The Gangster's Kid- A lost and rare Shirley Temple film that has been found and
restored
<br>By Taylor C. Downing
<br><br>
	In 1934, Hollywood was introduced to a new kind of child star. Her name was
Shirley Temple and even though she had been in films since 1931, she got her big
break in a film titled "Stand Up and Cheer''. Moviegoers had fallen in love with
her with her cherubic face, bright personality, and talent. Even though some
years earlier there had been two female child stars by the name of Virgina Lee
Corbin and Baby Marie Osborne along with Baby Peggy and Mitzi Green, but just
recently most of the popular child stars were boys: Jackie Cooper, Spanky
McFarland, and Dickie Moore. But watching Shirley was differenty, yeah she was
adorable, but she had hang with the rest of them. Just recently she completed a
film titled "Now and Forever" and major studios such as MGM, Paramount,RKO and
Warner Brothers wanted to sign her to a contract. She recently signed a contract
to Fox Film Corporation, but since the studio didn't know what to do with her,
they loaned her out to Paramount Pictures for two films, and one of her biggest
successes was "Little Miss Marker", and then she went back to Fox to film,
"Baby, Take a Bow", and then loaned back out to Paramount. Whew, can you say
that this child was busy?!
<br>	One day, two of the Warner Brothers, Jack and Harry went to go and see "Little
Miss Marker". They found it to be a funny and heartwarming film, but they were
really captivated by the young Miss Temple. Then a week later, they went to go
see "Baby, Take a Bow", and they got a really great idea. While in "Little Miss
Marker", Shirley was surrounded by gangsters and in "Baby, Take a Bow", she
played the daughter of a young and struggling couple trying to make ends meet.
Why not combine the elements of "Little Miss Marker" and "Baby, Take a Bow" and
come up with a screeplay known as the "The Gangster's Kid" in which she would
play the child of a young and struggling couple, but her father who works as a
waiter for a gangster can't pay the gangster the money that he owes him and the
gangster wants to kill him. That night  the gangster comes to the young waiter's
home and sees the baby, he decides to take the baby instead and raises the kid
like she was his own. Years later,the kid, now about five, would be played by
Shirley and while she is a sweet kid, she picks up a lot on the environment in
that she was raised, but feels neglected by the gangster, because he is always
out "taking care of business". Then, the young waiter, now a popular radio star
wants to get his kid back and sends a detective to go and get the kid. When the
gangster refuses to give the kid over to the dectective, the dectective tells
the gangster that there is a warrant for his arrest, so he should hand over the
kid or else the gangster and his whole mob will go to jail and the three
juvenilles who stay with the gangster will be put in juvenille delinquent hall.
The gangster agrees, but vows to get the kid back.
	<br>When the kid goes to meet her real father, she has the time of her life and
even makes a new friend, another little girl. Later on, when the gangster comes
up to reclaim the kid he realizes that she is in a better enviroment and decides
to give her a break and then he goes on about his business.<br>
	Harry and Jack persuaded the writers of "Footlight Parade", Robert Lord, Peter
Milne, Manuel Seff, and James Seymour to write the screenplay. They wanted Lloyd
Bacon to direct, Orry-Kelly to design the costumes, and Busby Berkley to direct
musical numbers. They all agreed, but now there was a problem with the cast.
