Gene markey, ernest pascal, maurice maeterlinck, walter bullock. This is a family movie about a little girl, her brother and their adventures. Our kids just love shirley temple movies, so we recently got the blue bird for them. Mytyl and her brother tyltyl, a woodchoppers children, are led. The 1918 silent version was alright, but this one suffers from copying oz. While singing one of the songs from the film, a woman in the audience stood up and pulled a handgun from her purse. Shirley temple, spring byington, nigel bruce, gale. The blue bird 1940 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The blue bird was shirley temples first boxoffice flop in her 6 years as a child star. While many of temples films show her character misbehaving in various ways. Shirley temple black april 23, 1928 february 10, 2014 was an american actress, singer, dancer, businesswoman, and diplomat who was hollywoods number one boxoffice draw as a child actress from 1935 to 1938. The blue bird was a bigbudget fantasy movie considered to be 20th century foxs answer to the mgm smash hit the wizard of oz, for which temple herself was briefly considered for the starring role.
Shirley temple was able to win the hearts of a nation when many had lost hope of the future. It was during this radio performance that a crazed woman made an attempt on temple s life. Maybe its been said so many times that its accepted wisdom, but im just not buying it, at least as an excuse for the movies failure. For much of the decade, she was one of hollywoods greatest boxoffice attractions. Shirley temples father purchased the diamond ring in early. The blue bird 1940 the success of mgms the wizard of oz caused 20th century fox to put shirley in the blue bird, which turned out to be her very first box office flop. A naughty little girl shirley temple dreams she and her brother are sent by a fairy to find the bluebird of happiness. The blue bird 1940 shirley temple color version dvd. Shirley saw the gun and remarkably continued singingalbeit. Mytyl and her brother tyltyl, a woodchoppers children, are led by the fairy berylune on a magical trip through the past, present, and future to locate the blue bird of happiness. The blue bird, unfortunately, flopped at the box office, marking the end of shirleys reign as americas child star. Shirley temple the blue bird 1940 video dailymotion. The blue bird is a 1976 americansoviet childrens and fantasy film directed by george cukor. Shirley temple the blue bird 1940 mytyl finds true happiness within herself.
Shirley temple the blue bird 1940 mytyl finds true happiness within herself shirley temple. Its not at all a bad movie its just not a lot of fun. Shirley temple writes in her autobio about a little girl three or four years old who plays an unborn child in this movie. It came out right after the wizard of oz which shirley would have starred in if jean harlow hadnt of died, and just didnt have the same appeal. Almost a month prior to the films release, the blue bird was dramatized as a halfhour radio play on the december 24, 1939, broadcast of the screen guild theater, starring shirley temple and nelson eddy. Rent the blue bird 1940 starring shirley temple and spring byington on dvd and bluray. In a rare departure from her usual bubbly screen persona, shirley temple plays a selfish, spoiled little girl named mytyl, who doesn. This shirley temple photo might contain swallow, wren, and jenny wren. It was beautiful to look at in glorious technicolor but was not. But, we were absolutely shocked when we tried to watch it with them it was horrible. If shirley had been allowed to play the part, the references would make sense.
Shirley temple footage shirley cuts the ribbon 1938 duration. For a lighthearted fantasy, this is awfully depressing, full of moaning and weeping, especially in a hellish future purgatory where halfnaked preadolescent spirits fret and moan over when they. The truth about shirley temples wizard of oz connection. It was the fifth screen adaptation of the play, following two silent films, the studios 1940 version starring shirley temple, and a 1970 animated feature. Shirley temple the blue bird 1940 mytyl finds true happiness within herself duration. Zanucks arrangement to loan shirley temple to mgm as star of the. To paraphrase william holden in sunset boulevard, i last watched the blue bird. A poignant story of a selfish young german girls search for happiness, blue bird is a classic shirley temple film with a storybook hansel and gretel feel.
