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| The Blue Bird - 1940 |
Coming up next is 1940's "The Blue Bird", a film about a bratty young girl who is sent on a quest to find the blue bird of happiness.
The film's cast includes Shirley Temple, Johnny Russell, Spring Byington, Nigel Bruce, Gale Sondergaard, Eddie Collins, Sybil Jason, Jessie Ralph, Helen Ericson, Laura Hope Crews, Russell Hicks, Cecilia Loftus, Al Shean, Ann E. Todd, and Sterling Holloway.
Mytyl and her brother Tyltyl are in the Royal Forest and have just caught what they believe to be a rare bird. They are not certain, but they hope it's a thrush. Taking birds from the forest is illegal and when a forester happens upon them, they make a mad dash back to town.
In town, Mytyl shows off the bird to a very ill girl named Angela. Angela asks to trade for the bird, and Mytyl coldly informs Angela that she doesn't have anything she would like to trade for. Angela is very disappointed at not being able to have the bird.
At home, Mytyl is full of complaints about the way the family lives. "Why do we have to be so poor all the time?" she asks her horrified parents, who are doing the best they can to provide a good life for their children.
Bad news comes when Daddy Tyl is informed that he is to report to the army for war the next day.
Mytyl later confesses to her mother that she's very unhappy. Her mother tells her, "Well, of course, you’re unhappy. If you don’t mend your ways, you’ll never be happy. Never." With that, Mytyl and her brother drift off to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Mytyl and Tyltyl are awakened by a loud knocking at the door. The fairy Berylune arrives and has a task for them.
Berylune sends the children off into the night to find the blue bird. "Don't you know that the blue bird means happiness?" asks Berylune when Mytyl wants to know why they are looking for it.
They don't go off on their own. Berylune sends the dog and the cat (now in human form) to join them with Light as their guide.
Their first stop is the past, where they meet up with their deceased grandparents. Granny Tyl tells Mytyl, "Every time you think of us, we wake up and see you again." Confused, Mytyl says, "But we thought you were dead." Granny shakes her head and says, "No, dear. Only when we're forgotten."
Their next stop is the land of luxury. Tylette, the cat, is thrilled to be there. The children are initially quite fond of Mr. and Mrs. Luxury and all the comforts that wealth can provide.
However, wealth makes them argue with each other. They decide to steal away during the night. "They're just too young to appreciate luxury," says Mrs. Luxury. "And we're too old to escape from it," adds Mr. Luxury.
Their final destination is the future, where they meet with children who have yet to be born. One of the children they meet will eventually be their little sister. They also meet the future Abraham Lincoln.
The next thing they know, Mytyl and Tyltyl wake up and realize that it was all a dream. However, Mytyl is profoundly affected by all that happened and has greatly changed in her outlook and personality. She's changed so much that her parents can hardly believe it.
Mytyl realizes they never found the blue bird of happiness in their dreams, but when she looks at the cage containing the bird she found in the forest, she realizes it's been right in her own home the whole time.
Cast rundown:
Shirley Temple.................................Mytyl
Johnny Russell.................................Tyltyl
Spring Byington...............................Mummy Tyl
Nigel Bruce......................................Mr. Luxury
Gale Sondergaard.............................Tylette
Eddie Collins....................................Tylo
Sybil Jason......................................Angela Berlingot
Jessie Ralph.....................................Fairy Berylune
Helen Ericson...................................Light
Laura Hope Crews.............................Mrs. Luxury
Russell Hicks....................................Daddy Tyl
Cecilia Loftus....................................Granny Tyl
Al Shean..........................................Grandpa Tyl
Ann E. Todd.....................................Little Sister
Sterling Holloway..............................Wild Plum
And that's all for The Blue Bird. This film didn't perform well at the box office. Audiences did not like the idea of a spoiled, bratty Shirley Temple. This film was Fox's answer to MGM's "The Wizard Of Oz". You can note the comparison of a black and white film in the beginning, and a full on color spectacle during the dream sequence.
In the land of the future, we meet a little girl who rushes to be born before her time. She is admonished by Father Time and stays behind until she is ready to be born. Four-year-old Caryll Ann Ekelund portrayed this little girl. Tragedy struck on Halloween 1939, several months before this film was released, when Caryll Ann's Halloween costume caught fire from a jack-o-lantern and caused severe burns, from which she succumbed a few days later. She was buried wearing her costume from this film.
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