STOWAWAY is one of Shirley Temple's best films, from her middle years with Twentieth Century-Fox. She gets to speak in fluent Chinese and impress with her impersonation skills.
She plays Ching-Ching, the enchanting young ward of two Chinese missionaries who are killed. Ching-Ching is smuggled away to Shanghai by the faithful Sun-Lo (Philip Ahn), only to get mixed up with carefree playboy Tommy Randall (Robert Young) after taking refuge in the trunk of his car. The car is loaded into the cargo of a luxurious ocean liner, of which Tommy is a passenger. Thus, Ching-Ching becomes the 'stowaway' of the title.
Alice Faye turns in a great performance as Susan, another passenger on the ship, traveling with her prospective mother-in-law (Helen Westley). All kinds of misadventures and misunderstandings occur before Ching-Ching ultimately brings together Tommy and Susan. Temple displays her uncanny skill for impersonation with her delightful takes on Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor and Ginger Rogers dancing with Fred Astaire!
Shirley Temple sings "Goodnight My Love" (later reprised by Alice Faye with different lyrics), "You Gotta S.M.I.L.E." and "That's What I Want for Christmas"; Alice Faye performs "One Never Knows". Truly a delightful film.