They wanted James Cagney to play the gangster, Joan Blondell as his wife, Frank
McHugh as Cagney's right hand man, Aline MacMahon as McHugh's wife, Dick Powell
as the young waiter, Ginger Rogers as the young waiter's wife, Allen Jenkins as
the detective, Pat O'Brien as a Walter Winchell style gossip columnist, Glenda
Farrell as a reporter, Claire Dodd as a goldigger who has her eyes on both
O'Brien and Powell's characters, May Robson as the gangster's mother, Guy Kibee
and Ned Sparks as two producers, Phillip Reed as the waiter's wife suitor,
Virginia Weidler as the gossip columnist's daughter, Renee Whitney as the gossip
columnist's ex-wife, and as the three juvenilles Frankie Darro, Jackie Searl,
and Mickey Rooney. When Jack and Harry approached these stars they were all
skeptical, after all, Shirley Temple was the best scene stealer that Hollywood
had the time. They had seen what she did to Adolphe Menjou in "Little Miss
Marker" and didn't want to play nurse-maid to a five-year old. But after reading
the script and meeting Little Miss Temple everyone was sold on the idea and knew
they had a hit on their hands.<br>
	Fox's CEO, Winfeld Sheehan didn't want to loan Shirley out anymore and
considered buying the screen play and recasting James Dunn, Spencer Tracy,
Loretta Young, and Alice Faye in the roles, but Warner Borthers refused, but
offered Fox a healthy sum of money, probably around $500,000.00 for the services
of Shirley. Fox let Shirley go on one last loan out, but this would be the
absolute last loan out. Shirley made "The Gangster's Kid" after she finished
"Now and Forever", but before she did "Bright Eyes". While filming "The
Gangster's Kid", everyone had a great time and Gertrude was hoping that Shirley
would make more films like this one; it had a big budget, big stars, and an
excellent script.<br>
	After the film was completed and previewed to audiences, audiences ate the film
up like candy and was one of Warner Brothers biggest hits of 1934. There was
even a few "naughty" scenes that got past the Production Code of 1934. The film
was sentimental, humourous, and there was some drama added to it. For over 68
years old the film has not been seen and was considered a "lost" film, until
film historians found it in the vault of the Warner Brothers studios found the
film, restored it to it's original content and even added scenes that were cut
out of the final print. When viewing this film, people thoroughly enjoy it. <br>
	Unfortunately, Shirley didn't make big films like this one again during the
1930's neither did her co-star Virginia but she went back to playing little
goody-goody roles on modestly budgeted films, but she still remained one of the
most successful child performers of the 1930's as well as her other child
co-stars. <br>
	Four years later after the orginal version, Warner Brothers decided the remake
the film, using the same title and still using some the studio's biggest stars,
but the effect wasn't the same. In the Shirley Temple role was six year old Ann
Todd, even though she was a brunette, she was still very adorable and in the
Virginia Weidler role was another six year old by the name of Binkie Stuart, who
was known as Great Britain's version of Shirley and many wondered how come she
wasn't offered the Shirley Temple role because she bore more of a resemblence to
Shirley instead of Ann Todd, but Ann Todd had more of the personality that
Warner Brothers was looking for instead of Binkie Stuart.  Others also wondered
how come Janet Chapman, another one of Warner Brother's child actresses who
favored Shirley more physically wasn't offered the role, but she was busy doing
a film titled "On Trial"and again, she lacked the personality they were looking
for. The cast now included Humphrey Bogart and Ann Sheridan as the gangster and
his wife, John Garfield now changed to a boxer instead of a radio personality
and Rosemary Lane as the young and struggling couple, Frank McHugh repeated his
role as the right hand man of the gangster and Marie Wilson played his wife, Fay
Bainter played the gangster's mother, Claude Rains as the detective, Wayne
Morris as the gossip columnist and Priscilla Lane a rival reporter and love
interest, Jeffrey Lynn as the boxer's wife suitor, Alan Hale as the producer,
Gloria Dickson in the Claire Dodd role, Gale Page as the fed up ex-wife of the
gossip columnist, and as the three juveniles were Bobby Jordon, Huntz Hall, and
Gabriel Dell fresh from the Dead End Kids and while the production was high and
had an excellent cast, it lacked the fast-paced action and raciness of it's
predesscessor. It was successful, but audiences who had seen the earlier version
missed the more grown up territory, for it seemed more like a family film, even
though it wasn't. This version has been restored as well.<br>
	Each star in the 1934 version was used to their full advantage and stars like
Cagney, Powell, and Blondell didn't feel as skeptical as they did in the
beginning, while Shirley did have a lot of cute scenes and close-ups, but it
wasn't all about her. Every character in the movie had great scenes and great
dialogue, so no one would feel left out. Each actor and actress felt like this
was a great movie.
	<br>	In the next chapter, there will be the treatment of this movie. I hope you
have enjoyed.<!--'"</title></head>-->

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