By Frank Miller
Kathleen
Brief Synopsis
A neglected daughter tries to find the right wife for her widowed father.
Cast & Crew
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Harold S. Bucquet
Director
Shirley Temple
Kathleen Davis
Herbert Marshall
John Davis
Laraine Day
Dr. A.[ngela] Martha Kent
Gail Patrick
Lorraine Bennett
Felix Bressart
Mr. Schoner
Film Details
Also Known As
Cathleen, The Girl on the Hill
Genre
Comedy
Drama
Release Date
Jan
22,
1942
Premiere Information
New York opening: 18 Dec 1941
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Loew's Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 28m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7,899ft
(10 reels)
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Kathleen, the daydreaming daughter of wealthy widower John Davis, hates her shrewish governess, Mrs. Farrell, and prefers the company of antique shop owner Schoner. She tells Schoner that while she comes from a happy family, she has a friend, a girl on the hill, who is very lonely. One day, when John unexpectedly comes home from his office in time for dinner, she fantasizes that he will be so touched by her poem, "My Heart Cries Out," that he will beg forgiveness for his neglect. Instead, she is shattered to find that he is there to introduce her to Lorraine Bennett, his new girl friend. Her dislike for Lorraine puzzles John, and when Mrs. Farrell feigns injury from a firecracker device that Kathleen set up to stop her from snooping, he cannot comprehend her out-of-character behavior. Lorraine suggests that he call child specialist Dr. Montague Foster. Kathleen responds to Foster's kindness and, realizing that she is just lonely, he suggests that John fire Mrs. Farrell and hire Dr. Angela Martha Kent, a child psychologist who can spend the summer with Kathleen before leaving for a research trip to Buenos Aires. At first Kathleen is cool, but quickly grows to love her new governess, whom she nicknames "Angel." When asking John questions about Kathleen, Angela is shocked that he knows nothing about her and suggests that he dine at home every evening. Soon Kathleen tells Schoner that things are much better for the girl on the hill, and daydreams about Angela and her father falling in love. As Angela tries to guide John in becoming a more attentive father, he says that he will soon be taking a wife, and she assumes that he is talking about her. Because she is attracted to John, she is hurt to discover that he is referring to Lorraine, but asks Kathleen to give the woman a chance. Kathleen promises to do so, but fantasizes that she becomes a musical comedy star and has so much money that she gives Lorraine $100,000 to give John up, then has her arrested for accepting a bribe. Kathleen tries to get Angela to admit that she loves John, but instead Angela asks for advice from Dr. Foster, who tells her that she must try to transfer Kathleen's affection from herself to Lorraine. Meanwhile, Kathleen goes to Schoner and finds that he has to move to Philadelphia. She confesses that she is the girl on the hill, and he suggests that she bring Angela to meet him before he leaves. When Angela returns from seeing Dr. Foster, she acts more formal to Kathleen and does not go to Schoner's. That night, Angela tries to tell John what Kathleen has been planning, but he doesn't listen and asks her to stay with Kathleen while he and Lorraine are away on their wedding trip. She angrily tells him that Kathleen loathes Lorraine and chastises him for his lack of parental responsibilty. Kathleen overhears their quarrel and when Angela says that she is leaving, the child runs away after leaving a note saying that she is not wanted. Angela is just as distraught as John, and when Lorraine accuses her of manipulating Kathleen for her own purposes, he realizes what a shrew his fiancée really is. The next morning, when Schoner arrives in Philadelphia, he finds Kathleen in the moving van. She begs him to let her stay, but while she sleeps, he calls John. After Schoner tells her that "they" are coming for her, she imagines what it would be like if John came with Angela instead of Lorraine. When that happens, Kathleen thinks it is her most realistic dream, but John convinces her that it is no fantasy when he kisses Angela and says that the family is going home.
Director
Harold S. Bucquet
Director
Cast
Shirley Temple
Kathleen Davis
Herbert Marshall
John Davis
Laraine Day
Dr. A.[ngela] Martha Kent
Gail Patrick
Lorraine Bennett
Felix Bressart
Mr. Schoner
Nella Walker
Mrs. Farrell
Lloyd Corrigan
Dr. Montague Foster
Guy Bellis
Jarvis
Wade Boteler
Policeman
Charles Judels
Manager
Else Argal
Maid
Margaret Bert
Margaret
James Flavin
Moving man
Monty Collins
Moving man
Joe Yule
Sign poster
Fern Emmett
Miss Bewley
Florence Bates
Woman at Schoner's shop
Thora Mathiason
Soprano in "Dream Sequence"
Paul Godkin
Solo dancer in "Around the Corner" number
Louise Jones
Provider of drum beat chants
Forrest Price
Provider of drum beat chants
Crew
Earl Brent
Composer
Roger Edens
Composer
Cedric Gibbons
Art Director
George Haight
Producer
Mary C. Mccall Jr.
