Bill Bojangles Robinson and Shirley Temple (1938)

[wlhardy]

I've always been fond of Shirley's movies. She was so talented and just want the American people needed to lift their spirits during the First Great Depression (I say that because I think we're in the Second Great One now and there's nothing to lift our spirits). I love watching Shirley & Bill Robinson dance together but, surprisingly, she admiited that her favorite person to dance with was Buddy Ebsen (later Jed Clampett in "The Beverly Hillbillies").

[DixieCricket1]

This era is so cool! I was born 150 years late. Would have loved to see the Civil War happen, as well as the first talkies!

[143jennahbee]

i have to do a project on her soo i have to watch this

[banzaicat2]

wow. woooww. If I'm not mistaken there was not a cut or edit in this long scene, and certainly not a mistep. Shirley and Mr. Robinson are just superb in this.

[widlipoo]

now aday we have toddlers and tiaras!.yay...:(

[monique2thck]

5 PEOPLE DISLIKED THIS BECAUSE THEIR KID IS A LAME-O!

[edwinachikere]

They are too cute together. I heard that Bojangles did not have children of his own and that he really looked after Shirley on the set of the movies they worked on together and did what he could to protect her. You can definately see the love and respect these two had for each other.

[bananamansouth]

Even now, in 2011, this would be seen as amazing. Bojangles Robinson and Shirley Temple are both American treasures each in their own right and together.

[ilovetortillas]

raymond scott!!! i love this song!

[Selenita048]

I remember seeing this video in color, but now can not find it, someone could help me on this?

[alexisrg7]

I love these movies as a kid. I use to beg my mom to take me to the salon to get my hair in curls just like Shirley and that was in the 90s lol

[meisha1954]

This was one of the longest unedited pieces. I bet Shirley Temple learned SO much from Bill Robinson. Mr. Robinson was really being held back in this. Too bad he was in a time where he couldn't have just exploded on the dance floor. I think Shirley Temple could have handled alot more than that, under his Mr. Robinson's guidance, that is. At that time, I thought Shirley Temple was the star when in reality it was Bill Robinson. Loved this.

[Spring4word]

@meisha1954 It looks like Shirley is the star because it safe for a little white girl to be the star, rather than giving the black man agency.

[YummYp00p]

@Spring4word

I like shirley temple too, and she was very talented... But she WAS the star at THAT time.

I hear more songs, tributes and nostalgic talks about mr bojangles now actually, than about shirley temple.

[meisha1954]

@meisha1954 Did you really read my comment? Maybe I am not understanding your answer. Yes, back then the little white girl too center stage. However, I made my comment some 60 years after that movie was made. I DID give the credit to Mr. Bill Robinson. I would say in my comment I gave all the credit to him. Thank goodness we do NOT live in those horrid times anymore. Then again, we still have such prejudice...maybe not as bad...but we are far from being where we should be in 2010.

[ItalianDC]

i wonder if those were modified West Point uniforms and a Tap group from the academy that got to do this with her.

[nightswimmer99]

It's a pity the atmosphere of that time would not allow her to be paired up with little Harold Nicholas on the screen. He would have had to slow down for her to keep up, but the cuteness factor would have been off the scale...

[AnimeKat52]

awwww she is so cute

IT MAKES ME WANT TO EXPLODE!!!!!!!! :3

[moniquasem]

This was a time of simple life and morals and talent!

[HeartXlovers]

aww i can't beleive i ran into this lol, i rememeber watching her when i was younger .. now i'm 20 and still love her lol

[sciencejim1]

its sad what fox did to her and her parents

[franl155]

I'm not really stuck on "cute moppets" but I can watch Mr Robinson for hours on end!

[maybmaja]

I heard an interview she did years ago. She recalled growing up with Victorian Era parents -body always covered- and she'd never even seen her father shirtless. She said one day as a little girl one of the big guys of MGM ( I can't remember who) called her in his office and exposed himself to her! She had never seen a penis before and thought it was the funniest thing she'd ever seen and laughed. He became embarrassed, zipped up quick and asked her to leave his office.

[SenoritaTJ]

She's cute!

[JasperGrae]

Love the use of the Raymond Scott piece, "Toy Trumpet."

[hajune]

She learned quickly. When Bill taught her she could pick up what he taught within 2 sessions. Bill Robinson was paid an astounding $3000 a week during the depression. He could run faster backward faster then most could forward. He ran the 75 YD dash in 8.2 seconds. A world record. Many lost money betting him they could beat him running forward. Over 1,000,000 at his funeral or listened on the radio to it. He was beloved by all and made us happy during unhappy times. Shirley did the same for us.

