Little Miss Broadway

Little Miss Broadway
Little Miss Broadway
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Irving Cummings
Written by	Harry Tugend; Jack Yellen;
Produced by	Darryl F. Zanuck; David Hempstead;
Starring	Shirley Temple; Edna May Oliver; George Murphy; Phyllis Brooks;
Cinematography	Arthur C. Miller
Music by	Harold Spina; Walter Bullock;
Distributed by	Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Release date	July 29, 1938;
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Little Miss Broadway is a 1938 American musical drama film directed by Irving Cummings. The screenplay was written by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellen.^[1] The film stars Shirley Temple in a story about a theatrical boarding house and its occupants, and was originally titled Little Lady of Broadway. In 2009, the film was available on DVD and videocassette.

Plot

Betsy Brown is released from an orphanage into the care of Pop Shea, her parents' friend who runs a boarding house for theatrical performers. Sarah Wendling, the curmudgeon owner and next-door neighbor of the building, detests "show people" and their noise, and demands Pop pay the $2,500 back rent he owes or move out immediately. Her nephew Roger is in love with Pop's daughter Barbara and files suit against Sarah in order to gain control of the building and his inheritance, with which he plans to stage a show starring the hotel's residents. Sarah questions the soundness of Roger's investment in the show, and Betsy convinces the judge to see the production before he decides the case. With the assistance of her friends, the little girl presents a lavish musical revue in the courtroom that so impresses one of the observers, he offers the troupe $2,500 a week to star in his International Follies. Having had a change of heart, Sarah insists the show is worth $5,000 and convinces the impresario to double his offer. Roger and Barbara then announce their intent to wed and adopt Betsy.

Cast

Shirley Temple as Betsy Brown, an orphan
Edward Ellis as Pop Shea, Betsy's parents' friend
Edna May Oliver as Sarah Wendling
Donald Meek as Willoughby Wendling, Sarah’s brother
George Murphy as Roger, Sarah's nephew, Betsy's adoptive father
Phyllis Brooks as Barbara, Pop's daughter, Betsy's adoptive mother
Jimmy Durante as Jimmy Clayton, a bandleader
Jane Darwell as Miss Hutchins
Patricia Wilder as Flossie, Hotel variety Switchboard Operator
Robert Gleckler as Detective
George Barbier as Fiske
Barbra Bell Cross as Carol, an orphan
El Brendel as Ole, an animal trainer
George Brasno as George
Olive Brasno as Olive
Claude Gillingwater Sr. as The Judge
Jerry Colonna as Member of Clayton's Band
Hank Mann as Ventriloquist (uncredited)
Charles Coleman as Sarah Wendling's Butler
Heinie Conklin as Member of Clayton's Band

Production

Murphy, who was not satisfied with the dance routine in "We Should Be Together," insisted that movie's closing dance number be reworked. Despite Temple's mother's concerns, Temple was on board with it. The dance number proved so popular with the cast and crew that Murphy and Temple gave an encore performance after the cameras stopped rolling.^[2]

Music

Six songs were written by Harold Spina (music) and Walter Bullock (lyrics). All were performed by Temple.

"Little Miss Broadway"
"Be Optimistic"
"How Can I Thank You?"
"We Should Be Together"
"If All the World Were Paper"
"Swing Me an Old Fashioned Song"

"Hop, Skip, and Jump", a Temple duet with Jimmy Durante, was cut from the film but is still visible in the original trailer.

Other songs appearing in the movie include:

"When You Were Sweet Sixteen"
"Loch Lomond"
"Auld Lang Syne"

Release

Critical reception

The New York Times wrote, "The devastating Mistress Temple is slightly less devastating than usual [...] it can't be old age, but it does look like weariness [...] although she performs with her customary gaiety and dimpled charm, there is no mistaking the effort every dimple cost her."^[3]

TV Guide called it "a delightful Shirley Temple vehicle in which she again does what she does best – portray a singing, dancing, pouting orphan girl."^[4]

References

^ "THE SCREEN; Shirley Temple Forces a Dimple in Her New Picture 'Little Miss Broadway' at the Roxy--Other Films At the 86th St. Garden Theatre At the 86th Street Casino". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
^ Temple Black, Shirley (1989). Child Star: An Autobiography. New York: Warner Books. p. 210. ISBN 978-0070055322.
^ Nugent, Frank S. (23 July 1938). "Little Miss Broadway". The New York Times.
^ "Little Miss Broadway". TV Guide. Retrieved October 23, 2019.

[1] "THE SCREEN; Shirley Temple Forces a Dimple in Her New Picture 'Little Miss Broadway' at the Roxy--Other Films At the 86th St. Garden Theatre At the 86th Street Casino". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-03-14.

[2] Temple Black, Shirley (1989). Child Star: An Autobiography. New York: Warner Books. p. 210. ISBN 978-0070055322.

[3] Nugent, Frank S. (23 July 1938). "Little Miss Broadway". The New York Times.

[4] "Little Miss Broadway". TV Guide. Retrieved October 23, 2019.

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