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Bright Eyes Overview:

Bright Eyes (1934) was a Comedy - Drama Film directed by David Butler and produced by Sol M. Wurtzel.

SYNOPSIS

Little orphan Shirley gets in the middle of a nasty custody battle. One of Temple's first and best, most famous for the song "On the Good Ship Lollipop."

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Bright Eyes BlogHub Articles:

The Charles Sellon Film Festival: "Bright Eyes" and "It's a Gift"

By David on Aug 13, 2015 From The Man on the Flying Trapeze

"Bah!" Of all the actors and actresses who appeared in 1930s films, Charles Sellon (1870-1937) was certainly one of them. A native of Boston, Sellon made his stage debut in 1901 and his film debut in 1923. He was rarely the lead; skinny and with a long face, with a mouth usually in a frown or scow... Read full article

The Charles Sellon Film Festival: "Bright Eyes" and "It's a Gift"

By David on Aug 13, 2015 From The Man on the Flying Trapeze

"Bah!" Of all the actors and actresses who appeared in 1930s films, Charles Sellon (1870-1937) was certainly one of them. A native of Boston, Sellon made his stage debut in 1901 and his film debut in 1923. He was rarely the lead; skinny and with a long face, with a mouth usually in a frown or scow... Read full article

Bright Eyes

on Jul 9, 2014 From Journeys in Classic Film

When I spoke to Jane Withers last May she talked quite a bit about filming Bright Eyes and her struggles working with Shirley Temple. I hated to admit to her that I hadn’t seen the finished product, and she, of course, urged me to get to it!  I doubt Jane is reading, but if she is, I finally ... Read full article

Farewell Bright Eyes: Shirley Temple Black (1928 - 2014)

By Vanessa Buttino on Feb 13, 2014 From Stardust

Farewell Bright Eyes: Shirley Temple Black (1928 - 2014) Shirley Temple circa the 1930s, fifty-two curls and all! Would you be surprised if I told you this was the third crack I've taken at writing this post? See, this is what happens when one of my absolute favourite classic film stars d... Read full article

Bright Eyes (1934)

By Beatrice on Apr 7, 2013 From Flickers in Time

Bright Eyes Directed by David Butler 1934/USA Fox Film Corporation First viewing?? Shirley Blake: Oh, it’s so pretty. Thank you, Loop. Little Shirley (Shirley Temple) loves to spend time at the airport with her buddy Loop (James Dunn), a pilot who was the friend of her late father.  Shirl... Read full article

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Bright Eyes Quotes:

Shirley Blake: Mother, I dressed myself, and I put my clothes away, all folded and everything.
Mary Blake: Well, you're your mother's little angel, that's what you are.
Shirley Blake: No, I'm not, because angels have wings, like these.
Mary Blake: Those are your daddy's pilot wings.
Shirley Blake: I know, and now he's really an angel, isn't he?
Mary Blake: Yes, darling.
Joy Smythe: Let's play hospital. I'll be the doctor, and you'll be the nurse. We'll get a big knife out of the kitchen and operate on your doll.
Shirley Blake: I don't want Mary Lou to be operated on.
Joy Smythe: I don't care. You have to play the way I want to.
Shirley Blake: I don't, either.
Joy Smythe: Yes, you do because this is my house and my yard and you're nothing but an old charity.
Shirley Blake: I am not!
Joy Smythe: Yes, you are because I heard my papa tell my mama so.
Shirley Blake: Ooh, we're going up!
James 'Loop' Merritt: That's right, we're going way up. Do you know where we're going?
Shirley Blake: No.
James 'Loop' Merritt: We're going right up to Heaven. You know, Shirley, Heaven is a very nice place. If we're good, we'll all live there someday.
Shirley Blake: Yes, I know.
James 'Loop' Merritt: My mother and father are there now.
Shirley Blake: So's my daddy. We're up pretty high now. Are we near Heaven?
Joy Smythe: What are you gonna get for Christmas? I'm gonna get a pink dollhouse with real furniture and a real piano and a tennis racket and a great big doll.
Shirley Blake: I asked Santa Claus to bring me a doll.
Joy Smythe: There ain't any Santa Claus!
Shirley Blake: There is too!
Joy Smythe: There is not! My psychoanalyst told me there ain't any Santa Claus or fairies or giants or anything like that.
Shirley Blake: I'll bet you'd feel pretty bad tomorrow morning if you woke up and you didn't have any presents.
Joy Smythe: Well, I won't. Wanna know why? 'Cause I already peeked in the closet and saw 'em.
Shirley Blake: I don't care what you saw. There is a Santa Claus!
Joy Smythe: There ain't!
Shirley Blake: Mr. Smith, there is a Santa Claus, isn't there?
Uncle Ned Smith: What did she say?
Shirley Blake: She said there isn't.
Uncle Ned Smith: Then there is.
Uncle Ned Smith: Now listen to me, you two. I want you to understand just one thing. If you ever expect to get anything out of me, you're going to be human enough and decent enough to take Shirley into this house to live. I'll pay for her board and her clothes.
J. Wellington Smythe: Why, Uncle Ned, that won't be necessary.
Anita Smythe: Well, naturally. We had no idea you felt this way about the child.
Uncle Ned Smith: Well, I do. If you don't want her here, I guess I can find some other place for her. And I guess I can find another place for me, too!
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Bright Eyes Facts
Director David Butler wrote the story based on an incident that happened in his childhood. His parents had advertised for a live-in maid, and a woman answered the ad who had just arrived from Scotland. She had a little girl and was separated from her husband - an unusual circumstance at the time - and said she wouldn't take the job unless her daughter was allowed to live in the house with her, also an unusual circumstance at the time. Butler's parents agreed, and the woman and her daughter moved in with the family.
Shirley Temple's mother Gertrude Temple worried that Jane Withers would steal the spotlight from her daughter in this movie, and she tried to convince director David Butler to minimize Withers's role. Butler refused, saying that Withers's bratty, spoiled character would increase audience sympathy for Shirley.
Terry (Rags) is the same dog that played Toto in The Wizard of Oz.
Shirley Temple sang her signature song, "On the Good Ship Lollipop," in this film.
Despite the aviation element of this movie, Shirley Temple was never allowed to actually ride in an airplane during filming; her life insurance policy voided claims resulting from aircraft.
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