[JileyLoveStoryxD]

shirley temple is like, my hero. I cant picture any kid her age or even years older these days doing something like this. She was just absolutely amazing.

[Geraldine714]

This one is one of my best from Shirley,..i love it,..5*!:))

[bd001217]

Hollywood's first inter-racial couple !

Those two were awesome together. Never been anything like ti since. Never will be.

[Robert4770]

Hollywood royalty

[calamtykel]

And the taps were always pre-recorded by the dancers. Meaning that Bill and Shirley had to duplicate their dance steps and match them perfectly to the previously recorded taps! amazing..........

[arual1969]

I MISS THIS WORLD!!!

[rosieyposie7]

@arual1969 ...I second that motion!!!

[trickmastermonkey]

that was pretty kewl

[bubblinbrownsugar616]

Shirley Temple and Bill Robinson are ROCKIN!!!! LOLOL!!!

REAL Entertainment! I was beaming the entire clip!!!! LOLOL!!!

[jnyerere]

for a girl her age, Shirley Temple could tap dance to save her life plus a million more. She was a talented little girl.

[rexkid]

mr bojangles had his own custom made tap shoes. the bottoms were made of a special type of wood instead of metal and created some of the greatest sounding taps in history

[vexx67]

Call that bitch Bojangles!

[bubblinbrownsugar616]

Stop listening to the Ying Yang Twins!!! ;)

[barristerwolf]

They don't have talent like this in movies any more. Back then to be in movies you had to dance, sing, articulate, memorize lines that were often change in seconds and re learn dance steps in seconds. NOW THOSE WERE MOVIE STARS!

Shirley Temple and Mr. Bill Robinson were one of the greatest dance duo ever joined together. These dances are legendary!

[pckid888]

Not one edit shot in the entire dance sequence...amazing!

[krewhead]

Shirley has really inspired me she why i got into dancing because i took tap when i was about 5 because i would pretend i was her haha! And she why i got into acting.

[BrokenHeartedMCRBabe]

hahah when i was 6 or 7 my mom && i used to watch this movie all the time and she taught me to do the tapping like shirley x3 i played this clip over && over && over && OVER again because i wanted to get it. i finally did. ive been tapping since i was 3!! :D

[LoveOddDellaRobbia]

She is SO adorable. I was watching Naruto Shippuden Cosplay and her Lollipop song was on one so I searched her up and I LOVE her. She is so talented. I'm buying all her movies and music.

[cjsprout]

just recently introduced to Shirley Temple because the song, On account a i love you, is being used in an ad here, im now officially obsessed. the most talented child ever.

[Megk993]

I personally think the music was way better back in the 30's and 40's, there was real talent! I love the likes of Shirley Temple and Judy Garland they were real child/teen sensations, not miley cyrus etc!

[EmmieAmazing]

Shirley is soo talented! :) x

[Diiixdixo]

I am saddened that so many kids don't have the attention span to watch Shirley's movies. What ever happened to installing the appreciation for music, dance and sillyness in kids movies? The truth is we haven't seen a child in films as talented as Shirley since the 1930s... now they fabricate child stars in the Disney factory to all look and act the same nauseating way and burn out before they turn 16. Please continue to keep Shirley's movies alive!

[700023025]

I have every single one cause me and my mom like to sit around and watch them i know im only 11 but i like cause i tap dance too

[maitree001]

These films with Shirley Temple were never shown on german television !!! I wonder why ?!?

[Koollaidman1546]

Watching this Robinson guy makes me feel bad for him... I bet he was constantly being called "the Nigra on the big screen"...

[someoldbag]

My parents grew up watching Bill Robinson, and whenever they talked about him, it was about how great he was. The word "nigra" was never used.

[Koollaidman1546]

That's good, but your parents were apparently "growing up" watching Bill Robinson. That's very different from being a grown-up and watching Bill Robinson. I was talking about people who were grown-ups who had already been engulfed in racist culture that would say something like that.

Either way, great talent huh?

[fizzywizzy2006]

I have this on vhs... love it sooooo much!!!

[hermankatnip]

Happy Birthday Shirley!!! 81 Today.

[FanOfMiLeyRay]

before miley came along, she was my role model

[KKcutie08]

She is my Role Model Now , she is my number 1 star :)

[finsfan13]

Not an easy song to sing.

[kylethewookie]

Definitely not to talented of a singer, but a great dancer!

[Diamondgrl2007]

me an my sis did this a lot too!!

we were shirley temple an bojangles fans! GOODTIMES!!

