Professor Popinjay's Compendium of Perspicacity

A Non-Review by Prof. Popinjay

I’m sorry. I promise, I’m almost through them and then we can move on to Pokémon and Terminator films. I didn’t mean for it to be this way. It’s just that my phase one movie collection is all these old song and dance numbers. There’s no way out! God help me! It’s another Shirley Temple film!

There’s just no end to them! Was she a robot!?! Was she the first Mthreegan? She made like 87 films over the course of 26 years and she’s three feet tall in all of them! We’re they giving her the hobbit treatment? Were all the adults in the foreground while she acted back on the horizon? IS SHIRLEY TEMPLE A KAIJU!?!

Forgive me. I panicked.

So this one is actually not bad. It features other kids who aren’t Shirley Temple for once and they aren’t just there to be junxtaposed to Shirley. They actually add to the plot and even get a minute or two to shine.

The tried and true formula of the crotchety old man whose heart is softened by the well-meaning little lass hardly gets old and the humor is prevalent in this example which helps considerable. The best part of this and frankly anything is the involvement of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. I’d rather talk about him than a dozen Shirley Temple films any day (Not to downplay her hard work and the troubles she endured.) Bill Robinson (who is pictured with this article instead of the offensive original movie poster) probably didn’t get much credit or appropriate treatment considering his involvement and talents and the simple fact that he was a human being but let me tell you now, Bill was absolutely magnificent! And Shirley loved him! I watch him in awestruck wonder! The man could dance like no other! And he was so much more than a dancer! He was pioneer. An activist. A world changer! Do yourself a favor and read his Wikipedia page and then watch a clip reel of his performance and prepare to have your mind blown. (Mic drop. Exits.)