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Excellent but underrated film

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This is still Shirley Temple's film, but the romance between Alice Faye and Robert Young gets lots of time in this film...making it a bit more balanced and not quite as child-oriented as some of Shirley's films.Shirley is...well...Shirley, with her musical highlight being "Goodnight, My Love", with the song being reprised by Alice Faye.Faye is very good here, and Robert Young is excellent. You really do hope they get married! The supporting cast does their jobs -- Helen Westley is suitably unbearable as the potential mother-in-law. Eugene Palette doesn't get much screen time, but his barrel-voice is always welcome. Arthur Treacher also doesn't get much film time, and does better in other Temple films.This is one of the better Temple films, but far from the best. But the balance with a more adult story line makes it quite enjoyable.

As I watched this film, I was shocked how the amazingly talented Shirley Temple APPEARED to be speaking Chinese. I assumed she was actually speaking nonsense. I was thrilled, however, by Moondog-8's review as they said that she really WAS speaking reasonably good Mandarin Chinese!! What a talented kid!! Ching-Ching is the orphaned child of missionaries in China. She mostly wanders the street like a ray of sunshine. She happens upon a playboy bachelor (Robert Young) and he's naturally taken by her. Later, when she accidentally stows away on the same ship as Young, he befriends her and even wants to adopt her. But, he needs to find a wife FAST, as they won't let a bachelor adopt a kid. So, he asks a very nice lady (Alice Faye) and the rest is for you to see for yourself.This film is unusual in that it's pure sentimentality and schmaltz...yet it manages to work. This is because of the combined talents of Shirley, Robert Young and Alice Faye--who were all at the top of their game. Plus, the writing is good...provided you can dismiss some nagging questions you'll naturally face. So, try not to think HOW an orphan living in impoverished China can have permed curls, clean clothes and look well-fed! Just ignore all this and take in the fun--and the film does manage to be quite fun.By the way, in the credits, Faye's fiancé is credited as Allan Lane. Later, he gained fame as cowboy star 'Rocky' Lane.

"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.

Fleeing from bandit-ridden China, a cute & incredibly precocious little orphan accidentally becomes a STOWAWAY on a luxury liner. Once aboard, she proceeds to charm (nearly) everyone in sight, while working to bring about the marriage of two lonely Americans.Shirley Temple switches on her megawatt smile & captures the viewers' hearts once more in this pleasant, crowd pleasing movie. Amply displaying the charm which made her Hollywood's box office queen for years, Shirley gets to sing, dance, and even speak quite a bit of Chinese.Robert Young & Alice Faye appear as the romantic leads, and they do a good job, but ultimately they are just so much grist for Shirley's mill. Little Miss Temple always found her stiffest acting competition coming from the character performers and this film features some fine examples: Helen Westley as a dreadful mother-in-law in-waiting; wonderful Arthur Treacher as Young's comic butler; Eugene Palette, boisterous as a perpetually inebriated American; Philip Ahn as a faithful friend of Shirley's family; Willie Fung as the negligent boatman who spirits her to Shanghai; J. Edward Bromberg as a no-nonsense judge; and Robert Greig as the kindly ship captain.20th Century Fox obviously pumped a good deal of money into this film and the production values show it. The scenes in China are particularly well done, although the use of rear projection during Shirley's walk near the Shanghai waterfront is all too obvious.Shirley sings 'Goodnight My Love,' 'That's What I Want For Christmas' & 'You've Gotta S-M-I-L-E To Be H-A-double P-Y'. During the performance of this latter song Shirley mimics Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor & Ginger Rogers. Originally, she also impersonated Mae West but that segment was considered too hot and excised.