Watch Curly Top
- G
- 1935
- 1 hr 14 min
-
6.8 (2,128)
In the 1935 film Curly Top, Shirley Temple stars as an orphan named Elizabeth Blair. Elizabeth, who prefers to go by "Curly Top" due to her wild mop of blonde curls, lives at the St. Mary's orphanage with her older sister Mary (Rochelle Hudson). The two sisters have a close bond and often dream of being adopted by a loving family. Their wishes seem to come true when the wealthy Edward Morgan (John Boles) visits the orphanage and takes a liking to the spunky Curly Top. He decides to take her under his wing and give her a life of luxury as his new ward. However, he initially intends to leave Mary behind at the orphanage, which puts a strain on their relationship.
Despite this, Elizabeth, now living with Mr. Morgan and his stuffy butler Mr. Wilcox (Etienne Girardot), quickly adjusts to her new life of opulence. She gets to wear fancy dresses and attend high society events, but also continues to be her playful and mischievous self. Meanwhile, Mr. Morgan begins to fall for the fun-loving Elizabeth and becomes determined to become a better father figure to her.
However, their happiness is threatened when an unscrupulous showman named Hiram Jones (Michael Whalen) tries to kidnap Elizabeth and use her as a child star in his traveling vaudeville act. With the help of Mr. Morgan, Mary, and her fellow orphan friends, Curly Top must outwit the conniving Jones and make it back home safely.
Curly Top showcases Shirley Temple's signature charm and infectious energy, as well as her impressive singing and dancing abilities. The film also has a heartwarming message about family and the importance of having someone to love and care for you. John Boles gives a solid performance as the stern but caring Edward Morgan, while Rochelle Hudson brings depth to her role as Mary, who struggles with feelings of jealousy and abandonment.
Overall, Curly Top delivers an entertaining and heartwarming story that continues to delight audiences of all ages.
Curly Top is a 1935 kids & family movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 14 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8.