Pageant Stars USA: Shirley Temple Tribute

Shirley Temple (Black) Apr 23, 1928 - Feb 10, 2014

Shirley Temple became famous in 1930's depression-era America as a child movie actress and as a result became the greatest child star the world has ever known! The 1930's were a golden era for child stars, which included among others, Jane Withers, and Sybil Jason, but Shirley Temple was undoubtedly the most famous. She was instantly recognizable with her smile, dimples and curly locks, known as the 'Famous 56', (reputedly the number of curls she had). Her films were exclusively comedy dramas, both cheerful and sentimental with singing and dance sequences specially tailored to her talents. She mostly played orphans or at least a child without one parent, yet with self-reliance and a plucky cheerful spirit she made it through the picture to triumph in the end.

Shirley and Donald Duck.

All over the world audiences lined up in their thousands to see her films. Shirley Temple was the number one box office hit four years in a row and where ever she went she drew crowds of people all wishing to see their Hollywood screen idol. At the height of her fame she was the most photographed person in the world, well ahead of President Franklin Roosevelt. Newspapers reported upon her every move, while magazines ran lavish spreads showing Shirley's wardrobe, daily activities and home life. She was the youngest person to ever appear on the cover of Time magazine. In fact she became so famous it was claimed that during the latter half of the 1930's you could not pick up a magazine or newspaper without finding inside a picture or article about her. She even became immortalized as a Disney cartoon character in the Donald Duck cartoon, 'The Autograph Hound' (1939) and a Mickey Mouse cartoon, 'Mickey's Polo Team'. (1936)

Baby Take a Bow. 1934

Poor Little Rich Girl. 1936

At five Shirley was earning more than her father and by her tenth birthday she was the seventh highest paid in America, ($9,000 a week, plus $300,000 per film, plus royalties on all Shirley Temple products). At her peak Shirley was receiving over 500 fan letters a day! On her official eighth birthday, (in fact her ninth as the studio sliced a year off her age when she was five), she received more than 135,000 birthday presents, including a baby kangaroo from Australia.

All over the world, young girls wanted to look like her and be like her. They styled their hair in curls and dressed in Shirley's very own line of fashionable dresses. They took up singing and dancing lessons in their thousands all fueled by dreams of becoming a child star just like Shirley. Some of the lucky ones actually attained a degree of fame in their home towns through dance recitals and Shirley Temple lookalike contests. The most famous of these was a British child star, Binkie Stuart, who stared in several feature films, had her own merchandise and her own fan following.

Shirley as Mary Lou Rodgers with her onscreen
brother Frank Coghlan Jr. as Sonny.

Shirley in the Baby Burlesks.

But for the real Shirley Temple it all began when her mother enrolled her into a local dance class. Shirley was just three-years-old when Charles Lamont, a talent scout for 'Educational Pictures' while visiting her dance class noticed little Shirley's potential, and instantly signed her up with a contract for their 'Baby Burlesks'. These were a series of short films, which satirized film and political events of the time, using pre-school children in every role. Cute Shirley always played the leading 'little lady' and was such a natural in front of the camera that she was soon offered another series of short films, 'Frolics of Youth'. In these Shirley played Mary Lou Rogers, a youngster in a contemporary suburban family who always got up to mischief. Around this time Shirley made several other appearances on screen with small bit parts including a feature film drama, 'Red Haired Alibi' (1932).

1934

However it was not until the release of Fox Film's, 1934 patriotic musical, 'Stand Up and Cheer' that Shirley hit the big time. Shirley only had a small part in the movie but the moment she appeared on screen dressed in her red polka dotted dress, she instantly captured the hearts of the audience. She performed a singing and dancing duet with adult star and onscreen daddy James Dunn, and it was this enchanting performance that caused her popularity to rocket.

Shirley stole the show with her performance in: Stand Up and Cheer!

Little Miss Marker.

Shirley stared in four more films in 1934: Firstly she was loaned to Paramount Pictures to star in 'Little Miss Marker', in which she is left all alone at a betting shop but is cared for by a group of kindhearted crooks, who also save her life after she is thrown from a horse.

After that film Fox studios stared her in 'Baby Take a Bow', in which she is the daughter of an ex-convict who along with his fellow ex-convict friend becomes an unwitting receiver of stolen jewelry. The thrilling climax of the film sees Shirley taken hostage and used as a human shield in a dramatic shootout.

Shirley in her Monokini on the set of Now and Forever.

Shirley was loaned out to Paramount once again for her next film, 'Now and Forever', where she plays the daughter of her conman father who with the help of Shirley eventually reforms his criminal ways. In this movie Shirley wore her famous Monokini bathing-suit, that was designed and made by her mother. Shirley's revolutionary monokini was 30 years ahead of its time for the Monokini would not be officially designed until 1964.

On the Good Ship Lollipop.

Shirley and Jane Withers in Bright Eyes.

