Brilliant and touching

best movie i've ever seen.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Captain January is Shirley Temple at her best. The film is a remake of a silent film that starred Hobart Bosworth and Baby Peggy. I can't imagine that it is any better than this one.The title role is played by Guy Kibbee who is a lighthouse keeper on the New England coast. Kibbee rescued Shirley from a ship wreck, but other than a photo album has no clue to her identity. Shirley is now a mascot of sorts in the town where the lighthouse is located. The only disturbance to Kibbee's tranquility is the marriage minded Jane Darwell.That all ends when a new truant officer comes to town played by Sara Haden best known for being the maiden aunt who lived with the Hardy family. She's a severe maiden in this film in fact she looks like she could be auditioning for Ms. Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West in this film. Of course it all works out in the end for our little moppet and for her guardian Captain January.Highlight of the film is Shirley dancing with Buddy Ebsen in the Codfish Ball number. Slim Summerville has an important role her also as Kibbee's best friend and occasional voice of reality.Captain January holds up well today for the kid in all of us.

Little Star (Shirley Temple) lives in a lighthouse with the keeper, Captain January (Guy Kibbee). He is her unofficial guardian and has been so for years, after rescuing the little gal from a shipwreck. Her parents drowned. Their is strong love and bond between the crusty older man and the wee girl. Because he wants to keep her in his household, Cap hasn't registered Star for school, even though she is of kindergarten age. Instead, he has taught her at home, giving her arithmetic lessons as they count the steps up and down the lighthouse and so forth. Also on hand to help are Cap's argumentative friend, Nazro (Slim Summerville) and sailor Paul (Budde Ebsen). But, spying Star on the streets, a truant officer insists that Cap put Star in school. Very nervous about this venture, as Star doesn't have any dresses and, more importantly, he considers Star his family and doesn't want it ripped apart, the two move forward. Cap borrows money from a friend to buy Star a lovely dress and the little girl does so well on the entrance exam, she is put in first grade immediately! More trouble arrives. The lighthouse is being replaced by one that doesn't need a keeper and Cap will be out of a job. As his employment is uncertain, Star may indeed be placed in a foster home. But, what about the documents found with Star during the shipwreck? Could they provide information about any relatives Star might still have in the world? Don't fret, happy endings are what our Shirley does best! This beautiful film is a delight in every way. The cast is terrific, with Kibbee, Summerville, Ebsen and the rest supporting the most darling child star ever. Just watch Temple and the young Ebsen dance to the wonderful At the Codfish Ball. The coastal scenery is also nice while the story has plenty of humor and drama to provide captivating entertainment. Be it January, February, March or any other month, get Captain January and know you will be watching one of Shirley's best films ever.

I had an unusual opportunity to see both the original 1924 version of "Captain January" (Starring Baby Peggy) and the 1936 version (Starring Shirley Temple). And, while I will freely admit that Shirley was an amazing talent, I actually preferred the original a bit more. Much of it might be because the singing and dancing in the remake seemed a bit out of place with such a sad story. Part of it might be that I just prefer originals in almost every case.The story is not exactly the same as the original. The biggest difference is WHO Captain January is. In the 1924 film, it was the child's nickname but in this film, it's the name given to the child's adoptive father. Either way, the child was found along the shore following a shipwreck where the child's parents were killed. She was raised by a nice old lighthouse keeper (Guy Kibbee) and years later, a nasty old biddy wants to take the child away and put it in an orphanage because she feels the man is a bad influence on the kid. In the original, it was the child's aunt and uncle who threaten to take the kid and the old biddy was only a minor character. Either way, it all ends well--and everyone, naturally, is very happy.This is a good family film....but not a great one. Shirley was fine and the film enjoyable but it just didn't seem like an improvement on an already lovely film. Worth seeing, but I recommend you see both.

Maybe the best all-around movie of Shirley's career in terms of the acting of the entire ensemble and a well-constructed script. Shirley tugs at your heartstrings, of course, but the story never strikes a false note. And some of the scenes of the lighthouse are magnificent. Watch this one with the entire family.