'' Miss Annie Rooney '' is a 1942 American

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

film directed by Edwin L. Marin and starring

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

and Dickie Moore. The screenplay by George Bruce has some similarities to the silent film '' Little Annie Rooney'', starring

Mary Pickford Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...

, but otherwise, the films are unrelated. Notable as the film in which Shirley Temple received her first on-screen kiss, and Moore said it was his first kiss ever. The film was panned.

Plot

Annie Rooney (Temple), the 14-year-old daughter of a struggling salesman, falls in love with rich, 16-year-old Marty White (Moore). While at first, Marty's snobbish friends give Annie the cold shoulder, her jitterbug dancing skills impress, and soon, she is a welcome addition to their circle. Marty's wealthy mother and father, who own a rubber-making business, are not as easily persuaded of Annie's worth. But when her father manages to invent a new form of synthetic rubber, her triumph is complete.

Cast

as Annie Rooney, a teenager *

William Gargan William Dennis Gargan (July 17, 1905February 16, 1979) was an American film, television and radio actor. He was the 5th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1967, and in 1941, was nominated for the Academy Award for Be ...

as Tim Rooney, her inventor father *

Guy Kibbee Guy Bridges Kibbee (March 6, 1882 – May 24, 1956) was an American stage and film actor. Early years Kibbee was born in El Paso, Texas. His father was editor of the ''El Paso Herald-Post'' newspaper, and Kibbee learned how to set type at age ...

as Grandpop, her grandfather * Dickie Moore as Marty White, a rich teenager * Gloria Holden as Mrs. White, Marty's mother * Jonathan Hale as Mr. White, Marty's father * Peggy Ryan as Myrtle * Charles Coleman as Sidney, the White's butler * Roland Dupree as Joey * Mary Field as Mrs Metz * George Lloyd as Burns * Jan Buckingham as Madam Sylvia *

Selmer Jackson Selmer Adolf Jackson (May 7, 1888 – March 30, 1971) was an American stage film and television actor. He appeared in nearly 400 films between 1921 and 1963. His name was sometimes spelled Selmar Jackson. Jackson was born in Lake Mills, Iowa ...

as Mr Thomas *

June Lockhart June Lockhart (born June 25, 1925) is an American retired actress, beginning a film career in the 1930s and 1940s in such films as A Christmas Carol (1938 film), ''A Christmas Carol'' and ''Meet Me in St. Louis''. She appeared primarily in 1950 ...

as Stella Bainbridge * Edgar Dearing as Policeman * Shirley Mills as Audrey Hollis *

Byron Foulger Byron Kay Foulger (August 27, 1898 – April 4, 1970) was an American character actor who over a 50-year career performed in hundreds of stage, film, and television productions. Early years Born in Ogden, Utah, Byron was the second of four ...

as Mr. Randall (uncredited)

Production

Temple signed to make one film for United Artists, and it was to be either ''Little Annie Rooney'' or ''Lucky Sixpence''. It was eventually decided to film the former. The title was changed to ''Miss Annie Rooney'' to reflect Temple's maturity; she was paid $50,000 for her performance. Temple was 14 when the film was made and received a much-ballyhooed on-screen kiss (from Moore, on the left cheek).

Reception

The film was her second attempt at a comeback, but its teen culture theme was dated, and the film flopped. Temple retired again for another two years. Later, she told Moore the film was a "terrible picture". Reviews were poor.

Release

Critical reception

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' thought, "'Miss Annie Rooney' is a very little picture. It is a very grim little picture ..Gingerly, very gingerly, producer Edward Small is breaking the news to the public— baby Shirley doesn't live here anymore. Gone are the days of the toddling tot, the days of milk teeth and tonsils. Instead, we now see a Miss Temple in the awkward age between the paper-doll and sweater-girl period, an adolescent phenomenon who talks like a dictionary of jive, and combines this somehow with quotations from Shakespeare and Shaw."

Home media

In 2009, the film was available on videocassette. As of 2013, the film is available on Netflix Instant Streaming. In 2017, ClassicFlix restored the movie in releases on DVD and Blu-ray.

References

; Works cited * * ; Web citations

External links

* * * {{Edward Small 1942 films 1940s teen drama films American black-and-white films Films directed by Edwin L. Marin United Artists films Films produced by Edward Small American teen drama films 1942 drama films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films