Shirley Temple - America's Sweetheart Collection, Vol. 5 (1934)

Includes:The Blue BirdTwo peasant children Mytyl and Tyltyl are led by Berylune a fairy to search for the Blue Bird of Happiness. Berylune gives Tyltyl a cap with a diamond setting and when Tyltyl turns the diamond the children become aware of and conversant with the souls of a Dog and Cat as well as of Fire Water Bread Light and other presumably inanimate things. The troupe thus sets off to find the elusive Blue Bird of Happiness.The Little PrincessIn Victorian England little Sara Crewe's widowed father is sent to the Boer War. When he is reported killed the evil head mistress at her boarding school turns Sara into a servant. She suffers with dignity until her shell-shocked father returns.Stand Up And Cheer President Franklin Roosevelt appoints a theatrical producer as the new Secretary of Amusement in order to cheer up an American public still suffering through the Depression. The new secretary soon runs afoul of political lobbyists out to destroy his department.Plot Keywords: Entertainer | Great DepressionSystem Requirements:Run Time: 247 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 024543382409 Manufacturer No: 2238240 Product Description

got it just on time

i noticed that the price went up for this DVD ($24.99)
got my DVD when it was lower, guess I have
a good deal! June 5, 2008

Buried Shirley Temple Treasure

Again, we have three movies packaged together, but this time it's two clear winners and an "OK, for the historical significance" corny one.

This version of The Little Princess is my favorite, in spite of the fact that it does not stick all that closely to the book, since none of the movies have done so. But it is more authentic than the more recent (and very good) Warner Bros. version from the 1990s. Shirley is the poor little rich girl whose adoring widower father puts her in Miss Minchin's snooty school in London while he goes off to the Boer War. She has lived all her life in India, and is accustomed to a very different lifestyle. But she adapts well, even when word comes that her father lost all his money and died. Shirley refuses to believe he is dead. Minchin turns her into a servant to pay off her outstanding tuition and costs advanced. So she goes to the attic and sleeps in what is mostly a storeroom, next to Becky, the Cockney servant, and finds that out the window of the room she looks directly into the house next door, where an elegant Indian servant can be seen in the window.

The story relies rather too heavily on coincidence, but that's really its only flaw. Shirley is marvelous in the role, other actors we know and love (notably the "cowardly lion") brighten the story, and Shirley even meets Queen Victoria herself! Of course, her father is alive, and she finds him, with Victoria's help.

Stand Up and Cheer is another of those "feel good" depression era movies, but this one is far more charming than most. Shirley is very, very young, and just as cute as anyone can imagine. The most important part of this movie is having it available for the history of film.

Shirley's father (Notice how she has a great many more fathers than mothers in her movies?) is an unemployed vaudeville actor who has incorporated Shirley into his act, where of course she steals the show every time. So when the government creates a Department of Entertainment (bread and circuses, you know; there were really many such projects in the New Deal), they are recruited to make the country "stand up and cheer." The song that tells it all has lyrics that start "I'm laughing, and I've got nothing to laugh about." Again, some offensive stereotypes of blacks, but what can we do?

The Blue Bird is the hidden gem. It was not popular when it was new because Shirley uncharacteristically plays a spoiled brat at the beginning. But since she learns better, I don't consider that a problem. The movie was clearly made to compete with The Wizard of Oz, and in my opinion [blasphemy warning!], it has more going for it as a story than Oz does. Shirley and her little brother are sent on a mission to find the Bluebird of Happiness by a friendly witch -- oh, sorry, a "good fairy." She travels through the graveyard to find her grandparents, who explain that they "wake up" whenever someone remembers them. They want her and her little brother to stay, but they have been warned by their spirit guide, named Light, not to stay more than an hour. Their grandparents have a large cage full of birds, but none of them is blue.

They wander around and look for the bird, and have a variety of interesting encounters, but the most remarkable place is the one where little boys and girls live until it is time for them to be born. There is a strong mystic thread here, and seems to imply reincarnation, both pretty esoteric for 1940.

Of course, they find the bluebird at home. As Dorothy put it, "There's no place like home." January 14, 2008

Mom of Sav

My 7yr. old daughter collects Shirley stuff. We have all her movies and love them. January 10, 2008

Where is Volume 6 Already??

I'm wondering what happened to Volume 6? I sure hope Wee Willie Winkie is in it. December 22, 2007

For fans of Shirley and Technicolor

Others have commented that this is an odd assortment and not the best; I would agree to a small extent. "The Little Princess" is often referred to as Shirley's best, and this DVD print definitely bears out those sentiments. Shirley has a strong supporting cast with Arthur Treacher, Mary Nash, Marcia Mae Jones (as the spoiled arch nemisis of Shirley), and Anita Louise. Fox also gave Shirley high production values which show in the color, the sets (especially the lavish ballet number), and the costumes. Definitely 5 stars. "The Blue Bird" is a film that often slides into both camps; people either hate it or love it. Shirley herself gives a standout performance as a little brat. This is a little jarring for her regular fans, but for once she is given an opportunity to play against type and she succeeds. The rest of the supporting cast is strong and so are the production values. Where the film fails is in the direction, pacing, and script. With tighter direction and editing, the lulls in the plotline could have been fixed. Although not as bad is its horrible reputation, "The Blue Bird" is not as enjoyable as "The Little Princess." I would give this one a 3/4 star rating. "Stand Up & Cheer" is mainly for fans of old musicals and campy entertainment. I don't think Fox at anytime (even when it was released) ever claimed this movie was high art, and it has always had the reputation of being a lot of hokey numbers with the exception of Shirley 's standout "Baby Take A Bow" duet with James Dunn. Shirley's actual part of the number only lasts about a minute, but boy does she shine in the midst of this turkey! This movie gets about 4 stars for its historic value, and probably about a 1 or 2 star rating for overall entertainment. It's pure escapist fun that needs to be put into the historic context in which it was released: the country was in the midst of a terrible depression, and even this hokum was able to put a smile on their face. In general, it's still disappointing that Fox has been so stingy on the extras with these Shirley sets. The gal that saved the studio at least deserves a few features and commentary tracks. October 5, 2007

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