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Jul 29, 2018ThomasJWhiting rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
GREAT 1937 movie with Shirley at age 9. Excellent production which took advantage of the Alpine setting with fine cinematography actually filmed at Lake Arrowhead, California. The plot is interesting with Shirley being an orphan and going through family relationships in the Alps Switzerland and Frankfurt, Germany. She does get to dance, including the fun Wooden Shoes piece, but also serious acting when she gets in a struggle with her noxious caregiver. There are a variety of dramatic sequences, including snow sleigh chase with the police, the grandfather's religious redemption, and more. Darryl Zanuck's production keeps the film rolling and going. I'm not familiar with the underlying story, etc. so the fact that the film diverges plotwise, or whatever, from original story doesn't affect my enjoyment of what I consider one of Shirley's finest early 'child' movies.