This little angel is only bad to those who believe her to be jinxed. That includes the operators of the orphanage she was brought up in, and in true Dickens fashion, she escapes with her dog after the old lady who took her in (Elizabeth Patterson) passes away. Taking along with her pooch Rex, Weidler runs away and decides to go to Egypt after opening the bible for advice like Patterson taught her. Of course, that's Egypt New Jersey where she befriends young Gene Reynolds who introduces her to his hard drinking father's boss (Ian Hunter) who ends up taking her in. With two new surrogate families looking over her, Weidler seems all set for a new life, but this American Dickens like tale is filled with complications before Weidler finds true happiness.
Terry the Dog, as Rex, gets threatened by the male version of Miss Gulch, Arthur Aylesworth, an ironic detail which ties this to the same year's "The Wizard of Oz". Like Dorothy in Oz, young Weidler has a major impact on the new characters in her life thanks to her biblical beliefs, and soon everyone seems to be whistling and skipping.
Henry Hull plays Reynolds' drunken lout of a father who seems to become a better person after Weidler shows up, and then there's the town's grouchy wealthy man (Guy Kibbee) whom Weidler tries to get to see the light, aided by Kibbee's valet, Reginald Owen. Lois Wilson, as Hunter's wife, opens up her home to Weidler, Reynolds and Hull in their times of trouble, even if it means a shortage of food on the table for her own family.
There is an excess of sentimentality here, but it's difficult to dismiss a film that really has the epitome of the real meaning of Christianity and doing what one can for their fellow man. Weidler is far less cloying than Shirley Temple, and there's never that over the top cuteness that made some of Temple's films overly saccharine. There's a little bit of disaster, an appropriate bit of comedy and lots of love going into the making of this, plus sacrifice from the characters whom you'd least expect it coming from. I doubt a situation like this could happen in real life, but this little MGM B film does offer a bit of hope in a dark and cruel world.
Terry the Dog, as Rex, gets threatened by the male version of Miss Gulch, Arthur Aylesworth, an ironic detail which ties this to the same year's "The Wizard of Oz". Like Dorothy in Oz, young Weidler has a major impact on the new characters in her life thanks to her biblical beliefs, and soon everyone seems to be whistling and skipping.
Henry Hull plays Reynolds' drunken lout of a father who seems to become a better person after Weidler shows up, and then there's the town's grouchy wealthy man (Guy Kibbee) whom Weidler tries to get to see the light, aided by Kibbee's valet, Reginald Owen. Lois Wilson, as Hunter's wife, opens up her home to Weidler, Reynolds and Hull in their times of trouble, even if it means a shortage of food on the table for her own family.
There is an excess of sentimentality here, but it's difficult to dismiss a film that really has the epitome of the real meaning of Christianity and doing what one can for their fellow man. Weidler is far less cloying than Shirley Temple, and there's never that over the top cuteness that made some of Temple's films overly saccharine. There's a little bit of disaster, an appropriate bit of comedy and lots of love going into the making of this, plus sacrifice from the characters whom you'd least expect it coming from. I doubt a situation like this could happen in real life, but this little MGM B film does offer a bit of hope in a dark and cruel world.