Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Allan Dwan

Writers:

Kate Douglas Wiggin (novel) and
Don Ettlinger (writer)

Release Date:

18 March 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Comedy | Drama | Musical

Plot:

Rebecca's Uncle Harry leaves her with Aunt Miranda who forbids her to associate with show people. But...

Plot Keywords:

Talent Scout | Radio | Singer | Childhood | Performer

Cast

Shirley Temple	...	Rebecca Winstead
Randolph Scott	...	Tony Kent
Jack Haley	...	Orville Smithers
Gloria Stuart	...	Gwen Warren
Phyllis Brooks	...	Lola Lee
Helen Westley	...	Aunt Miranda Wilkins
Slim Summerville	...	Homer Busby
Bill Robinson	...	Aloysius
Raymond Scott	...	Leader of Musical Ensemble (as Raymond Scott Quintet)
Alan Dinehart	...	Purvis
J. Edward Bromberg	...	Doctor Hill
Dixie Dunbar	...	Receptionist
Paul Hurst	...	Mug
William Demarest	...	Harry Kipper
Ruth Gillette	...	Melba

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The title is taken from a book by Kate Douglas Wiggin, but outside of the character of Aunt Miranda and the plot element of Rebecca coming to live with her aunt, the film has absolutely nothing in common with the book.

Quotes:

Aunt Miranda Wilkins: Just a minute, young man. Are you trying to tell me you want to put Rebecca on the radio?
Tony Kent: Yes, Miss Wilkins. On a very important program. A nationwide hookup...
Aunt Miranda Wilkins: Get out of here!
Tony Kent: But Miss Wilkins, I don't understand...
Gwen Warren: Aunt Miranda, please just listen to Mr. Kent.
Rebecca Winstead: I want to go on the radio so bad.
Tony Kent: This is a very important opportunity for Rebecca. Surely you can't say no.
Aunt Miranda Wilkins: Oh, can't I? Just listen, Mr. Kent. No! I know what you show people are, a no-good lot! I took Rebecca out of that unwholesome atmosphere, and I'm not going to put her back into it! She's staying on the farm where I can keep an eye on her.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: Last Tap Dance in Springfield (#11.20)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Oh My Goodness

My brief review of the film

A pleasant if not brilliant Shirley Temple vehicle, the young actress shines as the charming Rebecca and she sings quite well too. The film itself is formulaic and very predictable with typical characters, but it nevertheless does the job reasonably well, providing an opportunity for Temple to display her talents as and actress and as a singer. The songs are a delight to listen too as well. The main setback for the film is the amateurish editing - at least three or four times continuity is broken by the presence of jump cuts - however this can easily be ignored in light of the charms of the film. It supposedly is not faithful to the source material, but as a film on its own, it does fine.