When hearing the name Shirley Temple,the first thing that always comes to mind is the countless cartoon spoofs of Temple on the Good Ship Lollypop. Taking a look at BBC iPlayer listings,I was intrigued to find a "grown up" Temple title in the listings that has not reached DVD in the UK,which led to me travelling to Baltimore.The plot-Baltimore 1905:Expelled from Art School,Dinah Sheldon is sent back to Baltimore to be looked after by her mum and Episcopalian pastor dad. Taking an interest in the suffragette movement,Dinah begins wanting to continue her art,which will lead to Dinah painting a work that catches the old-fashion city by surprise,and starts Dinah off on an adventure in Baltimore. View on the film:Although her "grown up" credits do get looked down on,Shirley Temple actually gives a very good performance as Dinah Sheldon,thanks to Temple using her "innocent" image to give Dinah a thoughtful feisty side that breaks down barriers the town/audience try to put on Temple/Dinah. Trying to make sense of Dinah's "changes", Robert Young gives a charming performance as Dinah's dad that rings with care.Stepping on all of the heels of the town folk,the screenplay by Lionel Houser/ Lesser Samuels & Christopher Isherwood paints them as (largely) well-meaning people who hold their "traditions" a bit too close,which leads to great battle cry scenes of the suffragettes shaking the foundations of the city. Although the film sadly made a loss of $875,000,director Richard Wallace & cinematographer Robert De Grasse sweep up the dusty roads with an elegant floral appearance,which gives a fitting lady-like backdrop to Dinah backdrop-breaking adventure in Baltimore.

When I first began watching this film I was nonplussed. But the further I got into it, the better it got. Unfortunately, Shirley Temple -- the little girl who saved the studio when she was a child -- wass becoming an adult, and fairly or not the public wasn't buying it...literally...this film alone lost nearly a million dollars at the box office. In other words, Shirley's prominence was fading and fast. It's too bad, because I thought she should have had a place in movies for years to come. I enjoyed her, for example, in "The Bachelor And The Bobby-Soxer" with Cary Grant, filmed just 2 years earlier. But, apparently the public was tired of Shirley Temple.The plot, particularly as it advances, is actually quite good -- a young lady has an eye on equality and clumsily pursues it, sometimes to the detriment of others...included her father, who may or may not become the Episcopal Bishop of Maryland. Earlier in the film her escapades are a little more frivolous, but as time goes by the topics get more serious. Temple does fine here.Her co-star, as dad and minister, is Robert Young, and I would have to say this is one of his better roles. And you begin to see in young a transition to the type of character he undertook in his greatest success which began just 5 years later -- "Father Knows Best".John Agar is fine as the boyfriend, but I really enjoyed Josephine Hutchinson as the mother. I have never been disappointed by her film performances, though she is a woefully underrated actress.Some will say this film is dated. I would assume so -- it takes place at the turn of the 20th century! Recommended, just give it a little time as the plot matures.

It is beautifully filmed by Robert de Grasse. And Robert Young's character is appealing and even admirable. This seems like a dry run for his most famous role, the title character in "Father Knows Best." Here he is a father in two ways: He has children, including Shirley Temple. And he is an Episcopal priest (under consideration for Bishop of his Diocese.) Shirley Temple is the main character. She is meant to be saucy and ahead of her time. But she's very hard to like. The escapade in which her boyfriend, John Agar, borrows a speech from her for a debating contest isn't admirable. And right here, it's hard to imagine that a priest would laugh off his daughter's involvement in such dishonesty.Then she paints Agar. She promises she will just use his body as a starting point -- no face. But the painting is exhibited in a show and everyone sees that she has painted him in a bathing suit. That would have been extremely risqué for 1905. What would be the equivalent 101 years later? Something on the Internet or in an X-rated video.All this while her father is being considered for Bishop. I wonder what Christopher Isherwood's original story was like. Maybe she was a forerunner to Sally Bowles. Here, however, she is sullen, pampered, and selfish.

I saw this movie about ten years ago and absolutely loved it! It made me laugh and cry. I have always been amazed when I hear of Shirley Temples "struggle" to have successful movies as an adult. I think she was delightful and had a real gift for comedy. I am sorry her career ended so soon and can't help but wonder what we're now missing out on because of it. I am also frustrated that her later movies are not made available on DVD...at least hardly any. I think people could now begin to appreciate her...to rediscover the adult Shirley, because they'd be able to see her in a fresh way...something they had trouble with years ago. Adventure in Baltimore is a movie that makes you long for the innocence of the day and at the same time cheer for new youthful freedoms. I found myself really involved in her situations and couldn't wait to see what would come next. If you want a great and entertaining afternoon, just hope some channel is playing this movie and enjoy!