hard to tell who is who when everyone is under four feet tall and wearing heavy stage makeup.
The sound quality is that specific 1930s crackle. It sounds like someone is frying bacon in the room next door while the kids are singing.
Sometimes the voices get lost in the hiss. I wonder if the kids were tired when they filmed this under those hot studio lights.
Some of the smiles look totally stuck on. Like they were told to smile or they wouldn't get any crackers after the shoot.
It makes me think about The Common Cause and how different "entertainment" was back then. Everything was so earnest and loud.
There is no irony here. Just kids doing jazz hands and hoping for the best.
I actually think the tap solo goes on just long enough to make you wonder if the kid is ever going to stop. It gets a bit hypnotic after a while.
Is it good? Well, not really in a modern sense. But is it a fascinatng look at history? Yeah, totally.
I’d watch it again if I was doing a marathon of early shorts. Maybe I'd pair it with Woos Whoopee for a real trip into the past.
The finale has everyone on stage at once. It is total chaos but organized chaos.
I think I saw one kid in the back row trip and recover like a total pro. That was probably the most human moment in the whole thing.
It’s also weird to think about how old these kids would be now. Or that this was filmed before most of our grandparents were even born.
If you like seeing early technical stuff, it's almost as primitive as The First Television Picture with a Greyscale Image. But with more glitter.
The pacing is fast because it’s a short. But it still feels long because there is so much energy hitting you at once.
I would recommend it to people who like Henpecked. It has that same 1930s vibe where everyone is trying very hard to be funny or cute.
Anyway, it’s a strange little relic. It is not something you watch for the plot, obviously.
It’s a bit of a fever dream. But a cute one, I guess.
If you hate child performers, stay far away from this one. It will be your worst nightmare.
But for the rest of us, it’s a harmless ten minutes of history. Just don't expect it to make much sense.
IMDb —
1918
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