JohnHowardReid Absolutely delightful. Taking full advantage of a smoothly and wittily characterized script, director Bill Seiter and his talented players hit high notes of rollicking entertainment almost continually until the forced and somewhat strained ending changes the film's mood as well as its locale. Never mind, so much of what has transpired before is so attractively amusing, the Bromberg machinations don't really matter. Young as usual is most ingratiating, playing with just the right balance of rakishness, sophistication and boyish charm. Miss Temple gets a chance to practice her Chinese as well as to perform the movie's show-stopping "If You Want To S-M-I-L-E", complete with vigorous impersonations of Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, and Astaire-Rogers! Miss Faye never looked more lovely, and renders two of her most famous songs. The script has also provided meaty roles for Helen Westley, Arthur Treacher and Robert Greig. Production values are high, with superb cinematography, sets and costumes. In short, pretty close to superlative entertainment.

Python Hyena Stowaway (1936): Dir: William A. Seiter / Cast: Shirley Temple, Robert Young, Alice Faye, Helen Westley, Allan Lane: Title not only addresses innocent Shirley Temple accidentally ending upon aboard a cruise ship. It also symbolizes her impact within the hearts of two individuals who only meet with her in the middle ground. Temple is an orphan in China who is wise beyond her years. Robert Young is the young bachelor whom she encounters and eventually accompanies. He is wealthy but good natured and certainly has a tolerance for children. Alice Faye plays the female lead who will predictably end up with young. Problem is that she is engaged to an arrogant guy who is controlled by his mother. Luckily Temple's spirit invades Faye's attention leaving the only link to connect is her to Young. Allan Lane plays Faye's fiancé who has been away until his mother contacts him alerting him to her association with Young. Helen Westley plays Lane's meddling mother who feels threatened with regards to Temple's influence over Faye's affections. Directed by William A. Seiter with a production that works despite a few corny musical numbers that fail to inspire. The one number that does work is Temple's song about smiling and her total confidence as she controls the stage. Not bad for a little tyke. Theme regards the reality of children needing two parents and how they can stowaway love into a promising future. Score: 8 / 10

mark.waltz Ms. Temple is an adorable orphan whose missionary parents were killed as the result of the attack on their Chinese town by a group of bandits. Now her foster parents are at risk too but refuse to let Shirley's Chinese pal (Phillip Ahn) take her to safety. He does anyway, but when she believes he's abandoned her, she leaves their boat to find food. Instead, she encounters wealthy American Robert Young who falls under her spell and takes her out to lunch. She falls asleep in the back seat of his car, and wakes up to find herself inside the car on a cruise liner. Reports of stowaways frighten her, and she hides in the suite of wealthy American matron Helen Westley and her daughter-in-law to be (Alice Faye). Young and Faye are introduced and Westley summons her son out of suspicions regarding Ms. Faye. Will Shirley get the more appealing couple of Young and Faye together? While pleasant overall, I found the movie to be slightly disappointing over the idea that Young's fake marriage to Faye in order to adopt Shirley then divorce would be the ideal way to save Shirley from another orphanage. Shirley has a pleasant musical number, "You've got to be H-A-Double P-Y" while imitating Jolson, Eddie Cantor and dancing to the song with a Fred Astaire dummy while impersonating Ginger Rogers. Faye, taken out of those Jean Harlow roles she was doing in such films as "George White's Scandals" and "King of Burlesque", sings a few songs too, but lacks the vigor of other roles she had before and after. Westley plays a most unpleasant character, even more aggravating than her still lovable Parthy in "Show Boat". Arthur Treacher is amusing in his typecast role of suave playboy Young's butler, while raspy-voiced Eugene Palette is wasted as Young's constantly wasted friend.

catherine yronwode "Stowaway" may not be the best of the Shirley Temple movies, mostly because the character of the man who adopts her is too devil-may-care for the viewer to think he has the necessary heart of gold to become a surrogate father, but it is still an endearing and delightful film. Contrary to what another reviewer wrote, Shirley does NOT play a "street child" in China, rather, she is the orphaned child of Christian missionaries who is being sent home to America by her careful guardians (both American and Chinese), when a horrible series of events leads to her becoming lost. This portion of the movie is quite realistic, as with many of the most affecting Shirley Temple films, and sets the necessary tragic background against which her bravery and good cheer will shine. "Stowaway" is also notable for a stage turn in which Shirley does a credible impersonation of Al Jolson, which is a great deal of fun for fans of the period's celebrities.