Released in mid '34, just after the Hays film censor code went into full effect. As usual during her Fox years, Shirley was cast as younger than her actual age(presumably 5, rather than 6). This is one of her earliest feature-length films, in which she is given top billing. Actually nearly all her films were on the short side of feature length, this one a mere 76 min.. She seems noticeably younger than in "Bright Eyes", released at the end of that year, being treated more like a young child than a little girl with grown up ambitions. Of course, it was released in B&W, although I watched the colorized version. The screenplay is based on the '27 play and '28 silent film titled "Square Crooks", which lacked Shirley's character. This title may seem self-contradictory, but the point is that 2 men(Eddie Ellison and Larry Scott), who spent time in prison for some undisclosed crimes are trying to go straight after their release. We know that, in real life, this is often difficult, partly due to employer's prejudice against ex-cons. In this film, these two have some things going for them as well as against them. Ellison earns a recommendation from the prison superintendent, and has a beautiful girl(Claire Trevor, as Kay) waiting to marry him upon his release. They spend a romantic honeymoon at Niagara Falls, and make plans for the future. However, Eddie and Scott have two important nemeses in the context of the plot. Cigar-chomping detective Welch(played by 'heavy' Alan Dinehart) has a fixation on trying to catch or frame Eddie relating to some crime, so that he can send him back to prison. His motto is "Once a crook, always a crook". He tries to make it impossible for Eddie to land or keep a job, by revealing to the employer his ex-con status. The same goes for Scott. Although not much emphasized, one scene early in the film suggests that Welch is particularly keen to make normal life for Eddie impossible because he has long lusted for his wife Kay, beginning with his involvement in Eddie's conviction. But, Kay hates Welch....Their second nemesis is 'Trigger' Stone(Ralf Harolde), an acquaintance of Eddie, who was sent to Sing Sing the same day that Eddie was released. In contrast to Eddie and Scott, who got out early for good behavior, Trigger brags about what mischief he will do when he gets out. When he gets out, just before Shirley's birthday, he heads back to NYC, steals a valuable necklace from the employer of Eddie and Scott (the Carsons), then looks for Eddie and Scott to help him 'dispose' of the necklace. But they refuse.Before Trigger's release, we've spent some time getting acquainted with Shirley: the adorable young daughter of Eddie and Kay, seeing the love between her and her parents and between her parents. Welch now tells Carson about the ex-con status of Eddie and Scott, and that he suspects them of stealing the necklace. Carson fires them, in response. Nonetheless, a big birthday party for Shirley goes ahead. She puts on a demonstration of some of the dancing skills she has learned. She sings the catchy "On Account'a I Love You" , with Eddie participating in the singing and dancing later in the act. At the end, 'baby takes a bow'. Next morning, Trigger again comes looking for Eddie and Scott, but spies a familiar detective on the street, causing him to sneak the necklace to Shirley, as a 'birthday present', then disappears. Shirley slips it into Eddie's jacket pocket, and tries to play hide and seek with the preoccupied Eddie. Just then, Welch shows up looking for the necklace. Of course, Eddie and Scott are sure he won't find it there, until Eddie checks his jacket pocket. It's then hidden in the coffee pot, and they sweat it out when Welch wants a cup of coffee. Shirley latter pulls it out of the coffee pot, and gives it to Eddie when Welch is searching another room. It's now hidden in the carpet sweeper, which is borrowed by a neighbor, who then empties the contents into the outside trash can. All, including Welch, have quite a time trying to find the necklace in the retrieved sweeper. Fortuitously, Shirley later finds it in the trash. Trigger comes looking for the necklace, but is knocked unconscious by Eddie and tied up, before Eddie runs for the police. Shirley then encounters Trigger, who convincers her to cut his ropes. He takes the necklace from her and grabs her as a shield against capture. In the following chase, wounded Eddie finally knocks Trigger out with a head blow from behind. Detectives arrive, and Shirley pulls the necklace out of Trigger's pocket. Welch arrives and claims that Eddie and Scott had the necklace all the time. But, the detectives don't buy that, and announce that Shirley will get the reward for recovering the necklace. The still arguing Welch is backed up until he falls through a skylight onto the Ellison's bed, causing the pillows to burst their feathers, which cover him, for a happy ending.Despite all the contrived coincidences. this was a fun film. Shirley is cute, cuddly, and, for once, in a stable family relationship from start to finish. Obviously, she had great rapport with James Dunn, as again shown in "Bright Eyes", as well as with Claire Trevor, as her mother. Alan Dinehart was as much fun, as the butt of verbal and physical humor, as he was sinister. ..It's true that Dunn and Ray Walker, as Scott, seem far too nice to have been crooks, in contrast to Trigger's sinister demeanor.

This was my first attempt at watching a Shirley Temple movie, though this film was made before she really hit it big and therefore her screen time isn't as much as it would quickly become. The story instead centers on a likable ex-convict Eddie Ellison (James Dunn) who has harmless fun playing practical jokes on his friends and comes out of jail to marry a loyal woman (Claire Trevor). Six years later, the couple have young Shirley as their daughter and Eddie tries to hold a job. But a bitter and nasty private investigator (Alan Dinehart) is determined to do whatever it takes to ruin Ellison and send him back to the slammer again and tries to nail him for a theft he wasn't involved in. Here is where daddy's little girl helps her father out by trying to foil the real crook.It's easy to sense the potential which shines off Shirley Temple during her scenes with Dunn and Trevor, and the precocious little charmer does delight with some mild dancing and her cutesy antics, but this film is reportedly not one of her best. It's lightweight stuff, though probably a feature that wouldn't be remembered at all today if not for the participation of Miss Temple. ** out of ****

Shirley Temple is wonderful. Beyond that, this is a movie that works on many levels for me. Claire Trevor brings an added dimension to the loyal wife and mother, and the ever-hard-luck-bitten James Dunn (A Tree Grows In Brooklyn) is perfect as the ex-con father trying desperately to put his past behind him. Alan Dinehart's slick and sycophantic private detective -- an embittered and opportunistic ex-cop -- does his best to pray on people's fears and keep Dunn with no recourse from the gutter. James Flavin, who later made a career playing Irish cops in the city, plays one here, albeit generally higher in rank and nobility than most of his later characters. Shirley only has two songs and one nice dance number with Dunn, but does more acting than musical work here, and is quite good at both. This is fine family entertainment amidst a backdrop of struggling to survive while the malicious and hypocritical try to keep others down. Certainly, although the movie was made in 1934, its themes are as resonant as ever.

When valuable pearls are stolen, two ex-cons working in the home are immediately suspected. One of these fellows has an incredibly precocious & talented little daughter who manages to get her chubby hands on the missing necklace. When the real thief returns, will the tiny tot handle the dangerous situation to everyone's satisfaction? Will, once again, BABY TAKE A BOW?Except for the presence of Shirley Temple, most likely this film would long ago have slipped into complete obscurity. James Dunn, Claire Trevor & the rest of the adult performers do their best with the rather tired material, but it is Shirley that one remembers. She is a darling & lights up her scenes with her sparkling personality. Everything else fades away...