''Baby, Take a Bow'' is a 1934
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
comedy-drama film
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
directed by
Harry Lachman and is one of the earliest
Hays code
The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the ...
Hollywood films (its
MPAA
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...
certificate marks it as the third ever code-approved film). The screenplay by Philip Klein and Edward E. Paramore Jr. is based on the 1926 play ''Square Crooks'' by James P. Judge.
Shirley Temple plays the child of an ex-convict (
James Dunn) trying to make a better life for himself and his family. The film was a commercial success and is critically regarded as pleasant and sentimental.
A musical number features Dunn and Temple.
Plot
After serving time in
Sing Sing
Sing Sing Correctional Facility, formerly Ossining Correctional Facility, is a maximum-security prison operated by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision in the village of Ossining, New York. It is about north of ...
, Eddie Ellison (
James Dunn) marries his fiancée Kay (
Claire Trevor
Claire Trevor ( Wemlinger; March 8, 1910April 8, 2000) was an American actress. She appeared in 65 feature films from 1933 to 1982, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ''Key Largo'' (1948), and received nomina ...
) and eventually the two have a daughter they name Shirley (
Shirley Temple). Eddie helps his friend, and former
convict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as " prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former conv ...
, Larry Scott (
Ray Walker), who is engaged to Shirley's dance instructor Jane (Dorothy Libaire), get a job as a
chauffeur for his employer, factory owner Stuart Carson (
Richard Tucker
Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913January 8, 1975) was an American operatic tenor and cantor. Long associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker's career was primarily centered in the United States.
Early life
Tucker was born Rivn (Rubin) Ticke ...
).
Trigger Stone (
Ralf Harolde
Ralf Harolde (born Ralph Harold Wigger, May 17, 1899 – November 11, 1974) was an American character actor who often played gangsters. Between 1920 and 1963, he appeared in 99 films, including '' Smart Money'' with Edward G. Robinson and ...
), who also served time in Sing Sing, steals Mrs. Carson's (
Olive Tell
Olive Tell (September 27, 1894 – June 8, 1951) was a stage and screen actress from New York City.
Biography
Tell was educated in several cities in Europe. She and her younger actress sister Alma graduated from the American Academy of Drama ...
) pearl necklace and asks Eddie and Larry to sell it for him, but they refuse. Private investigator Welch (
Alan Dinehart), the man responsible for Eddie's
conviction
In law, a conviction is the verdict reached by a court of law finding a defendant guilty of a crime. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that is, "not guilty"). In Scotland, there can also be a verdict of " not proven", which is cons ...
, tells the head of the National Insurance Company he suspects the chauffeurs are guilty of the robbery and informs Mr. Carson about their prison records, prompting him to fire them.
Trying to escape from the police, Trigger gives the pearl necklace to Shirley, who believes it is a belated birthday present. As part of a game, she hides it in her father's pocket, and when he finds it while Welch is searching the apartment, he conceals it in the carpet sweeper, but unbeknownst to him, the neighbor's maid Anna (Lillian Stuart) borrows and empties it before returning it. Kay returns home, and when she hears the story, they try to open the sweeper. Welch returns and opens it himself, only to find it empty.
After Welch leaves, Eddie, Larry, Kay and Jane search the apartment building for the necklace. When Trigger threatens Eddie with a gun, Eddie subdues him and ties him up, then goes for the police. During his absence, Shirley discovers the necklace in the garbage can downstairs. She brings it to Eddie but instead finds Trigger, who convinces her to let him free. He takes her hostage and climbs to the roof, where he shoots Eddie. Although injured, Eddie manages to capture Trigger. Shirley takes the necklace from Trigger's pocket, and detective Flannigan (
James Flavin
James William Flavin Jr. (May 14, 1906 – April 23, 1976) was an American character actor whose career lasted for nearly half a century.
Early life
The son of a hotel waiter of Canadian-English descent,Flavin's obituary, distributed by United ...
