HONEYMOON

(director: William Keighley; screenwriters: story by Vicki Baum/Michael Kanin; cinematographer: Edward Cronjager; editor: Ralph Dawson; music: Leigh Harlane; cast: Franchot Tone (David Flanner), Guy Madison (Phil Vaughn), Shirley Temple (Barbara Ohmstead), Gene Lockhart (Prescott), Lina Romay (Raquel Mendoza), Corinna Mura (Senora Mendoza), Julio Villarreal(Senor Gaspar Mendoza), Charles Trowbridge (Judge Riberol); Runtime: 74; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Warren Duff; RKO; 1947-b/w)

“Awkward Shirley Temple comedy, with the star a young adult of 19 and no longer adorable.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

An awkward Shirley Temple comedy, with the star a young adult of 19 and no longer adorable.

Director William Keighley (“Bullets or Ballots”/”The Green Pastures”) keeps things too cute and inane.

It’s based on a story by Vicki Baum, and is weakly written by Michael Kanin.

At a Mexico City railroad station, the Midwestern teenager Barbara Ohmstead (Shirley Temple) fails to connect with Corporal Phil Vaughn (Guy Madison), who is to meet her there to get married on his three-day pass. Barbara seeks the help of the vice consul at the the American consulate, David Flanner (Franchot Tone). To make a dumb story short, Flanner gets involved and races all over Mexico City to reunite the couple and get them married. His interest gets his high-brow, harp playing, Mexican fiancée Rachel Mendoza (Lina Romay) jealous.

How it all works out is as exciting as getting a health certificate to marry, which was one of the problems that had to be solved before the couple could marry.

REVIEWED ON 5/30/2017 GRADE: C   https://dennisschwartzreviews.com/