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Curly Top

G 1935 1h 15m Musical List
Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Charming, headstrong young Elizabeth Blair (Shirley Temple) lives at the Lakeside Orphanage where her sister, Mary (Rochelle Hudson), works in the kitchen. Mary writes songs that Elizabeth sings. The child's performance and her spirit impress a young, wealthy trustee, Edward Morgan (John Boles), who poses as a lawyer with an offer of adoption for Elizabeth, but she won't leave without her sister. Edward decides to bring them both to his mansion, and soon begins to fall in love with Mary.
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Curly Top

Critics Reviews

View All (4) Critics Reviews
Meyer Levin (Patterson Murphy) Esquire Magazine Watch for a brief shot of the babe dancing the hula. It has all the grave grace of childhood. Apr 16, 2020 Full Review Ann Ross Maclean's Magazine Admirers of the screen's first child wonder will dote on Curly Top. People who find that all child performances on the screen, even Temple performances, stir up the wicked old Herod in them, had better stay away. Oct 11, 2019 Full Review Helen Brown Norden Vanity Fair [Temple] has great charm and a phenomenal ease which permit her to dominate even such an absurd situation and stupid dialogue as are forced on her in her latest picture, Curly Top. Jun 12, 2019 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Sep 29, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Steve D Fairly gross even by 30s standards. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/09/23 Full Review deke p Cutest, most adorable, most talented little girl ever. How did they ever find her. Phenomenally amazing. How could anybody give this movie less than the maximum 5 stars. 1935 movie! Just a few years previous, Hollywood was making silent films! & ARTHuR TREACHER was The Butler. Saw on tv Christmas Eve 2021 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Shirley Temple is at the top of her adorable moppet game in Curly Top as she becomes the catalyst that gets her and her older sister Rochelle Hudson out of an orphanage and married to a rich man. Cinderella never had it better. Shirley and Rochelle's parents were killed in an accident and Rochelle promised them as they were dying that she and Shirley would not be separated. She even stayed on at the orphanage to cook and clean after she became an adult. Prince Charming who looks a lot like John Boles is captivated by Shirley when she sings one of the songs most identified with her Animal Crackers In My Soup. He's inherited a ton of money and is the newest member of the orphanage's board of directors. Boles brings them to his dream house with aunt Esther Dale, butler Arthur Treacher, and cook Billy Gilbert. Sounds like a dream house to me. All that's missing in this Cinderella story is a coach that turns back into a pumpkin. Even at my age I have to admit to being charmed by Shirley and her singing and dancing and all around sunny disposition. Curly Top ranks as one of her best films and holds up well for today's audience. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review andy h Heading back to simpler times, it's nice to see an era where we can watch little angels dance upon screen in loving bonds with adults without conflict or a second look. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie is much older than me but it shows a time when movies were funny, sweet and romantic without nudity and bad language. When Edward calls everyone "darling" it made me melt. So romantic!!! Great music too. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member The best movie song ever sung: Animal Crackers in My Soup! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Curly Top

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Movie Info

Synopsis Charming, headstrong young Elizabeth Blair (Shirley Temple) lives at the Lakeside Orphanage where her sister, Mary (Rochelle Hudson), works in the kitchen. Mary writes songs that Elizabeth sings. The child's performance and her spirit impress a young, wealthy trustee, Edward Morgan (John Boles), who poses as a lawyer with an offer of adoption for Elizabeth, but she won't leave without her sister. Edward decides to bring them both to his mansion, and soon begins to fall in love with Mary.
Director
Irving Cummings
Producer
Winfield Sheehan
Production Co
Fox Film Corporation
Rating
G
Genre
Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 1, 2013
Runtime
1h 15m
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