) tells her she will be eligible for the $5,000 reward.
Cast
*
Shirley Temple as Shirley Ellison a 6-year-old girl
*
James Dunn as Eddie Ellison, Shirley's 32-year-old dad
*
Claire Trevor
Claire Trevor ( Wemlinger; March 8, 1910April 8, 2000) was an American actress. She appeared in 65 feature films from 1933 to 1982, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ''Key Largo'' (1948), and received nomina ...
as Kay Ellison
*
Alan Dinehart as Welch
*
Ray Walker as Larry Scott
* Dorothy Libaire as Jane Scott
*
Ralf Harolde
Ralf Harolde (born Ralph Harold Wigger, May 17, 1899 – November 11, 1974) was an American character actor who often played gangsters. Between 1920 and 1963, he appeared in 99 films, including '' Smart Money'' with Edward G. Robinson and ...
as Trigger Stone
*
James Flavin
James William Flavin Jr. (May 14, 1906 – April 23, 1976) was an American character actor whose career lasted for nearly half a century.
Early life
The son of a hotel waiter of Canadian-English descent,Flavin's obituary, distributed by United ...
as Det. Flannigan
*
Richard Tucker
Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913January 8, 1975) was an American operatic tenor and cantor. Long associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker's career was primarily centered in the United States.
Early life
Tucker was born Rivn (Rubin) Ticke ...
as Stuart Carson
*
Olive Tell
Olive Tell (September 27, 1894 – June 8, 1951) was a stage and screen actress from New York City.
Biography
Tell was educated in several cities in Europe. She and her younger actress sister Alma graduated from the American Academy of Drama ...
as Mrs. Carson
Production
James P. Judge's play ''Square Crooks'' was
filmed under that title in 1928 by
Lewis Seiler
Lewis Seiler (September 30, 1890 – January 8, 1964) was an American film director. He directed more than 80 films between 1923 and 1958.
Seiler was born in New York City and died in Hollywood, California.
Partial filmography
*''A Bankru ...
. The working titles for the remake were ''Always Honest'' and ''Going Straight''. Both ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' and ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reported the film was banned in Germany, although no reason was given by the German
censors
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
.
The song "On Account-a I Love You" was written by
Sam H. Stept
Samuel Howard Stept (aka Sammy Stept; 18 September 1897 – 1 December 1964) was an American songwriter who wrote for Broadway, Hollywood and the big bands. He became known simply as Sam Stept or Sam H. Stept – he rarely used his full middle n ...
and
Bud Green
Bud Green (19 November 1897 – 2 January 1981) was an American lyricist especially of Broadway musicals and show tunes
Early life and family
Green was born Moses David Green in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and immigrated to the United Stat ...
and sung by Temple and Dunn.
The dress that Temple wore on film while singing this song was part of a 2015 exhibition, ''Love, Shirley Temple''. The exhibition, which toured among several US locations, also included other dresses Temple wore between 1928 and 1941 as well as other memorabilia from this time. Items from the exhibition were auctioned off in July 2015 and this dress sold for $52,000.
Release
The film was one of Fox's biggest hits of the year.
Critical reception
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
called the film a "slender but cute tale" that is "slow for the most part, but a scene on a rooftop where the real baddie uses the tot as a human shield should amuse."
''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008.
Corpora ...
'' rated the film two out of four stars and commented, "Forget the plot and enjoy the child star in one of her most entertaining roles."
''TV Guide'' review
/ref>
Home media
In 2009, the film was available on videocassette and DVD in both the original black and white and in computer-colorized versions. Some editions had special features and theatrical trailers.
References
External links
*
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Baby Take A Bow
1934 films
American black-and-white films
Films directed by Harry Lachman
Fox Film films
American comedy-drama films
1934 comedy-drama films
American films based on plays
Films scored by Samuel Kaylin
1930s English-language films
1930s American films