For this Shirley Temple feature Frank Morgan was borrowed from MGM and worked awfully hard to keep America's favorite moppet from stealing the whole film. Morgan was no mean scene stealer himself.A lot of his Professor Marvel aka known as the Wizard over in Oz went into Morgan characterization of the Professor who is Shirley's grandfather. He's a former actor who has seen his better days and now lives hand to mouth. Shirley and her street peers and an integrated group of peers they are distract the crowd while he pilfers their pockets.I won't say how but Shirley comes to the attention of society matron Helen Westley who offers to adopt her. At the same time she's got a nephew Robert Kent who wants to enter that most ignoble of professions, being an actor. She won't hear of it, especially his adaption of that current best seller Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.These two issues meet and are resolved in the finale. Though we're never sure whether Frank Morgan will end his thieving ways. It's practically an addiction now.Morgan and Temple made a good team on screen. Their scenes are almost a dress rehearsal for his role in The Wizard Of Oz.

People are often made uncomfortable by elements that reveal racial attitudes in old movies, but those elements can make the movie fascinating. "Dimples", which is set in the 1850s before the Civil War, often makes explicit references to slavery and also reveals 1930s stereotypes. (Also, the movie keeps referring to "the depression," drawing parallels to the '30s.)The opening legend calls attention, with deliberate irony, to the fact that some young radicals are questioning "that respectable institution of slavery". Then we see Shirley dancing with black and white street orphans, implying that they are equal in their economic straits. Stepin Fetchit has an important but unbilled role as Frank Morgan's servant (who isn't a slave, but isn't getting paid either). Black servants are shown everywhere, especially at Mrs. Drew's house.Two plot points are important. The central question is whether Mrs. Drew will "buy" Shirley for $5000, and the characters go back and forth on this question. On the night of the debut of the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" play, Mrs. Drew arrests Frank Morgan (in disguise as Uncle Tom). Then while watching Shirley's death scene in the play, where she begs for Uncle Tom to be free, Mrs. Drew "frees Uncle Tom" (letting Morgan go). Shirley converts Mrs. Drew's impulse to "enslave" people.We see (with historical accuracy) that the play uses white actors in blackface--but in a curious twist, the play closes with a "new entertainment from the South," a minstrel show with the actual black performers (including Fetchit) pretending to be white actors in blackface. These elements make some viewers uncomfortable, but if you can watch critically, it reveals how the movie was attempting at some level to recognize and deal with unpleasant realities of U.S. history and address freedom, equality, and integration in disguise as entertainment. The Hall Johnson Choir appear, and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson choreographed the dances.

I usually really like watching the old and charming Shirley Temples. But this one, Dimples, just simply isn´t a very good movie. Some fairly good actors are in it but all together it´s very tiring and unrealistic little film. Shirley´s charisma just doesn´t hit it this time. And when it doesn´t hit, the only thing that shows is her acting which is not anything special. The only quite good thing is the songs and dance rutines but other wise: boring. Also it just shines out how bad possition black actors had in Hollywood on the 30s. This is not Shirley´s best, watch Curly top or The Little Princess instead.

What a charming musical! Shirley Temple is absolutely adorable. I love when she sings "Get on Board" as Eva in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Her character is dressed in white. I love plenty of song and dance. It does not make me tired at all. What it does, is make me so very happy. The title alone, Dimples, is very charming. Shirley Temple herself as a child has had what the title says. That was for quite a long time. I have been very glad of that. It is a very old movie, but then again I like old ones. Whatever age you are, it is a must that you like good movies. This especially holds true for most of Temple's films. They are absolutely irresistible. Maybe someday I'll put on a song-and-dance myself. Who knows? The number "Miss Dixie-Anna" at the end makes it a great movie. Would I dare to say anything else about the ending? I really don't know for sure. No one wants to know that in advance. They want to see for themselves, thank you. Please let everyone enjoy this really good vehicle of Little Miss Temple.