Screenwriter
Conrad A. Nervig
Film Editor
Al Raboch
Assistant Director
Wade B. Rubottom
Associate (Art Direction)
Douglas Shearer
Recording Director
Kay Van Riper
Based on a Story by
Sidney Wagner
Director of Photography
Franz Waxman
Music Score
Edwin B. Willis
Set Decoration
Photo Collections
1 Photo
Kathleen - Movie Poster
Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Kathleen (1942), starring Shirley Temple. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.
Film Details
Also Known As
Cathleen, The Girl on the Hill
Genre
Comedy
Drama
Release Date
Jan
22,
1942
Premiere Information
New York opening: 18 Dec 1941
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.
Distribution Company
Loew's Inc.
Country
United States
Technical Specs
Duration
1h 28m
Sound
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Color
Black and White
Theatrical Aspect Ratio
1.37 : 1
Film Length
7,899ft
(10 reels)
Articles
Kathleen -
When 20th Century-Fox let Shirley Temple go in the early '40s, MGM snapped her up, trumpeting that she would make a huge comeback at the age of 12. The studio announced numerous projects for her, including Babes on Broadway (1941), Panama Hattie (1942) and National Velvet (1944), but the only film she made for them was this charming domestic comedy with music. Going back to the vehicles that had made her a star, the studio cast her in her patented "Little Miss Fix It" role as a motherless child trying to help her neglectful father (Herbert Marshall) find the perfect wife. The film did not go over well, with critics complaining that Temple was getting too old to be cute as a meddling tot. Moreover, the direction and writing were strictly B-movie level, with Harold S. Bucquet a veteran of the studio's Dr. Kildare films while screenwriter Mary C. McCall, Jr. had largely worked on the Maisie series. Without the pressure of reestablishing one of the '30s' top box office stars, however, the film has charms of its own as Temple clowns, tugs at the heart strings and even gets a lavish musical dream sequence.
By Frank Miller
By Frank Miller
Kathleen -
When 20th Century-Fox let Shirley Temple go in the early '40s, MGM snapped her up, trumpeting that she would make a huge comeback at the age of 12. The studio announced numerous projects for her, including Babes on Broadway (1941), Panama Hattie (1942) and National Velvet (1944), but the only film she made for them was this charming domestic comedy with music. Going back to the vehicles that had made her a star, the studio cast her in her patented "Little Miss Fix It" role as a motherless child trying to help her neglectful father (Herbert Marshall) find the perfect wife. The film did not go over well, with critics complaining that Temple was getting too old to be cute as a meddling tot. Moreover, the direction and writing were strictly B-movie level, with Harold S. Bucquet a veteran of the studio's Dr. Kildare films while screenwriter Mary C. McCall, Jr. had largely worked on the Maisie series. Without the pressure of reestablishing one of the '30s' top box office stars, however, the film has charms of its own as Temple clowns, tugs at the heart strings and even gets a lavish musical dream sequence.
By Frank Miller
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was The Girl on the Hill. In the early stages of production, some sources listed the film's title as Cathleen. Kathleen was the first and only film that Shirley Temple made at M-G-M. Hollywood Reporter news items throughout late 1940 and early 1941 announced that Temple, who had recently left Twentieth Century-Fox and went under contract to M-G-M, was to star in several projects, among them Babes on Broadway and Panama Hattie ( and below), but she was replaced by other actresses. Her previous film was Young People, released in August 1940 by Twentieth Century-Fox (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films; F3.5257), and her next film was Miss Annie Rooney, released in May 1942 by United Artists (see below).
Although the Variety review called Kathleen "tedious" and said that Temple "does not tee off auspiciously" with her first M-G-M picture, several reviews praised Temple for her new, more grown-up performance. According to Temple's autobiography, neither she nor her mother were happy at M-G-M during Temple's short time at the studio and her mother turned down all other roles offered to the young actress. Temple and Herbert Marshall reprised their roles for a Lux Radio Theatre broadcast on December 27, 1943.
