Sorry, this movie sucks

Absolutely Fantastic

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Spoilers ahead:Orphan carries the show. (Shirley later becomes an orphan.). Everyone likes her, except her bratty nemesis. Why do the wealthy girls envy the poorer girls? Maybe the rich stereotypes are true. Maybe the rich girls do have all the good clothes, toys and snobbish and obnoxious parents. Maybe the poorer little girls convey a great deal of love, affection and humility, while the wealthy child stereotypes are all gimme gimme gimme and I-want-more. Perhaps more is not what it's cracked up to be. Perhaps less is more satisfying and peaceful. Shirley has the love of a lot of people, starting with all of the aviators. They are a happy lot, taking good care of her and making sure that her childhood is as fulfilling as possible. Her mother loves her, and I think that the kitchen staff cares very much for her also. Shirley knows a lot of aviation terminology for such a young moppet. She is just darling in her small aviator suit and helmet. The uncle was wonderful. He was a curmudgeon with a heart of gold. This was in the Great Depression. News was bleak and unsavory, and films like this cheered up a tired and weary nation. The little moppet was truly an inspiration, indeed. 10/10. The song on the airplane was ingenious and sweet. The ruined airplane cake was a tragedy, not to mention what happened to Shirley's mother.

Shirley Blake (Shirley Temple) lost her pilot father in a crash. She likes to hang out at the airport with her godfather Loop Merritt and all of their friends. Her mother Mary is a live-in maid working for the Smythes. Mrs. Smythe disapproves of her flyboy friends and plans to fire her after Christmas. The family hates cranky uncle Ned Smith but Mr. Smythe hopes to get the inheritance. The only person Ned likes is Shirley whom he calls Bright Eyes. Mary is killed by a car and Ned wants to adopt Shirley. This sets up a legal battle for the little girl between the Smythes and Loop.This has the super cute and spunky Shirley Temple who delivers the song On the Good Ship Lollipop. She's a million watts light bulb. The rest of them are perfectly fine although the other girl Joy is awkwardly bratty. In the end, the battle is between two people who both love Shirley and there is limited drama in the lack of danger. That may be why a dangerous situation had to be manufactured.

Little BRIGHT EYES wins the hearts & changes the lives of a lonely aviator and a cranky old coot.This movie was a very big hit for Shirley Temple, who certainly deserved all the attention: she is adorable. Although the film tends to lag into melodramatics during the final half hour, Shirley brightens everything considerably when she appears. With her undeniable talent & elfin smile, it's easy to see why she became Hollywood's top box office star.However, the Mighty Mite does have competition. Jane Withers is on hand as the Ultimate Brat, a dreadful child who likes to play with imaginary machine guns and amputate body parts off of dolls. Although she looks alarmingly like OUR GANG's Alfalfa in drag, Withers is wonderful and the perfect antidote for those who may find Miss Temple a tad bit icky sticky. To say that Miss Withers practically plunders the picture from The Moppet is high praise, indeed.James Dunn appeared in four films with Shirley in 1934; in BRIGHT EYES he has his finest scenes with her. As her dead father's best buddy, Dunn is quite touching in his devotion to the child. Elderly character actor Charles Sellon has some funny scenes as a most obstreperous old blister. His contempt for Miss Withers is a joy to behold.Jane Darwell was always a welcome addition to any cast; here she plays a lovable Irish cook. Brandon Hurst as her prim English butler husband, Judith Allen as Dunn's love interest, Lois Wilson as Shirley's doomed mother, and Theodore von Eltz & Dorothy Christy as Withers' pestilential parents all add to the movie's enjoyment.Shirley sings what was to become her signature song - ‘On The Good Ship Lollipop' - and it is a highlight of the film. Many first time viewers, having heard the song all their lives, may be surprised to learn it's about a plane, not a boat - in this case, from American Airlines.

Rare is the scene in a Shirley Temple film where Curly Top is reduced to a mere spectator while another actor grabs the spotlight and runs screaming with it, but Bright Eyes has them in bunches! See Shirley gasp as human pit bull Jane Withers dismembers a doll before her very eyes! Tremble with fear as Shirley flees from her possessed playmate when their Santa Claus discussion takes a nasty turn! And if you think young Joy is a terror now, imagine how bad she'd be without psychoanalysis. In the movie's far too numerous non-Jane scenes, Shirley reverts to her old role as top banana with predictably charming results. No Shirley Temple film can really get rolling until her parents have been killed, so Mother is done in about half-way through, while Dad offs it before the opening credits, freeing our young pixie for another delightful custody battle. (By the way, do you suppose kids of the 1930's took a secret satisfaction in watching Shirley's parents get systematically rubbed out in every one of her movies? After all, her new parents were always a step up from the old ones; richer, prettier and usually much more fun. Life as an orphan might not have looked so bad to a depression-era tot after seeing a Shirley Temple picture.)In conclusion, this movie is highly recommended for Shirley's fans and foes alike. Watch it for Shirley's smile or Jane's scowl, and stay tuned till the end. You won't want to miss the most satisfying closing shot in the history of cinema.