Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)

Shirley Temple couldn't have been more than eight years old when she starred - and that is the word - in this gently amusing comedy about a young girl "Barbara" who lives the life a molly-coddled girl with her doting, wealthy father "Richard" (Michael Whalen). When he decides to send her to school, she gets lost and ends up lodging with street entertainer "Tony" (Henry Armetta) and his large family, before meeting with a husband-and-wife entertainment outfit whom she sings and dances with - charming her way to success with soap millionaire "Peck" (Glaude Gillingwater). It's a light-hearted and charming affair, with the youngster thoroughly entertaining. It is a bit odd that the father doesn't appear to notice his child is missing for quite a bit of the film (only a day or two) until he hears on the radio and... we've got to keep an eye out for a few dodgy characters en route to quite a fun conclusion. It's got some cheerful ditties along the way - including "Oh, My Goodness" and the cleverly rhyming "You've got to eat your spinach" a song very much after my own heart when I was 8, too. Temple is not the least precocious, and I think that gave her something else, unique amongst the many child stars living the lives of their parents vicariously, and I enjoyed this.