"Our Little Girl" was what the movie going public of the mid 1930s thought of Shirley Temple, but it didn't have quite the success of her earlier films. She wasn't required to burst into song and dance everyone's troubles away, she was needed to be a Little Miss Fixit but only as a little girl caught up in the affairs of wayward adults (Nova Pilbeam was far more convincing in "Little Friend"). This must be one of her only films that give her both a father and a mother, with nothing dire happening to either one of them along the way.
Donald Middleton (Joel McCrea) is a small town doctor who let domesticity get in the way of his dreams but he is more than making up for it with countless important "experiments" taking him away from Elsa (Rosemary Ames) and little Molly. Trouble is brewing early on when Don almost misses "May Saturday", a picnic at idyllic "Heaven's Gate" where Don and Elsa first met and it is there that they meet new neighbour Ralfe Brent (Lyle Talbot). Donald, being as obtuse as he is, keeps throwing Elsa and Ralfe together, even though Ralfe comments "I wouldn't like to leave my wife with me" etc and Nurse Boynton (Erin O'Brien Moore) is only too eager to console Don.
Of course Shirley Temple is the star so there are lots of cute scenes of Shirley testing a cake, playing with Sniff, patting little foals and enjoying the park. But strangely enough no singing except for a pretty mournful lullaby to her doll. By the time "September Saturday" comes around the parents are headed for the divorce court and daddy ends up taking Molly to the circus but, as usual, is called away to the hospital and in the confusion Molly decides to take Sniff for their own "Heaven's Gate" picnic. Along the way she meets a philosophical tramp (J. Farrell MacDonald) who ends up giving Don a lecture on what is important in life!!
Joel McCrea was between contracts in 1935 hence his appearance in "Our Little Girl" (apparently Shirley developed a big crush on him) but he was seen to better advantage as yet another overworked doctor in "Private Worlds". Rosemary Ames was promoted as Fox's big new star in "I Believed in You" (1934) but it was a disaster and Fox believed no more in Rosemary.
Donald Middleton (Joel McCrea) is a small town doctor who let domesticity get in the way of his dreams but he is more than making up for it with countless important "experiments" taking him away from Elsa (Rosemary Ames) and little Molly. Trouble is brewing early on when Don almost misses "May Saturday", a picnic at idyllic "Heaven's Gate" where Don and Elsa first met and it is there that they meet new neighbour Ralfe Brent (Lyle Talbot). Donald, being as obtuse as he is, keeps throwing Elsa and Ralfe together, even though Ralfe comments "I wouldn't like to leave my wife with me" etc and Nurse Boynton (Erin O'Brien Moore) is only too eager to console Don.
Of course Shirley Temple is the star so there are lots of cute scenes of Shirley testing a cake, playing with Sniff, patting little foals and enjoying the park. But strangely enough no singing except for a pretty mournful lullaby to her doll. By the time "September Saturday" comes around the parents are headed for the divorce court and daddy ends up taking Molly to the circus but, as usual, is called away to the hospital and in the confusion Molly decides to take Sniff for their own "Heaven's Gate" picnic. Along the way she meets a philosophical tramp (J. Farrell MacDonald) who ends up giving Don a lecture on what is important in life!!
Joel McCrea was between contracts in 1935 hence his appearance in "Our Little Girl" (apparently Shirley developed a big crush on him) but he was seen to better advantage as yet another overworked doctor in "Private Worlds". Rosemary Ames was promoted as Fox's big new star in "I Believed in You" (1934) but it was a disaster and Fox believed no more in Rosemary.