[Iluv2dance1212]

irish dancing is so much different then tap dancing

[KKcutie08]

My she has crazy feet. Her feet were god given

[erlkngh]

I really like Shirley temple. and so i love that song. She is very good dancer. I always to watch tv, movie and song. But She is awsome !!!love and love . She only one i like her song very good

dancer and She is my favorite person that she is # 1......by Earl Leroy Knight Sr.

[seb211seb]

This clip is hardly racist. Instead of being offended by a kid & a professional dancer, take offense with your moniker and your inability to compose a clear, concise sentence. Pick up your pants, get an education and stop fanning the flames of negative black & Puerto Rican stereotypes. People like you make me sick. You offend me and my culture with your ignorance and lack of self respect. You can't cry racism when you call yourself a "niggarican".

[bullirish]

Here Here! Well said! A shame that there are too many that are cowed into letting the lowest common denominator have their say and say nothing in return. Bravo for you!

[jessied44]

This is unique. In 1938 you could not have a mixed race cast of dancers and singers nor show black dancing with White yet Bill Robinson was such a huge star that he not only danced with the little white girl he is the Drum Major leading an all white chorus line. They were both amazing performers, but he was a true champion who helped bring down barriers.

[Creaky1964]

Shirley at ten years old, such a talent. As to tap-dancing origins, search origins on google, it's easier than explaining it.

I like all of her movies.

[shirleytemplefan]

ilove it this movie.Shirley i love you

[Rainbow4hope]

I love this Shirley Temple movie.

Especially With Bo Jangles!!

[Rainbow4hope]

This Movie is on of Shirley's greats.

I used to watch many of Shirley's movies with my dear mum.

Now I watch them with my Grands.

How fitting.

[ccaammiiittoo]

Love this scene, and I don't use the word "love" often! Is tap dancing an Irish contribution to the dance? Anyone out there know?

[flialist]

I <3 SHIRLEY TEMPLE

[MFlower14]

Those two are amazing together.

[horsters]

Nick Castle was the choreographer here and he did a great job! Shirley i love you:)

[rubyflipper]

What a darling! I never get tired of Shirley! My mother is named after her.

[aimaim22]

Whoever the choreographer was, he was the real star of the show!!!

[1newmajority]

the choreographer was Bill Robinson

[1154886]

I have obtained a 160 pound Bronze statue of Bojangles and it appears to be Bronze and have heard it came from new york and was made in the 1940's. Anyone know where This may have came from or any history on it? He is about 4.5 feet tall and is sitting on a log with his cain and smoking a cigarette

[1154886]

great I love this

[ReesesPieces625]

unbelievable

[luvsmovies79]

Was it mentioned that the blonde woman love interest is Gloria Stuart who was "Old Rose" in Titanic? She should have won that Oscar IMO, I was so disappointed. She was in Poor Little Rich Girl with Shirley also.

[mskerripa]

AWSOME!!!♥♥♥

[horsters]

not in this movie but for example in "Dimples"

[thbeatgozon]

Did Bill Robinson choreograph all of their tap dance routines?

[CaptchaU]

They were/are (she is still alive) both very talented and they also were friends so I'm sure he wouldn't like people putting his friend Shirley down!!

[blbeachgoer]

She learned the routines by listening to Bill "Bojangles" Robinson's taps .... especially when she was younger.

[143AC]

She really knew how to dance with"Uncle Billy"

Robinson. And their rapport onscreen is beautiful.

Thanks for bringing back this classic scene.

[Wackiavelli]

Love it!

[143AC]

Love "The Toy Trumpet!"..I've heard this

song as an instrumential in cartoons..but

I didn't know the tune had lyrics?

[hulanani50]

When I was a little girl I wanted to be just like Shirley! This was one of my favorites, thanks for posting this. I have her record album from when I was five and play it for my Grandaughters at times. Thanks again.

[creamofcardstv]

I like your vid clip and I've rated it as awesome. Please check out mine on some old cigarette cards of 1930's celebrities, including: Shirley Temple, Joan Crawford, Gracie Fields,Kay Francis,Clark Gable,, Greta Garbo, Katherine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers,Norma Shearer.

[Victorsbabe]

This is my favorite Shirley Temple movie of em all

[Demmary]

Bill Robinson was the REAL talent- no one has ever surpassed his raw skill and talents.... what a great dancer!

[64102256]

Bill Robinson was a Real talant but so was that little girl dancing with him. Not only a Real talant but a phenomena. Their have been other great dancers but no other little girl with her talant.

[Jootes]

I bet poistu is right--How can you NOT love Shirley? She's so adorable! She's amazing!

[poistu]

How can you not love Shirley Temple?

[Leopold3000]

You gotta love Shirley, she's so adorable - and a great step dancer too :)

[eggoXwaffles]

wow her hair sure did go brown wen she was young

[Jootes]

Awesome!