Review: Merry and Yours – Merrily Yours (1933)

Directed by: Charles Lamont | 20 minutes | short film | Actors: Shirley Temple, Frank Coghlan Jr., Mary Blackford, Sidney Miller, Lloyd Ingraham, Helene Chadwick, Huntley Gordon, Harry Myers, Thelma Hill, Kenneth Howell, Isabel La Mal

“Merry and Yours” (Merrily Yours) (1933) is part one of the “Frolics of Youth” comedy series (most directed by Charles Lamont). In some of them, child star Shirley Temple, Mary Lou plays the wisecracking sister of the protagonist Sonny. Charles Lamont is seen as the discoverer of Shirley. With a car that often fails, Sonny Rogers (Frank Coghlan Jr.) is not the most popular kid in high school. The girls are hijacked in front of him by a smooth talker with the beautiful car. But that could change when Sonny and Mary Lou get a new girl next door. Pay attention to the lyrics on Sonny’s car, because they are very funny. It’s nice to see the cars from that era anyway.

Curly hair Shirley Temple teases her older brother a bit here. He is also troubled by Harry Vanderpool played by Kenneth Howell (1913-1966). So poor Sonny. He has to fight hard for the girl next door Phyllis (Mary Blackford, 1914-1937). Sonny is played by Frank Coghlan Jr., like Shirley also a child star. He is also known for “Adventures of Captain Marvel” (1941). In “Our Girl Shirley” (Pardon My Pups) (1934) Frank Coghlan Jr. and Shirley Temple again brother and sister. Shirley’s role is a bit bigger than here. It’s more about the fight for Phyllis now. This twenty-minute film in color offers physical humor and, of course, some gloating for Sonny. Nice if you want to see an old, short, comedy film in which the sweet boy gets the girl. Or if you want to briefly admire Shirley Temple in one of her first roles in a larger movie after the series of “Baby Burlesks” films from 1932 and 1933.