Film Review of Red Haired Alibi: First Feature Film Role for Shirley Temple in 1932

A red-headed patsy gives a Red Haired Alibi by writer Edward T. Lowe, producer Sig Neufeld, and director Christy Cabanne. Harry Forbes, Irving Birnbaum, and Corson Jowett handle cinematography, editing, and sound. Filming showcases California.

The 75-minute drama adapts Wilson Collison’s (November 5, 1893 - May 25, 1941) 1932-published novel. Its distributor was Tower Productions. Its USA-premiere and release dates were October 15 and 21, 1932.

The movie begins with 23-year-old Lynn Monith (Merna Kennedy) selling Hotel Savoy #722 guest Trent “Jack” Travers (Theodore von Eltz) Lorigan. Trent gifts Lynn the perfume. He takes Lynn to Columbus, Ohio’s Gartenhaus Kopf Krause for club sandwiches, with

• His coffee;

• Lynn’s milk.

20-story offices replacing the Savoy leaves Lynn unemployed. From Victoria Hotel #501, Lynn messages Cortland #5-7219, Mansfield Apartments. Miss Hoffman’s Agency, 10 E. 43rd Street, offers nothing. Lynn plops down on Robert Shelton’s (Grant Withers) hat. Bob’s wife runs off to party. Bob thanks Lynn’s attending “Vanities” with:

• Card;

• Red roses.

Trent leaves Chicago the following month. Al picks up Lynn at 7:30 p.m. Trent presents big-city:

• Jobs;

• Morgues;

• Streetwalking.

He proposes:

• Clothing allowance, with $600 advanced;

• $100/week;

• 87th Street, Schuyler #8-3527.

He takes Lynn to:

• Dinner, 10 the next night: Lynn is mute around Bee Lee (Marion Lessing) and Morgan (John Vosburgh). Silver Moon headwaiter Harry (Harrison Greene) offers Lynn private dining. Trent uses the window to plant “pineapples” (grenades) at Morgan’s and sneak back for Lynn’s “10:30 p.m.-onward” alibi.

• Masquerades: Trent gets hit on the left forehead. Bee and Morgan grab Trent’s “only the best” cigarettes. Trent overpowers Morgan’s thugs. He sends Morgan’s motorboat seaward.

• Theater: Trent shoots Morgan 20+ minutes later at Willard Antiques. He has Lynn alibi him in Cleveland since Sunday.

Detective Corcoran (Fred Kelsey) and Inspector Regan (Purnell Pratt) find Lynn with Trent’s telegram dated 9/6/1932. They posit quick departures or demises. Mrs. A.S. Johnson’s White Plains employment agency will not hire without references.

Bob contracts Lynn as almost-four-year-old daughter Gloria’s (Shirley Temple) nurse. Lynn escorts husband Bob to Grand Central Station. Stalker Trent orders Lynn to bring $10,000 to Peacock Inn’s north side dining room veranda at 8:30 p.m.

Lynn brings nothing. Trent calls White Plains’ Captain of Detectives. Trent perishes when Lynn shoots. Captain Kent (Huntley Gordon) problem-solves switches and throttles when Lynn’s car stalls on Lane Road.

The movie ends with:

• Kent contacting Regan since “John Smith” is Trent;

• Manager Margoli’s (Paul Porcasi) and waiter Henri’s (Arthur Hoyt) eavesdropping implicating Lynn;

• The medical examiner identifying the fatal bullet as .45 caliber, not Lynn’s/Trent’s .32.

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

A career in feature films begins in 1932 with "Red-Haired Alibi."
Gloria Shelton (Shirley Temple) with her stepmother, Lynn Monith (Merna Kennedy): Classic Movie Vault @movievaultroku, via Twitter Sep. 28, 2018 @ https://twitter.com/movievaultroku/status/1045779618031181824/photo/2

Red Haired Alibi (1932) PRE-CODE HOLLYWOOD" (1:07:20) Shirley first appears at 0:40:28, a little under 2/3 of the way through the film
Uploaded Nov. 2, 2013, by PizzaFlix to YouTube ~ URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCCXWO1bs0U

four-segment panoramic view of Grand Central Station main concourse: four-segment panoramic view of Grand Central Station main concourse
David Iliff (Diliff), photography and stitching; Janke, horizontal correction; CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grand_Central_Station_Main_Concourse_Jan_2006.jpg