Dimples

1936 "CHEERFUL...TEARFUL...TUNEFUL!"
6.5| 1h19m| PG| en
Details

Dimples Appleby lives with her pick-pocket grandfather in 19th century New York City. She entertains the crowds while he works his racket. A rich lady makes it possible for the girl to go legit.

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Reviews

KnotMissPriceless Why so much hype?
Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?
Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.
InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
bkoganbing For this Shirley Temple feature Frank Morgan was borrowed from MGM and worked awfully hard to keep America's favorite moppet from stealing the whole film. Morgan was no mean scene stealer himself.A lot of his Professor Marvel aka known as the Wizard over in Oz went into Morgan characterization of the Professor who is Shirley's grandfather. He's a former actor who has seen his better days and now lives hand to mouth. Shirley and her street peers and an integrated group of peers they are distract the crowd while he pilfers their pockets.I won't say how but Shirley comes to the attention of society matron Helen Westley who offers to adopt her. At the same time she's got a nephew Robert Kent who wants to enter that most ignoble of professions, being an actor. She won't hear of it, especially his adaption of that current best seller Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.These two issues meet and are resolved in the finale. Though we're never sure whether Frank Morgan will end his thieving ways. It's practically an addiction now.Morgan and Temple made a good team on screen. Their scenes are almost a dress rehearsal for his role in The Wizard Of Oz.
murraygewirtz Parents should not allow their small children to watch Dimples any more than they should allow them to watch excessively violent, sexually explicit or profane movies, as they would be exposed to egregious stereotypes of Black people. The movie should be viewed by students of film, sociology and American history so they might have a better understanding of the negative, demeaning attitudes toward Blacks so prevalent in the U.S. until relatively recently, traces of which still exist. The picture has Stepin Fetchit playing a servant to Frank Morgan as if he has an IQ of 10. It has a "play-within-a play" performance of scenes from Uncle Tom's Cabin featuring Whites in ludicrous black-face complete with white sugar donut lips. It's ironic that the novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was intended as an abolitionist work, and indeed did arouse sympathy for Blacks, (so much so that President Lincoln called its author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, "The little lady who started the Civil War") while this movie, in which Uncle Tom's Cabin plays a prominent part, is, by enlightened standards, crudely racist.If you can overlook the above racism, and I I'd like to know who can, Shirley Temple is adorable as usual, dancing wonderfully, though her singing voice, albeit cute, leaves something to be desired, as always. Frank Morgan gives an admirable performance as a charming con man thief.But, all in all, Dimples is a children's movie that is no longer, if it ever was, suitable for children. If you doubt this, Just picture the Obamas screening it for their daughters.
talking_tree I usually really like watching the old and charming Shirley Temples. But this one, Dimples, just simply isn´t a very good movie. Some fairly good actors are in it but all together it´s very tiring and unrealistic little film. Shirley´s charisma just doesn´t hit it this time. And when it doesn´t hit, the only thing that shows is her acting which is not anything special. The only quite good thing is the songs and dance rutines but other wise: boring. Also it just shines out how bad possition black actors had in Hollywood on the 30s. This is not Shirley´s best, watch Curly top or The Little Princess instead.
Ron Oliver DIMPLES, a precocious little tot in the New York City of 1850, must decide between life with her penniless but charming rogue of a grandfather & a wealthy old lady who loves her.Shirley Temple, that pint-sized package of amazing talent & energy, delights once again. Her megawatt smile & boundless vivacity are only the outward manifestations of her unique personality & status which still keeps her - after so much time - Hollywood's greatest child star.Frank Morgan, who had honed his scene stealing techniques for decades before Shirley was born, plays her grandfather. Given good lines, he was the rare actor who could dominate the dialogue even at the mighty tyke's expense. He is constantly entertaining to watch and adds greatly to the enjoyment of the film. His classic role would come a few years later when he was to portray THE WIZARD OF OZ, over at MGM.The supporting players all give solid performances, most notably Helen Westley & Berton Churchill. John Carradine & ubiquitous child actor Leonard Kibrick both have small roles. Movie mavens will recognize Stepin Fetchit, unbilled as Morgan's servant.The romantic subplot, consisting of Robert Kent trying to choose between Astrid Allwyn & Delma Byron, is a dull affair - as is usual in most Shirley Temple films.Shirley sings `What Did The Bluebird Say,' `He Was A Dandy,' and, with The Hall Johnson Choir, `Get On Board, Little Children'. Although he does not appear in the film, the legendary Bill Robinson choreographed Shirley's tap routines; his influence is readily apparent.It has to be mentioned that there is quite a lot of racism in the film. It should also be noted that this was not an unusual situation in Hollywood films of the 1930's.