The Blue Bird

Name: The Blue Bird
Released: 1940-1-19
Cast: Shirley Temple, Spring Byington, Nigel Bruce, Gale Sondergaard, Eddie Collins

The Blue Bird

G
1h 23m
1940

age 7+

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Visually beautiful, full of imaginative sets, and splendidly photographed in rich Technicolor, this enchanting fantasy was Twentieth Century Fox's answer to "The Wizard of Oz". In a rare departure from her usual screen persona, Shirley plays a selfish, spoiled little girl named Mytyl, who doesn't appreciate her loving family. Only after a good fairy sends her and her brother (Johnny Russell) on a journey to find "the bird that means happiness" does she end up discovering happiness right in her own home.

Director:

Walter Lang

Producer:

Darryl F. Zanuck

Writer:

Ernest Pascal, Walter Bullock

Cast:

Shirley Temple, Spring Byington, Nigel Bruce, Gale Sondergaard, Eddie Collins

Common Sense Media

age 7+

Common Sense Says

Shirley Temple fantasy has some scares, outdated ideas.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Blue Bird is a departure from the typical adorable Shirley Temple movie, with a few scenes which may frighten younger or more sensitive kids: a suspenseful walk through a dark graveyard, and a raging storm with fire and lightning that threatens the heroes. One leading adult character (transformed from a cat) appears to be killed in the storm. The film, based on a play from 1910, includes some notions that may seem simplistic and old-fashioned by today's standards. One concept is that the dead (in this case two grandparents) depend upon the thoughts of their loved ones so that they can come to life for short periods. Another story component shows a community of children (all Caucasian) who live in the clouds as they wait to be born, sailing off to their expectant families in a magical sailboat.