Customer Reviews

Now & Forever [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Now and Forever is a perfect showcase for the acting ability that Shirley Temple had as a young child. Less contrived than some of her later pictures, the script gives her the chance to really play a three-dimensional character. Her range of emotion is simply stunning, considering she was only six years old at the time. Although there is little of the singing and dancing Shirley was known for, this is nonetheless a great movie.

With a knock-out cast like this movie has, it will almost certainly please lovers of vintage movies. Jerry Day and Toni Carstairs (Cooper & Lombard) are a pair of vagabond thieves in love. On a boat from Shanghai, Jerry receives word from Connecticut that the parents of his dead wife want to take possession of his little daughter, Penelope. Jerry is willing to sell the tyke to his brother-in-law for $75,OOO - but Toni has different ideas....Although this "Temple film" isn't exactly ideal for the kids (its theme is really too mature) it will please those who will appreciate the clever antics which ensue. The talented, chubby Alice Faye-like Dorothy Dell was originally supposed to play Lombard's role but she was killed in an auto accident. Dell played the female lead in LITTLE MISS MARKER. If vintage moviegoers saw her sing WITH MY EYES WIDE OPEN I'M DREAMING - in SHOOT THE WORKS - you haven't forgotten her. The original title of the source material for this film was entitled HONOR BRIGHT by Jack Kirland and Melville Baker.

... I hasten to say that Now and Forever is a worthwhile
film. Shirley Temple gives a great performance with memorable scenes
and lines, as in "Oh, Daddy, you said Honor Bright," when Cooper, as
her father, breaks a promise.

Gary Cooper is trying hard not to be
completely villanous,and he has his daughter's best interests at
heart. My favorite thing about the movie is the way it shows life as
being more complicated than just right vs. wrong. That a child is
affected by grownup vices seems realistic to me.

No easy answers,
and good acting. I loved it.

Well for a while in this movie (the beginning) Shirley hasn'came on the screen yet and you wonder,is this the right movie ? But it later is ,as she is cute little Penny Day. I think in this movie she really is adorable,although she always is in this movie she is even more precious. I think the most touching thing in the movie is when she finds out her daddy stole the necklace,when she finds it on her bear. She breaks into a crying scene which I think is so sad. " Oh Daddy,and you said Honor Bright" says young Penny. The movie isn't the most interesting movie but I wouldn't miss it just because of that.Some scenes in the movie look very fake like the rollercoaster,but then remember this is the 30's ,you're lucky they made movies! I would also say if your looking for one which Shirley Temple totally stars in this isn't exactly the one.Although she's in it,it's not exactly her movie.The movie follows Gary Cooper mainly but she's in it alot though. I wouldn't recomend this movie as great but I wouldn't recomend it as horrible. But I do recomend it for you to see.I hope you find this helpful.

NOW AND FOREVER is an excellent film that I think most people will enjoy. Gary Cooper was already a superstar when this movie was released in 1934 but Carole Lombard was rapidly rising and would be a major star by the end of the year as would the amazing six-year-old Shirley Temple. Some Temple fans may be disappointed that she is not the whole show as normal for Temple vehicles, one person gives the movie a bad review in part because she does not sing but keep in mind Shirley had not yet reached full stardom and wasn't yet established as singing in her films. It's not a children's film (although my eight-year-old niece loved it, I bought her a copy) rather a film with a child in one of the leading roles so the whole family can enjoy this vehicle. Carole Lombard doesn't get to show her wonderful comic talent in this part but she is a gorgeous and talented actress and as always gives a fine performance. Gary Cooper is definately one of the most dashing men in movies in the 1930's and of course with two Best Actor Oscars under his belt his talent needs no defense. And then there's little Shirley, the greatest child actress of all time (yes ALLTIME, despite the hype about recent contenders) as natural as can be and lovable as ever.

This video is "colorized" so purists might be disappointed but it's a good coloring job. This is a good title for the video collections of 1930's film fans.

