The Good

Regardless of how right or wrong these films are, they are an important part of film history.

The Bad

I really would have liked to have had a commentary track on this DVD.

Dimples gives us Shirley Temple as a young girl named (what else?), Dimples. She wants her grandfather to leave his life of crime but he doesn't want to. In the meantime, Dimples iscovered by an influential theater patron who sees a big future for Dimples on the stage.

Playing like a fairy tale, this Shirley Temple offering certainly has it's heart in the right place.

Features

Movietone News

This newsreel footage gives us Temple in Hawaii being made an honorary captain. While I know that this made for good press at the time, I can't help but think that people giving Temple these kinds of accolades at such a young age, had to have some kind of life altering effect on her.

Video

Full Frame - 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio. I love the bronze-like look that the color version of Dimples employs. It gives this film an almost heavenly feel which is exactly the impression that Temple herself always manages to give off. I really appreciate both the look and restoration of this film.

Audio

Dolby Digital. English - Stereo and Mono. Close Captioned. Subtitled in English and Spanish. Something that has always been interesting to me is the fact that while Temple was cute, she never seemed to be that great of an actress. In fact in all her other films I have seen, she essentially seemed like she was playing the same role. I bring this up in the sound section simply because it was during Temple's pregnant pauses that I noticed the most audio noise.

Package

Shirley Temple graces this front cover in a completely posed look where she doesn't stare directly into the camera. Also, they have decked her out in a true bowery look. The back features some dancing shots from the film (all of them in color), a description of what Dimples is about, a cast list and some technical specs. Typical packaging but it should strike a chord with the fans.

Final Word

In some ways I think Temple is more impressive than Dakota Fanning, if for no other reason than she seemed to set the standard for all the young actors and actresses who would come after her. When you watch Temple perform in Dimples, you realize you are seeing a girl who became her own woman at a very young age.

Dimples represents the purity of a time before someone like Temple would show the possibilities of what child actors could accomplish.