1h 28min | Drama, Family, Fantasy | 15 January 1940 | Color
Director: Walter Lang
Stars: Shirley Temple, Spring Byington, Nigel Bruce.
Geneva Sawyer ... dances staged by
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032264/
NOT a musical, and not tagged as such. I just took a chance because Sybil Jason was also on the bill. Strange that we have a dance director, because I don't remember any dances.
Some VERY interesting ideas, particularly of the children waiting to be born, with destinies & occupations. Some don't want to be born, but are essentially forced into it. (One knows he'll be destroyed for his progressive ideas, one couple doesn't want to be separated, and they know their lifetimes don't overlap correctly for romance. I really felt for the progressive youth.)
Overall it doesn't make a lot of sense: you have to search everywhere for the bluebird (of happiness). So you need to examine past/present/future (how does a mere mortal examine the future without these fairy helpers?), look for the bluebird, and after you've done so, the brown bird you already had turns blue. Also, when you wake up from this adventure, the cat you thought was burned in a fire is just fine; but of course: it has 9 lives. Gale Sondergaard as the cat was terrific casting.
However, it seems to have turned the horrible brat (ST) into a grateful and caring child, so who cares if it was only a dream? Why SJ became healthy after the dream/exploration, I don't know.
Interesting they used b/w for the 1st reel (just a little derivative of The Wizard of Oz), where ST is the brattiest, then color for the rest of the film, including when she wakes up the next morning.
I didn't spoil everything: Nigel Bruce is Mr. Luxury, and that segment is quite interesting. Try to watch how he makes his entrance, and reconcile that with his gout (right foot). Also watch that final reel carefully: Did the siblings share the same dream?
Fox, dir. Lang; 8