Now and Forever is just a wonderful movie to sit down and watch with family and friends. It is heartwarming, sweet, and funny. It is about a girl named Penny who lives with her mother's rich and selfish brother. The girl's mother died when she was just a baby and her father makes a living by being a jewel thief. Penny is sent to live with her uncle. Then her father sends a letter telling the uncle that he has decided that he wants to raise his daughter. The uncle ends up sending him a letter saying that he will pay him if he will allow Penny to stay with him instead. So her father goes to talk with his brotherinlaw about Penny. While Penny's father is trying to talk with his brotherinlaw he has to decide if he wants the money or if he wants his daughter back to raise Penny himself. Later Penny's father sees her playing outside by the lake and he goes outside to play with her. When Penny sees him she asks what his name is and he tells her that his name is Jerry. Penny then asks Jerry if he would play with her. Jerry tells her that he will and starts playing with her. Jerry then finds out how much he loves his daughter and wants to set a good example for her. After Penny and Jerry finish playing, Jerry tells her that she is his daughter. Penny tells him that she is so proud that he his her father. Jerry and Penny go back in the house and Jerry tells his brotherinlaw that he has made up his mind and that he wants to raise Penny. Jerry and his new wife end up raising Penny and they become a very happy family. I will just finish by saying that they live to become a very happy family. There is much more to the movie. I really enjoyed watching this movie with family and friends. This is a movie that people must see as a family.

My wife and her sister have been using "Honor Bright" with each other for years. They asked me if I knew where saying "Honor Bright" came from. I believe it is from West Point, but the first time I heard it was in the Shirley Temple movie "Now & Forever" (1934). That's why I ordered this film. I haven't told them, but I bought two copies of this film and am giving each of them one for Christmas. ---- My wife certainly thinks I've forgotten all about her question! ---- Al

This VHS tape is marketed and sold as a Shirley Temple film, when in fact, the movie was made at Paramount prior to Shirley's star days at 20th Century Fox. It really is a Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard film, which is the reason why I bought it. Cooper is young, extremely charming and very handsome. Likewise, Carole Lombard (yet to find the signature persona of her screwball comedy era at this point) is pretty and likable. This was well worth the few dollars I paid for it. I don't know if it is available on DVD at this point but if it is, it wouldn't be part of the Shirley Temple 20th Century Fox box sets. Since it is one of the 700 or so films that Paramount sold to Universal for television distribution many years ago, no doubt that it would be a Universal Home Video release.

Shirley does a wonderful job in this film although there aren't really any flashy song and dance numbers-- you can see her acting talent shine through as she cries after discovering the jewels in her little teddy bear. One of Shirley's earlier films it is one of her better ones.

But, sadly it was ruined by the horrible acting done by the melodramatic acting of her father and her mother in this movie. I felt rather sad for little Shirley for I felt like I was watching child abuse in every scene Shirley was with her father. Not only is her father a liar and a jewel thief but, he seems to have no connection or love for Shirley compared to her many other on screen dads (James Dunn). Really a lack of chemistry is what ruins this film.

But, this film will want to make you cry so I give it only two stars- for when you see a Shirley film you really want a film with classic values and one that will make you want to sing and dance instead of persecute child abusers.

My entire family disliked this movie and found it inappropriate for children. First of all, Gary Cooper is featured much more than Shirley Temple, and Shirley seems tired throughout most of movie, especially during her dull, listless song and dance routine. Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard were not able to rise above their unrealistic, jaded dialogue, which failed to make them sympathetic characters nor explain why they'd chosen a life of swindling and double-dealing.

I think several events in this movie would be disturbing to children: Gary Cooper's attempt to sell his daughter for a large sum of money, his theft of a valuable necklace and his lies to his daughter about it, his murder of another man, and finally his supposedly selfless act in giving his daughter to a wealthy old woman--without telling his daughter that she was being given away!

This movie could have had some redeeming value if the Gary Cooper character had undergone a true reformation. Carole Lombard's character does but then essentially becomes a filler role. The ending is quite depressing, because it offers no hope for their family. Perhaps one positive aspect is that it does demonstrate the consequences of one's actions, but I still don't see that children would enjoy or be uplifted by a movie featuring as many serious crimes and breaches of ethics as this one.