When other studios were on the look out for their own answer to
Shirley Temple, Fox not only had the original but another little girl
who was Shirley's equal in talent and personality - Jane Withers. She
also had a complete naturalness and winningness, the type of kid that
children attending the cinema could imagine hanging around with and
sharing in their games. While Shirley was angelic with golden curls, Jane
sported a black bob (and in "Bright Eyes") wanted a machine gun for
Christmas.
"Pepper" was Jane's most popular film of 1936 and it also starred Irwin
S. Cobb (who praised Jane highly) as a philanthropist who became
interested in Pepper, leader of a gang of street kids. Pepper's gang are
into philanthropy themselves but they hit a brick wall when collecting
over-due rent for an evicted family. When Pepper sees the home of
John Wilkes she declares she wants to be in "the big dough class" and
"no more nickel and dime stuff for us"!!! After a meet and greet which
includes an "unloaded" gun and some forgotten ammunition, Wilkes
confesses he's been told he's a dying man but after a day at a riotous
fun fair, he recaptures his spirit to enjoy life.
Meanwhile his daughter has become enarmoured of a foreign count
but keeps encountering an increasingly irritated traffic cop (a very
young Dean Jagger). There's more broad comedy in this one - not so
much singing and dancing or dramatics and it wasn't a particular
favourite with me, although any movie with Jane is very welcome.
This one also features Slim Summerville and a standout scene featured
Cobb, Summerville and Jane in a spirited cowboy lament - with lots of
verses!!
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