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One of my all time favorites.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Coming home from boarding school, Shirley Temple rushes out of a chauffeured limousine (driven by a cowardly lion), heads up an elevator and into the penthouse where she believes her father (Charles Farrell) still lives. Much to her shock, the pickle-pussed apartment manager (Franklin Pangborn) gleefully tells her that her place is not there anymore. Residential maid Joan Davis rushes into her while walking a bunch of giant dogs (or actually, they are walking her), and takes her down to where she really lives: the garage apartment residence of the live-in engineer who now happens to be her father! It seems that Farrell's design of a residential skyscraper caused him to loose his job when the building of it stalled and now, he is in debt. The building's owner's niece (Amanda Duff) has tried to encourage her uncle (crotchety Claude Gillwater) to go through with the project, and when Temple meets "Uncle Sam" (as he is known), she tries to help him after seeing a look-alike drawing of America's "Uncle Sam" in the newspaper.Just another "Little Miss Fix-It" showcase for Temple, she is as cute as ever, but some serious talent threatens to outshine her. As maid and chauffeur, Joan Davis and Bert Lahr get little to do, but share a musical number with her that is taken over by the tap-dancing talents of Bill Robinson who also dominates the benefit finale. Farrell and Duff provide the romance, while Shirley gets a partner in crime with the precocious Benny Bartlett, a sniveling bratty rich kid who stands up to a bully and gets a silver dollar from Gillingwater for getting a black eye while his snooty dim-witted mother (Cora Witherspoon) faints in shock after Temple cuts off Bartlett's obnoxious looking curls.Then, there's Franklin Pangborn in one of his largest parts, basically playing an unlikable apartment manager whose main goal seems to keep Shirley from having fun. That makes him a villain of sorts, although he's a villain who never gets to win at his schemes. In certain scenes, he even begins to resemble Bela Lugosi with the teeth clenched in so far into his mouth that he seems either toothless or lipless. He laughs in brown-nosed mock humor at Witherspoon's unfunny jokes and at the end involves the police in his vendetta against Shirley which, of course, doesn't go off as he planned. His exit scene is reminiscent of Margaret Hamilton's "I'm melting!" speech in "The Wizard of Oz".By 1938, 20th Century Fox was obviously running out of ideas for new Shirley Temple stories, and while she certainly appears to be younger than her 10 years, the tide was beginning to turn with singers like Judy Garland and Deanna Durbin (ironically older than her) taking over "slowly but surely". The films were still entertaining, featured some great supporting players, and had decreased running times for the most part. In this case, "Just Around the Corner" was an ironic title considering that within two years, Shirley's Fox career would be history.

Cute little picture with little Shirley acting and singing up a storm as usual.Comedians Bert Lahr and Joan Davis are given so little to do. Claude Gillingwater, the banker in the memorable "Tale of 2 Cities," (1935) takes on a funny persona here as the rich Uncle Sam who is easily confused with the government. He even looks like Sam from the government.The story falls apart with the benefit for "Uncle Sam!" Franklin Pangborn steals the show as the head of the building whose always escorting Shirley out.The story may have had more meaning had they stuck with the original theme of rich versus poor. We saw plenty of that at the beginning but things to fade as the 2 groups seem to meld.

"Just Around the Corner" is strictly Shirley Temple 101. Paul Girard Smith's short story "Lucky Penny" (a much better title!) becomes an unlucky vehicle for the pint-sized star, here portraying the daughter of a financially-strapped architect during the Depression. Through some comically-contrived misunderstandings, Shirl comes to believe her father's boss is actually Uncle Sam--and sets out to solve not only her papa's problems, but the nation's as well! Forgettable bubblegum nonsense, though one with an elaborate production and some energy from supporting players Bert Lahr, Joan Davis, and Bill Robinson. ** from ****

There is such a lackluster quality about JUST AROUND THE CORNER--everything from script to performances to the songs--is below average. And Shirley is not quite as cute as the story wants her to be--clearly, she is starting to develop into a chubby preteen youngster with just a modicum of talent left over from her earlier films as a tot.Only a couple of the songs are pleasant enough to be worth mentioning--"A Happy Little Ditty" and "A Walk in the Rain" have the kind of charm expected in a Temple musical. But staging of the numbers and overall set decoration leaves a lot to be desired. Bert Lahr and Joan Davis are on hand as a chauffeur and a maid but both are defeated by some flat one-liners. Charles Farrell is clearly past his career as a romantic leading man and is just so-so as Charlie's depressed father on the skids.For Temple fans only--weaknesses in both script and song numbers--and not much else can be said for it. It's all very routine and quite forgettable.