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4.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Polly Tix in Washington remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Look, if you like your movies normal, skip this. Polly Tix in Washington is a fever dream of a short film where Shirley Temple and a bunch of other kids are tasked with running the United States government. If you enjoy vintage curiosities that make you go 'what was happening in the 1930s?', you'll get a kick out of it. If you hate watching children try to mimic grumpy, middle-aged men in suits, you will probably want to turn it off after three minutes. 👶
It’s surreal watching these tiny humans stomp around in fedoras and giant coats. There is this one scene where a toddler is trying to deliver a serious speech about legislation, and he keeps tripping over his own oversized sleeves. It’s charming, I guess? But mostly it just feels like someone’s weird home movie project that somehow got a budget.
The pacing is all over the place. One minute we are in the middle of a heated debate, and the next, everyone is just kind of wandering around the set looking confused. It reminds me a bit of the aimless energy in The Fishing Fool, where you aren't entirely sure if the characters know what they are supposed to be doing either.
Shirley Temple is doing her thing, of course. She’s the only one who seems to realize there is a camera pointed at her, while the rest of the cast is clearly just waiting for craft services to open. There is an oddly specific moment where someone drops a gavel and it clatters for way too long. The sound person definitely just left that in, and it makes the whole thing feel strangely grounded in a messy, unpolished way.
I wouldn't call this a masterpiece of political satire. It’s more like a weird time capsule of a different era's obsession with child stars. It’s way less tense than the action in The Big Stampede, obviously, but it shares that same feeling of just trying to fill screen time with people who don't quite fit the roles they’ve been given.
Is it worth a watch today? Maybe, if you’re bored and want to see something truly bizarre. Just don’t expect it to make any sense. It’s not trying to change the world. It’s just kids in suits, and sometimes, that’s all you get.
IMDb 6.5
1931
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