Audiences found the idea of shirley playing a nasty character hard to swallow. Rather heavy going for its intended family audience, the blue bird proved to be shirley temples biggest flop, and a subsequent 1976 ussoviet version starring elizabeth taylor fared no better at the box office. This is a set of movies, watched once or twice and in great condition. Shirley temple the blue bird 1940 mytyl finds true. In emulation of the wizard of oz, the blue bird was bookended with black andwhite. Oh wait, this was a butchered imitation called the blue bird 1940. Just now transformed from the family cat and dog, gale sondergaard and eddie collins don t agree on whether to aid the children shirley temple as mytyl, johnny russell as tyltyl, guided by the spirit light helen ericson. Ben mankiewicz intro the blue bird 1940 blue bird, the 1940 movie clip i always knew you were a fool. Obvious wizard of oz influenced movie here is somewhat overdosing on the sweetness, and does get dull at times, but this tale, about two kids trying to find the blue bird of. I do recognize and respect shirley temples place in film history. I also grew up watching shirley temple on saturdays on kplr my mom was a huge shirley temple fan. Shirley plays mytyl, a girl searching for the bluebird of happinessthis was the first shirley film that was a real failure. Shirley temple in the blue bird shirley temple photo.
It was too expensive to turn a profit and audiences didnt like seeing shirley in a negative or adolescent light. The blue bird is een amerikaanse dramafilm uit 1940 onder regie van walter. This version of the blue bird pretty much marked the beginning of the end of shirley temples career as americas favorite tyke. It marked the close of her magnificent career as the worlds premier child actress a distinction that most critics would agree is still upheld today. Audiences disliked the idea of shirley as a nasty character needing to learn a lesson. One leading adult character transformed from a cat appears to be killed in the storm. Maybe its been said so many times that its accepted wisdom, but im just not buying it, at least as an excuse for the movie. Its beautiful to look at and shirleys dark side is a lot of fun. The star of sothebys magnificent jewels sale on 19 april in new york is a stunning 9. She was the biggest star in the movies during the great depression. In order to teach them to behave the fairy sends them on.
Shirley temple a list of 39 titles created 07 feb 2019 classics a list of 25 titles created 27 dec 2016 shirley temple films a list of 36 titles. The screenplay by hugh whitemore, alfred hayes, and aleksei kapler is based on loiseau bleu by maurice maeterlinck. First of all, shirley is not her normal sweet self, but is playing a spoiled, ungrateful little brat named mytyl. The result was the blue bird, adapted from the allegorical stage play by maurice maeterlinck previously filmed by director maurice tourneur in 1918. The blue bird was shirley temples first boxoffice flop in her six years as a child star.
With shirley temple, spring byington, nigel bruce, gale sondergaard. In the end, shirley temple black proved to be a gracious and good sport. The public could not accept shirley playing a brat, and the lack of exciting musical numbers did not help either. This bizarre, creepy gothic fantasy stars shirley temple, in a borderline childadolescent role, as a spoiled brat who searches for the bird of happiness in a most nasty world of doom and gloom.
Shirley temple meets her unborn sister in the blue bird. Shirley temple in the blue bird we are movie geeks. Shirley temple, american actress and public official who was an internationally popular child star of the 1930s, best known for such sentimental musicals as bright eyes, the little colonel, and curly top. Parents need to know that the blue bird is a departure from the typical adorable shirley temple movie, with a few scenes which may frighten younger or more sensitive kids. One leading adult character transformed from a cat appears to be killed. As an adult, she was named united states ambassador to ghana and to czechoslovakia, and also served as chief of protocol of the united states. This restored and remastered 1940 film opens with a purposely grainy, black and white world that reinforces mytyls shirley temple illhumored attitude toward life. It was a movie that was considered both a critical and financial disappointment, 1940s the blue bird. Oz was a hit, but the blue bird was the first shirley temple picture to lose money. Shirley temple vhs movies lot blue bird curly top. Rent the blue bird 1940 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. The jury is still out as to whether or not curly haired shirley temple was the most talented child star in movie history. I felt compelled to comment because i am watching blue bird right now and was looking up commentary on the picture as allegory when i found me this post and because it is the most memorable st film to me also. Nearly everything that ive read about the blue bird blames part of the lack of success of this movie on audiences not wanting to see temple play a naughtybad child.
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