Shirley Temple – Smiles & Curls Collection (Mill Creek Entertainment)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: D     Films/Shorts: C+

 

 

For being such a big star, it is amazing how much of Shirley Temple’s work is not available in optimal copies or even under copyright.  That also means every company that can issue product on DVD does and after Fox (who owns the original materials and most of the copyrighted features) you’ll see other companies getting g out at least one release.  Mill Creek Entertainment has issued Shirley Temple – Smiles & Curls Collection including three feature films and a bunch of short subjects.

 

Like so many of these sets, it includes The Little Princess, but Fox has the best print.  You can read more about the film and that restored release at this link:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/5183/The+Shirley+Temple+Collection+-+Vol

 

 

The first DVD of this double disc set also includes the mixed B-movie Western Law of Vengeance (1933) with Randolph Scott and a nicely made Mystery film called The Red-Haired Alibi (1932) marking Temple’s debut at Indie and would-be contender Tower Films.  I liked the acting, thought the Mystery was at least interesting, then add the costumes and attempts to make it look costly and it is an interesting early sound film, to boot.

 

Though the box claims 14 features, 11 of them are shorts on DVD 2 and one is even a Fox Newsreel!  That leaves ten usually from the Fox Films Baby Burlesk/The Baby Stars series that would never get made today, is politically incorrect to say the least and was an attempt to have another Our Gang/Little Rascals-like hit.  We have seen them issued before, where I got into detail about my feelings about them, as you can see at this link:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/1527/Shirley+Temple+Collection+(Koch)

 

 

1)     Dora’s Dunking Donuts

2)     Glad Rags To Riches

3)     Kid In Africa

4)     Kid In Hollywood

5)     Managed Money

6)     Merrily Yours

7)     Pardon My Pups

8)     Pie Covered Wagon

9)     Polly Tix In Washington (the ‘hooker’ short)

10)  War Wagon

 

 

Like so many shorts from the 1932-4 period, the quality is especially problematic.  However, the 1.33 X 1 black and white image on the features are better, if not perfect.  Little Princess has pale color, Law is fuzzier than one would like and Alibi may be soft, but it is the best looking of the bunch across the two discs.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is often weak and noisy, usually match the pluses and minuses of the image.  Some may include the shorts as extras, but we will not.  If we did, it would be the same rating anyhow.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo