''Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' is a 1938 American

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, wa ...

, and written by Don Ettlinger, Karl Tunberg,

Ben Markson Ben Markson (August 6, 1892 – October 20, 1971) was an American screenwriter active from the very beginning of the sound film era through the end of the 1950s. During his 30-year career he was responsible for the story and/or screenplay of 45 f ...

and

William M. Conselman William Marien Conselman (July 10, 1896 – May 25, 1940) was an American screenwriter who also wrote newspaper comic strips under his Bill Conselman byline and sometimes under the pseudonym Frank Smiley. Biography Born in Brooklyn, New York, C ...

, the third

adaptation In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

Kate Douglas Wiggin Kate Douglas Wiggin (September 28, 1856August 24, 1923) was an American educator, author and composer. She wrote children's stories, most notably the classic children's novel '' Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm,'' and composed collections of children's ...

's 1903 novel of the same name (previously done in 1917 and

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hir ...

). Starring

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

Jack Haley John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1897 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 1939 Metro-G ...

Gloria Stuart Gloria Frances Stuart (born Gloria Stewart; July 4, 1910 September 26, 2010) was an American actress, visual artist, and activist. She was known for her roles in Pre-Code films, and garnered renewed fame late in life for her portrayal of Rose ...

Phyllis Brooks Phyllis Brooks (July 18, 1915 – August 1, 1995) was an American actress and model. She was born in Boise, Idaho. Some sources have also inaccurately cited 1914 as her year of birth, but 1915 is the correct year according to Social Security r ...

Helen Westley Helen Westley (born Henrietta Remsen Meserole Manney; March 28, 1875 – December 12, 1942) was an American character actress of stage and screen Early years Westley was born Henrietta Remsen Meserole Manney in Brooklyn, New York on March 28, ...

, Slim Summerville and

Bill Robinson Bill Robinson, nicknamed Bojangles (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States during the f ...

, it is the second of three films in which Temple and Scott appeared together, between '' To the Last Man'' (1933) and '' Susannah of the Mounties'' (1939). The plot tells of a talented orphan's trials and tribulations after winning a radio audition to represent a breakfast cereal.

Plot

Rebecca and her step-father, Harry, attend a singing contest to find "Miss America" in order to represent a cereal company in an advertising campaign. While Rebecca sings, the advertising executive, Tony Kent, and the head of the cereal company listen to the contest on the radio, and fall in love with her voice. From his office, Tony tells his assistant, Orville, that he's heard enough ontestants Misunderstanding his meaning, Orville sends Rebecca and Harry away. Angered by Orville's error, Tony tells Orville to find Rebecca, but she and Harry have already left the building. Harry then takes Rebecca to live with Rebecca's aunt, Miranda, on Sunnybrook Farm because they have, yet again, been kicked out of their apartment for non-payment of rent. Rebecca meets her Aunt Miranda and cousin Gwen at Sunnybrook and decides she loves the farm and never wants to leave. One day, she meets a new neighbor, who happens to be Tony Kent, but they had never met in person so neither knows the other. Tony and Gwen seem to have chemistry, but Tony is seeing a singer, Lola Lee. Rebecca and Tony become fast friends and she visits him one day where they have lunch. Gwen stops by and during the visit, Tony's assistant Orville also stops in. Gwen plays the piano while Rebecca sings and Orville recognizes her voice and excitedly tells Tony that's the girl, so the cereal campaign is saved. Aunt Miranda is against Rebecca singing on the radio, and forbids Rebecca from doing so. Rebecca and cousin Gwen devise a plan to do the transmission from Tony's home instead of the city. Lola Lee visits Tony and realizes he has feeling for Gwen but is persuaded by Orville that Tony doesn't have the feelings for her that he does. Tony's butler, Homer, who is a former beau of Aunt Miranda, assists Rebecca in climbing from her second story bedroom but knocks the ladder over when he tries to climb down, forcing him to stay in Rebecca's room. Aunt Miranda hears the broadcast and thinks the little girl sounds much like Rebecca but believes Rebecca is in her room. When Homer falls over by rocking too hard in a rocking chair, Aunt Miranda discovers him in the bedroom. Homer begs her forgiveness for missing their wedding 25 years earlier. She forgives him and allows Rebecca to continue to sing but takes her straight home afterwards. Harry and his new wife hear Rebecca singing on the radio and he gets a lawyer involved to again claim guardianship over Rebecca so they can get rich. He forces Aunt Miranda to give up Rebecca, and devises to sell her singing contract to a rival company of Tony's. Tony and Gwen find Rebecca at the local broadcast station, and attempt to buy Rebecca's contract but the executive refuses. When Rebecca tries to sing, her voice fails her and a doctor is called. He says she has laryngitis and needs a year or more rest and she'll be good as new. The ad exec rips up the contract he had with Harry. Tony then offers Harry $5000 to turn over his legal guardianship to Rebecca's aunt. Harry agrees and after they leave, Rebecca shows she was merely pretending and her voice is fine. The movie ends with Gwen and Tony, Lola Lee and Orville, and Miranda and Homer being couples, and Rebecca performs a military dance show on the stage.

Cast

as Rebecca Winstead, a young orphan *

as Tony Kent, a radio advertising executive *

William Demarest Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 27, 1983) was an American character actor, known especially for his roles in screwball comedies by Preston Sturges and for playing Uncle Charley in the sitcom '' My Three Sons'' Demarest, ...

as Harry Kipper, Rebecca's stepfather *

as Miranda, a farm woman and Rebecca's aunt *

as Gwen, Rebecca's cousin and Kent's romantic interest *

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson Bill Robinson, nicknamed Bojangles (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid African-American entertainer in the United States during the f ...

as Aloysius, Miranda's farm hand * Slim Summerville as Homer Busby, Miranda's old sweetheart *

as Orville Smithers, a radio performer *

as Lola Lee, a radio performer *

Alan Dinehart Mason Alan Dinehart Sr. (born Harold Alan Dinehart; October 3, 1889 – July 18, 1944) was an American actor, director, writer, and stage manager. Biography Dinehart initially studied to be a priest, but he turned to the theater instead. ...

as Purvis, Kent's competitor *

Franklin Pangborn Franklin Pangborn (January 23, 1889 – July 20, 1958) was an American comedic character actor famous for playing small but memorable roles with comic flair. He appeared in many Preston Sturges movies as well as the W. C. Fields films '' Interna ...

as an organist at a radio station *

Paul Hurst Paul Michael Hurst (born 25 September 1974) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of club Grimsby Town. As a player, he was a defender from 1993 to 2008, notably playing his entire career at Rotherham United, b ...

as Florabelle's Father *

Mary McCarty Mary Ballard McCarty (born December 8, 1954) is a politician and former County Commissioner in Palm Beach County, Florida, and served in office from November 1990 until resigning for corruption, announced on January 8, 2009. McCarty resigned fr ...

as Florabelle

Production

This movie is notable as the first movie in which Temple's mother did away with the trademark 56 curls for which Temple became famous. The new style with the long loose waves combed back was modeled to look closer to that of Mary Pickford, whom Temple's mother admired. In the preparation for the film's finale (the "Toy Trumpet" dance number), Robinson joined Temple and her mother at the Desert Inn in Palm Springs to begin rehearsals. It was here that Temple had her first real encounter with the racism endured by Robinson, as he was forced to sleep in the chauffeurs' quarters as opposed to the cottages reserved for white guests. At one point, preparations were made to include a drum sequence in the movie where Temple would play on the drums along with the musicians on the set. Temple befriended the studio drummer Johnny Williams, who taught her how to play the drums. Dwan, noticing her aptitude for the instrument, immediately ordered another drum set for her. Temple's mother, however, was strongly opposed to it, believing her sitting with legs apart was unladylike. The resulting sequence was later dropped, much to Temple's chagrin. Temple's brother Jack Temple was hired as the movie's 3rd assistant director, to which as Shirley Temple would later say, he "spent time thinking up things to take care of, one of which was me." He was subsequently fired after he and Shirley Temple got into a dispute over a roasted turkey prop on the set. The turkey had been sprayed with insecticide to discourage insects, and her brother loudly ordered her not to eat the turkey, which she had no intention of doing. Out of spite, she popped the turkey in her mouth, prompting her brother to shake her to dislodge it. The spat did not sit well with the director Dwan, who ordered him off the set.

Soundtrack

* ''Happy Endings'' ** Music by Lew Pollack ** Lyrics by Sidney D. Mitchell ** Sung by

* ''You've Gotta Eat Your Spinach, Baby'' ** Music by

Harry Revel Harry Revel ( Glaser; 21 December 1905 – 3 November 1958) was a British-born American composer, mostly of musical theatre, working with various lyricists, notably Mack Gordon. He is also seen as a pioneer of " space age pop". Early life and c ...

** Lyrics by Mack Gordon ** Sung by

* ''An Old Straw Hat'' ** Music by Harry Revel ** Lyrics by Mack Gordon ** Sung by

* ''Crackly Grain Flakes'' ** Music by Lew Pollack ** Lyrics by Sidney D. Mitchell ** Sung by Quartet * ''Alone with You'' ** Music by Lew Pollack ** Lyrics by Sidney D. Mitchell ** Sung by Phyllis Brooks and

* ''

On the Good Ship Lollipop "On the Good Ship Lollipop" is a song composed by Richard A. Whiting with lyrics by Sidney Clare. It was the signature song of child actress Shirley Temple. Temple first sang it in the 1934 film, '' Bright Eyes''. In the song, the "Good Ship L ...

'' ** Music by Richard A. Whiting ** Lyrics by Sidney Clare ** Sung as part of a medley by Shirley Temple * ''

Animal Crackers in My Soup "Animal Crackers in My Soup" is a song introduced by Shirley Temple in the film ''Curly Top'' (1935). The lyrics were written by Irving Caesar and Ted Koehler and the music by Ray Henderson; the sheet music was published by Sam Fox Publishing Com ...

'' ** Music by

Ray Henderson Ray Henderson (born Raymond Brost; December 1, 1896 – December 31, 1970) was an American songwriter. Early life Born in Buffalo, New York, United States, Henderson moved to New York City and became a popular composer in Tin Pan Alley. He was o ...

** Lyrics by Ted Koehler and

Irving Caesar Irving Caesar (born Isidor Keiser, July 4, 1895 – December 18, 1996) was an American lyricist and theater composer who wrote lyrics for numerous song standards, including " Swanee", "Sometimes I'm Happy", " Crazy Rhythm", and " Tea for T ...

** Sung as part of a medley by Shirley Temple * ''When I'm with You'' ** Music by Harry Revel ** Lyrics by Mack Gordon ** Sung as part of a medley by Shirley Temple * ''Oh My Goodness'' ** Music by Harry Revel ** Lyrics by Mack Gordon ** Sung as part of a medley by Shirley Temple * '' Goodnight My Love'' ** Music by Harry Revel ** Lyrics by Mack Gordon ** Sung as part of a medley by Shirley Temple * ''

Parade of the Wooden Soldiers ''The Parade of the Tin Soldiers'' (''Die Parade der Zinnsoldaten''), also known as ''The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers'', is an instrumental musical character piece, in the form of a popular jaunty march, written by German composer Leon Jessel ...

'' ** Music by

Leon Jessel Leon Jessel, or Léon Jessel (22 January 1871 – 4 January 1942) was a German composer of operettas and light classical music pieces. Today he is best known internationally as the composer of the popular jaunty march ''The Parade of the Tin Sold ...

** English lyrics by

Ballard MacDonald Ballard MacDonald (October 15, 1882 – November 17, 1935) was an American lyricist, who was one of the writers of Tin Pan Alley. Born in Portland, Oregon, he was a charter member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ...

** Arranged by

Raymond Scott Raymond Scott (born Harry Warnow; September 10, 1908 – February 8, 1994) was an American composer, band leader, pianist, record producer, and inventor of electronic instruments. Though Scott never scored cartoon soundtracks, his music is ...

** Sung by Shirley Temple and the Raymond Scott and His Quintet with Men's Chorus ** Danced by Temple and

* ''The Toy Trumpet'' ** Music by Raymond Scott ** Lyrics by Sidney D. Mitchell and Lew Pollack

Release

Critical reception

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote, "The national No. 1 box office star has seldom shone so brilliantly in her singing, dancing and repartee. That means she is going right ahead to bigger and better grosses."

Accolades

The film is recognized by

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...

in these lists: * 2006: AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals – Nominated

Home media

In 2009, the film was available on videocassette and DVD in the black and white original and computer-colorized versions. Some editions had special features and theatrical trailers.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm (1938 Film) 1938 films American black-and-white films Films based on children's books Films directed by Allan Dwan 20th Century Fox films 1938 musical comedy films Musical film remakes Films produced by Darryl F. Zanuck Films based on works by Kate Douglas Wiggin American musical comedy films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films