Baby Burlesks

Baby Burlesks

Shirley Temple in Glad Rags to Riches
Directed by Charles Lamont
Ray Nazarro
Produced by Jack Hays
Written by Jack Hays
Charles Lamont
Starring Shirley Temple
Georgie Billings
Danny Boone, Jr.
Eugene Butler
Marilyn Granas
Philip Hurlic
Gloria Anne Mack
Arthur J. Maskery
Jimmie Milliken
Dorian Samson
Georgie Smith
Music by Alfonso Corelli
Cinematography Sidney Wagner
Dwight Warren
Edited by William Austin
Howard Dillinger
Arthur Ellis
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Educational Film Exchanges, Inc.
Fox Film
Release date
  • April 11, 1932 (1932-04-11)

-

  • November 6, 1933 (1933-11-06)
Running time
10-11 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Baby Burlesks is the collective series title of eight thematically unrelated one-reeler films produced by Jack Hays and directed by Charles Lamont for Educational Pictures in 1932 and 1933. The eight films are satires on major motion pictures, film stars, celebrities, and current events,[1] and sometimes contain material that may be considered racist or sexist by modern standards.[2] Cast members are preschoolers clad in adult costumes on the top and diapers fastened with large safety pins on the bottom.[3]

Many of the children employed in the series were recruited from Meglin's Dance School in Hollywood,[4] and, when not rehearsing or shooting, were sent out by the studio as advertising models for a variety of products (including breakfast cereals and cigars) in order to underwrite the costs of film production.[5]

The series is notable for featuring three-year-old Shirley Temple in her first screen appearances. In her 1988 autobiography, the actress describes the Baby Burlesks as "a cynical exploitation of our childish innocence".[6] She also said the films were "the best things I ever did".[7]

Filmography

Shirley Temple in Glad Rags to Riches

All eight films in the Baby Burlesks series were produced by Jack Hays and directed by Charles Lamont, except the first, Runt Page, which was directed by Ray Nazarro. Rehearsals took place over a week or two for each film, with no pay, and then were shot quickly in two days.[8] As a star, Temple, received $10 a day.[9] In 2009, all eight films were available on videocassette and DVD.

See also

References

  1. Black, p. 13
  2. Black, p. 16
  3. Black, p. 15; Windeler p. 111
  4. Black, p. 13
  5. Black, p. 15
  6. Black, p. 16
  7. Windeler, p. 111
  8. Black, p. 15
  9. Black, p. 15; Windeler, p. 111
  10. Black, p. 16
  11. Windeler, p. 111
  12. Windeler, p. 111
  13. Windeler, p. 111
  14. Black, p. 24
  15. Edwards, p. 39
  16. Black, p. 26
  17. Edwards, p. 38
  18. Shirley Temple Classics DVD, Audiovision Canada, 2008.

Works cited

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