Watching Shirley Temple: Early Years (Volume 2) is a weird, dusty trip

If you have any patience for old-school, black-and-white studio filler, you might get a kick out of this. If you are looking for anything resembling a modern plot or pacing, you are going to be bored to tears within ten minutes. This isn't really a movie, it's a artifact. 🎞️

The whole thing feels like you are rummaging through a box of old photos in an attic that hasn't been opened since 1940. There is a specific, crackly warmth to the audio that makes you feel like you are sitting in a drafty theater, even if you are just staring at your laptop screen.

It is wild watching a kid just... work. Shirley is obviously a pro, but there is this frantic, high-pressure energy in how she hits her marks. It makes me think of The Saturday Night Kid, which had that same weird, stagey feeling where everyone is trying just a little bit too hard to be charming.

There is this one moment where she is dancing, and she looks directly into the lens for a split second too long. It is not cute; it is actually kind of haunting. It’s like you can see the director just off-screen, pointing his finger and mouthing instructions.

The supporting cast feels like they are just there to prop her up, which I guess is the point. Alice Faye shows up, and she is fine, but nobody is really here for anyone but the main draw. It is a one-person show, even when the frame is crowded.

I found myself wondering if she ever just got to play with a doll that wasn't part of a prop budget. A weird thought to have while watching, I know.

Sometimes the film stock just gets these weird, wiggly lines running through it, and I honestly preferred looking at those than the actual dialogue scenes. It is like watching history decay in real-time. It’s more interesting than the plot, if we are being honest.

If you like this stuff, check out Love Among the Millionaires for a slightly different flavor of the same era. It’s got that same dusty, golden-age polish that feels both comforting and completely fake.

I wouldn't recommend this for a movie night with friends unless you want them to stop talking to you. It is a solitary watch. Keep it for a rainy Sunday when you don't want to think about anything modern. ☔

Notes from the couch:

• The lighting is either blindingly bright or pitch black. No in-between.
• The background extras in the street scenes look like they have absolutely no idea what they are supposed to be doing. One guy in a hat just stands there for like thirty seconds doing nothing.
• The sound of the tap shoes is definitely dubbed in post-production. It sounds like someone playing with a typewriter.
• I think I spotted a shadow of a boom mic in the corner during the kitchen scene. Or maybe it was just a spider web. Who knows.