Film Review of Out All Night: Shirley Temple in Bit Part in 1933 Comedy

The courage to be oneself and claim one’s own life and love can require being Out All Night by writer William Anthony McGuire; story ideator Tim Whelan; producer Carl Laemmle Jr.; and director Sam Taylor. Jerome Ash, Bernard W. Burton and Gilbert Kurland handle cinematography, editing and sound. Filming showcases California’s Universal City.

The comedy lasts 68 minutes. Its distributor was Universal Pictures. Its USA-premiere and release dates were April 8 and 13, 1933.

The movie begins with widowed New Yorker Jane Colgate (Laura Hope Crews) smothering son Ronald (Slim Summerville) into hypochrondria. Jane goes shopping with Ronald. She looks for men’s coats. He walks around Stacey’s Department Store.

Lack of social contacts generally causes Ronald to be inarticulate and inept. He finds his soul mate in Bonny (ZaSu Pitts). Bonny takes care of children (Billy Barty, Philip Purdy, Shirley Temple) in the store’s nursery.

Jane accompanies the wannabe lovebirds on their first day. Just before closing time the next day, Ronald asks Bonny to marry him. They browse Stacey’s furniture division. Doors get locked, and lights go off. Bonny and Ronald have no way out.

Jane dislikes and distrusts Bonny. She goes looking for Ronald. It horrifies and humiliates her to find Bonny and Ronald the “live models” of Stacey’s “Love Nest” section. Bonny is sleeping in the bed. Ronald snoozes nearby on the floor.

David Arnold (Rollo Lloyd) abhors Ronald’s living at home crimping courting Jane. He convinces Jane of imminent scandal from an unmarried couple spending the night in close quarters. He recommends a shotgun marriage.

Bonny and Ronald head to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. Bonny occupies the upper berth in the newly-weds' compartment. Ronald starts drinking with fellow traveler Henry (Paul Hurst).

Henry and Ronald confuse compartment doors. Henry crashes onto the lower berth in Bonny’s compartment. Ronald enters Henry’s wife’s (Mae Burch) compartment. Henry gets the honeymooners’ compartment. Bonny and Henry play checkers in the porter’s compartment.

Jane greets Bonny and Ronald at Niagara Falls’ train station. She has a room booked next to theirs. Bonny leaves.

Jane advises David to arrange Bonny’s and Ronald’s divorce. David contacts Bonny’s roommate Kate’s (Shirley Grey) boyfriend, Chinatown tour bus driver Jerry (Gene Lewis). He convinces Jane and Ronald to accompany him on a walk. Jane has depressed, stressed Ronald getting around by wheelchair.

Jerry arranges to have Bonny “abducted” in front of the three strollers. Ronald immobilizes Bonny’s “captors.” He moves Bonny to Jerry’s car.

The movie ends with:

• Ronald declaring his independence from Jane;

• David gloating;

• Bonny and Ronald spending three days alone in Niagara Falls.

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Two Shirley Temple films were released in 1933. "Out All Night" was released April 8, 1933, and "To the Last Man" was released five months later, September 15, 1933.
Shirley Temple with teddy bear and doll: Conrad J. Barrington @cjubarrington, via Twitter Nov. 4, 2021, @ https://twitter.com/cjubarrington/status/1456273295481835523

Universal City: filming location for "Out All Night"
Universal City, Los Angeles County, southern California: Oriez, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Universal_city.JPG