Runt Page: A strange, pint-sized fever dream

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, you either want to watch Shirley Temple and a bunch of other kids pretend to be grizzled, chain-smoking newspaper types, or you don't. If you’re looking for a grounded drama, keep walking. This is for the folks who get a kick out of historical oddities and want to see what happens when the studio system runs out of ideas and just decides to let the toddlers run the newsroom.

The whole setup is basically a frame story. A kid falls asleep while her parents are arguing about The Front Page, and then, *poof*, we’re in her subconscious. It’s a bit jarring, like someone switched the channels on your brain while you were napping.

The Tiny Reporters

Seeing children in fedoras is exactly as surreal as it sounds. They’re running around with these little pads, shouting about scoops and deadlines, and there’s something genuinely funny about it. It doesn't quite work, but that’s kind of the point, isn't it?

The production design feels like it was put together in an afternoon. There’s a cardboard quality to the sets that makes the whole thing feel like a play put on by a very ambitious elementary school class. I mean that in a good way.

It definitely lacks the grit of some other vintage stuff like The Whirlwind of Youth, but it’s not trying to be that. It’s just trying to be cute. And weird. Mostly weird.

• The cop character has a mustache that clearly wants to fall off his face.
• The dialogue is just grown-up talk coming out of mouths that still have baby teeth.
• One of the 'reporters' spends half the film trying not to trip over his own oversized trench coat.

I found myself wondering if this was ever supposed to be taken seriously. Probably not. It feels like someone just said, 'Hey, let’s put the kids in the office set and see what happens.' It’s a very specific kind of 1930s corporate whimsy that you just don't see anymore. Probably for the best, though.

It isn't as polished as The Primitive Lover, and it definitely won't change your life. But if you’re bored on a rainy Tuesday and want to see Shirley Temple in a tiny little suit, you could do worse. 🎞️

The scene where the convict tries to hide in the roll-top desk goes on forever. It’s actually kind of impressive how long they keep that gag going before you realize nobody is actually looking for him. It's almost existential. Or maybe just lazy writing. Who knows.