ccthemovieman-1 This was okay but Shirley Temple made enough better movies that this wasn't a "keeper"in the end. I still have at least a half dozen of her other films which, I thought, were far more appealing. They were also shorter, too. At 100 minutes, this is too long a movie for the normal Temple fare. It was her longest movie as a child actor. The major fault, which also involves the time, is that is simply wasn't that interesting.It has its cute moments as all Temple films did and the cinematography was good. The fact John Ford directed it may have something to do with the better-than-average photography. I also enjoyed Victor McLaughlen in here. He played the best character.

jotix100 Rudyard Kipling's story serves as the basis for this excellent John Ford film. Mr. Ford, one of America's best directors of all times, got probably a fantastic budget to get this movie made. It paid well as we are given a great account of Mr. Kipling's novel by the man who knew about how to make movies come alive.This was obviously a Shirley Temple vehicle. Ms. Temple was one of the best child actress of all times. Whenever she is in front of the camera, this little girl has a way of stealing the viewer's heart. In all the films we have seen, this seems to be her best, and in fact, Ms. Temple always speaks about her fond memories about this movie.Of course, this film wouldn't have worked the way it did, had it not been by the amazing performance by Victor McLaglen, who as Sgt. MacDuff, befriends the little girl that has come to live at the headquarters where he is serving. His roughness are tamed by the love he feels toward young Priscilla.John Ford got excellent performances from everyone, but of course, Shirley Temple and Victor McLaglen run away with the film and our admiration. C. Aubrey Smith, the distinguished actor makes a great appearance as the Colonel in charge of the outpost in India. Cesar Romero is also good as the rebel Khoda Kahn. June Lang plays Priscilla's mother and Michael Whalen is "Coppy", the man who falls for the young girl's widowed mother.This is a film that will delight anyone, young or old, because it is a timeless classic, thanks to John Ford.

Neil Doyle SHIRLEY TEMPLE has always said that WEE WILLIE WINKIE was her own personal favorite among her childhood films because it gave her a chance to indulge herself as a tomboy. And because it has a good script, fine all around performances and moves along at a nice clip, it's one of the best Temple vehicles, showing exactly why she was such a popular young child star.The story is a simple one, with Shirley and her mother (June Lang) arriving at a British military outpost in India under the gruff but lovable protection of the colonel (Sir C. Aubrey Smith). Temple immediately wants to join in the marching and soldiering and McGlaglen is assigned to teach her the ropes. Therein lies the film's strongest bits of interplay between Temple and a co-star of equal scene-stealing abilities. There is genuine bathos in their ultimate scene together, with Shirley rendering a sweet rendition of Auld Lang Syne while the soldier lies on his deathbed.There are John Ford touches everywhere, so it's no surprise that the picture still holds up pretty well today. Temple fans will not be disappointed. Shirley fits the role of the tomboyish Priscilla with abundant good humor and a considerable amount of innocent charm.In secondary roles, there is an unobtrusive romance between Michael Whalen and June Lang and a surprising comedy bit by Constance Collier as a snooty matron urging her daughter to be less "anemic" so she can catch the eye of a soldier. Willie Fung as a spy adds some additional comic relief although the PC crowd will probably cringe at his antics.Ideal family entertainment.

zetes Surprisingly great John Ford film starring Shirley Temple. I was unsure if I could stand her cuteness for an hour and forty minutes, but I was never as annoyed as I expected to be. She's actually quite - good (I'll probably never live that down, will I?).Once in a while, she got a bit cloying, but for the most part I enjoyed her performance. Believe me, though, John Ford and his screenwriter were careful to balance her with the rest of the film, which is indeed quite masterful. All of the other performers are pitch perfect, including C. Aubrey Smith, Cesar Romero, Michael Whalen, Constance Collier, June Lang, and especially Ford regular Victor McLaglen. He's amazing, as always. The story, based on a Rudyard Kipling book, is very good. Lang plays Temple's mother. Her husband has apparently died, and she accepts the gracious invitation of her father-in-law (Smith), a colonel in India, whom she has never met. While there, Temple becomes a sort of a mascot of the soldiers, with Sgt. MacDuff (McLaglen) taking care of her and teaching her how to be a soldier. Another soldier (Whalen) courts Temple's mother. Cesar Romero plays Khoda Khan, a bandit prince who is being held prisoner in the fort. Ford's direction is as exciting as ever, and the cinematography is halfway between the expressionism of The Informer and the naturalism of Stagecoach. The musical score is also quite good. One might object to the colonialist viewpoint of the film, but, to be fair, Wee Willie Winkie is a lot more palatable in that respect than George Stevens' much more famous Gunga Din is. 9/10.