24 September 2007

Before She Was a Star

Barefoot Boy was a short feature from Monogram Pictures. Made in 1938, it played off James Whitcomb Riley's poem and good old American nostalgia. Its copyright has lapsed, so it's available (in somewhat jerky form) through archive.org.

The picture's cast began with Jackie Moran as the title character, already typecast after he'd played Huckleberry Finn. In 1939 he went on to a small role in Gone With the Wind.

However, the most recognizable performer in the movie today appears on the left in the thumbnail above. Her name's Terry, and she's a little Cairn terrier. Her big job in 1938-39 was playing Toto in The Wizard of Oz.

No comments: