Customer Reviews

Susannah of the Mounties [VHS]

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

 

 

10-year-old Shirley stars with Randolph Scott in this powerful movie about a young girl, orphaned after a group of Native Americans kill the rest of her wagon train. She is then taken in to live with Randolph Scott at a military base. When a different group of Native Americans want to gain their trust their cheif gives his son to live with them. After learning to cope with the 'little cheif's' behavior, he and shirley become friends and together must save the life of a dear friend. This is not one of Shirley's best films with only one song. She shows her dramatic acting talent and is not always her sweet little self. Don't forget, this 1939 movie was after she was #1 in box office cumes and was only #5, soon to be pushed aff the top 10 list, completely.

20th Century Fox tried to rework the plot of "Wee Willie Winkie" in this Shirley Temple flick. One key person missing from the picture was director John Ford. The product suffers without Ford's vision of humor, action, and sentiment. Don't get me wrong. Shirley Temple is still America's Sweetheart. She is the lone survivor of a wagon train massacre, and RCMP Randolph Scott comes to her aid. This time it's American Indians on the warpath. Shirley almost single-handed prevents war on the Canadian frontier, while charming everybody in sight. By 1939, Shirley was starting to show definite signs of growing up, dangerous in a child star. She has a crush on Scott and tries to keep him from mooning around a good-looking woman visiting the outpost. As usual, Shirley's "isn't that cute" antics are amusing. Her culture clashes with the deadpan Indian kid, Little Chief, are comic. There is even some Western style action-adventure. Victor Jory is menacing if somewhat cliched as a villainous Indian. The usual elements just don't jell as well as they did in "Wee Willie Winkie." As wholesome family entertainment, all Shirley Temple films are a success, regardless. This one is pleasant, but not Shirley's best. ;-)

Shirley Temple's popularity at the box office was starting to wane when she starred in SUSANNAH OF THE MOUNTIES, an adventure set on the Canadian frontier. Despite the limitations of the material, fans of Temple should enjoy this little gem.

Temple plays Susannah Sheldon, who narrowly survives an horrific Indian attack and is rescued by the Mounties, led by Monty (Randolph Scott). Little Sue goes to live with Monty and his colleagues at the local fort, where pretty soon her unique powers of diplomacy are needed to help the strained relations between Indians and Mounties.

Pre-teen Temple was in her difficult transition period when she starred in SUSANNAH OF THE MOUNTIES, a film that tries to showcase her dramatic skills (at the expense of the cute musical numbers she was famous for). Audiences would never quite forgive Temple for committing the "cardinal sin" of growing up; a real shame because she could have made quite a career with screwball comedy (as later evidenced in "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" and "Almost a Bride", her final movie in 1949).

SUSANNAH OF THE MOUNTIES reunited Temple with her "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm" co-star Randolph Scott; the movie also features talented British leading lady Margaret Lockwood of "The Lady Vanishes" fame (in one of her early attempts to break into American film).

The DVD gives you the option of watching the movie in original B&W or a computer-colourised version, plus the trailer. The coloured version of the film is actually quite good with lifelike colouring and great shadow detail. (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).

I have wanted to get this movie for some time. I have seen it on TV and wanted it for my collection. It will well worth the money; you won't be disapointed.

Maybe not as cute as her earlier movies, but it still is a entertaining, clean, family movie. It is not a musical, I think she only sings one song in it, however both children and adults in my family enjoyed it. Randolf Scott is a good actor and added to the enjoyment of the movie. I'm not going to give away the plot, but Shirley plays the only survivor of a wagon train when she comes to live with the mounties. She befriends the chief's son who is trying to maintain a good relationship with the mounties. The most charming scene is when Shirley teaches Scott to dance. Scott also costars with Shirley in Rebbecca of Sunny brook Farm. I also found out recently that Shirley played a small part in one of Scott's films.