Just Around the Corner (1938)

Shirley Temple plays a bright, precocious, optimistic little girl with just one parent in “Just Around the Corner.” I do realize I’ve just described every Shirley Temple ever made, but hey, when you’ve got a winning formula, why change it? This time around, the storyline is set during the Depression. Penny’s (Temple) father, Jeff Hale, was an architect, but when stocks fell, he lost his job. He now works as the handyman at the posh apartment building where he used to rent the penthouse suite. Penny has had to come home from her ritzy girls’ school, and she “takes care” … Continue reading

The Journey of Natty Gann (1985)

I first saw “The Journey of Natty Gann” not long after its release and it made such an impact on me, I’ve never forgotten it. Natty (Meredith Salenger) is in her mid-teens, the only child of her parents, and for now, living on her own. Her mother passed away, and her father had to go west to find work. It’s the Depression, and work is scarce in Natty’s hometown of Chicago, so he went to Washington to work in the lumber industry. The job is hard and treacherous, but he knows no other way to support his daughter. Meanwhile, Natty’s … Continue reading

Happy Birthday Donald!

Maybe it’s the ageist in me, but Donald looks pretty snappy for 73 years old. Donald is a particular favorite of ours here at home – both my husband and I have always preferred Donald of the Disney characters featured in Mickey and the Gang. The Wise Little Hen Donald premiered in a Silly Symphony cartoon called The Wise Little Hen on June 9, 1934. My grandmother was just 14 years old and once upon a time, she told me about seeing the Disney cartoons featured in the theater. Donald’s hot temper made him an audience darling. In the 1940s, … Continue reading