weezeralfalfa Review of Adventure in Baltimore

Adventure in Baltimore (1949)

Adult Shirley T. as artist and advocate of women's suffrage

[7/10 · 5 April 2020]

Fragile romance and rallies for women's suffrage are mixed in one of Shirley Temple's last films, released in 1949, which I finally got to see on a TCM evening celebrating the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. I always look forward to seeing cute Shirley in one of her late teen or early 20s films. Despite frequent disparaging remarks about her relatively poor acting during her teen and early 20s films, I find her perfectly adequate and just as charming as when she was a little girl. She certainly blossomed into a beauty, still showing her smiling dimples.........This was the second and last time she and then husband John Agar formed a romantic pair in a film. Western fans should know the other film: "Fort Apache", released the prior year. It must have been hard for Shirley to act like a romantic relationship with Agar, as she filed for divorce later in '49, complaining of persistent abuse. On the other hand, his character was a pleasant change from some of Shirley's late teen films, in which she fell for a man her father's age!(a continuation of her persona in her little girl films!).........The screen play is pretty standard, with the usual conflicts between the principle actors, which are finally resolved in a seemingly happy ending. ........Shirley, as Dinah, is expelled from Seminary for her various daring deeds. At first, her pastor father(played by a mustached Robert Young) brushes this misadventure off. But, eventually, he fears his imminent election as bishop may be denied by Shirley's continuing knack for getting into embarrassing situations. Also, her long term romantic relationship with Agar's character(Tom) has it's ups and downs, as Tom dallies with straight-laced Bernice, as a rival. Dinah causes Tom great embarrassment when he makes a public speech she wrote. I'll let you learn the details!.........Near the end, Dinah's family is involved in a street brawl relating to the women's suffrage movement, and they are thrown in jail. Dinah was on the way to the train station, as her family decided they were better off with her elsewhere until dad was ordained as a bishop! Nonetheless, as I said, things worked out well for her father, and for Dinah and Tom. ..........Didn't find this film on YouTube. However, amazingly, a good copy is available on DVD, and the vendor's reviews are generally very positive.