Her last film of that year was Fox's sensational 'Bright Eyes', where Shirley is the well loved and doted upon mascot of a group of aviators and pilots. But when tragedy strikes and her mother is killed in a road accident, Shirley finds herself an orphan living with an uncaring family. She acted opposite child star, Jane Withers who like Shirley was a successful child actress and entertainer in her own right with her own line of films. But for Shirley, it was Bright Eyes that shot her to mega stardom when she sang what would become her infamous signature song, 'On the Good Ship Lollipop'.

Watch Shirley singing 'On The Good Ship Lollipop' in the film, Bright Eyes:

Shirley signing her name at Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Shirley modeling
her Swimwear.

By the end of 1934, Shirley had sang and danced her way into audiences' hearts and because she appealed to both children and adults alike she became the symbol of wholesome family entertainment.

In February 1935, Shirley became the first child star to be honored with a miniature Juvenile Oscar for her 1934 film accomplishments, and she added her foot and hand-prints to the forecourt at Grauman's Chinese Theater a month later.
Shirley Temple merchandise quickly followed. There was a popular line of girls' clothing including: dresses, hats, swimwear, pajamas, knickers, socks, hair-bows and many other accessories.

Shirley in her Red Cross uniform.

There were also Shirley Temple dolls, mugs, bowls, soap dishes, books, comics, sheet music, postcards and calendars and so much more! There was even a non-alcoholic cocktail drink for children called a, 'Shirley Temple' which was invented and named in her honor!

Milk Bottle

Shirley's image was used to advertise everything from biscuits and chocolates to toys, playhouses, radios and other appliances, She even appeared on milk bottles looking like a 'Beauty Pageant Queen' with crown, scepter and trophy at her feet.

In 1936 Shirley appeared in the Red Cross film, 'For There Sake', and headed a poster campaign dressed as a Red Cross nurse to raise awareness for the charity's work in flood-ravaged countries across the Far East. Also that year in aid of charity, Shirley created the 'Shirley Temple Police Force' and awarded badges to Kings and Queens, World leaders and those who gave an oath of allegiance to Shirley.

The explosion of Shirley Temple merchandise was a world wide phenomenon, which really took off after the success of 'Bright Eyes'. Over the next six years a succession of films for Twentieth Century Fox studios followed.

Shirley's picture on a biscuit tin and Shirley strikes a pose modeling with her doll.

1935

Shirley dancing the famous staircase
sequence with the great Bill Robinson.

Shirley dancing in her beautiful Hula costume..

In 1935, 'The Little Colonel' saw Shirley playing peacemaker between her ex-Confederate officer grandfather and her mother who married a Yankee. Shirley's famous staircase dance sequence with Bill Bojangles Robinson, was truly ground breaking, for it made them the first onscreen inter-racial dancing couple in cinema history! After the major success of The Little Colonel, Shirley's place in Hollywood was assured!

Her next film, 'Our Little Girl', saw Shirley's onscreen parents dealing with a marriage breakup, while 'Curly Top', which cast Shirley as a plucky orphan who acted as matchmaker for her big sister, featured one of Shirley’s best loved tunes, 'Animal Crackers in My Soup', and also her famous hula dancing routine. Shirley's hula routine was so popular at the time that magazine's ran special spreads so girls could learn to dance the Hula just like Shirley.

A magazine article with Shirley showing how to dance the Hula.

Left: The Littlest Rebel. Right: 'Sling-Shot Shirley' takes aim.

'The Littlest Rebel' tugged at the heartstrings when Southern belle Shirley, and her guardian, plantation slave, pulled out all the stops to convince President Lincoln to spare her Confederate officer father from the firing squad. This movie saw Shirley using her infamous catapult sling shot to shoot the Yankees with. Shirley carried the slingshot everywhere she went and was known to be a 'crack shot' with the weapon to which the following year America's First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt soon found out. Shirley and her parents were attending a picnic hosted by President Roosevelt at Val Kill, the 180 acre Roosevelt family estate near Hyde Park, New York, when Shirley took umbrage to the fact that Mrs Roosevelt was not wearing her Shirley Temple Police badge. When nobody was looking feisty Shirley quickly took her catapult from out of her bag, took aim and fired a small pebble that shot Mrs Roosevelt smack bang on the bottom! Nobody made any fuss of Shirley's tomboy prank except her mother who afterwards, back at the hotel, punished naughty Shirley with a spanking! Poor Shirley!

1936

Shirley dancing: At the Codfish Ball.

Jack Haley, Shirley and Alice Fay.

Shirley started 1936 with a selection of sailor outfits for the sentimental favorite, 'Captain January', - a lighthouse keeper who saved the girl from a shipwreck that drowns her parents and the two lead a happy life with their seafaring pals until a truant officer interferes. Among the great songs is Shirley’s delightful dance routine with Buddy Ebsen, 'At the Codfish Ball'.

Her next big hit was 'Poor Little Rich Girl', in which wealthy businessman’s daughter Shirley gets lost en-route to boarding school and is looked after by a couple of struggling radio stars who include her in their act. One great little song she sang, 'Oh My Goodness' soon became the words of her catchphrase which she frequently said in her films. She also indirectly promoted healthy eating to a generation of children when she sang with Alice Faye and Jack Haley another great song, 'You Gotta Eat Your Spinach Baby'.

Shirley performing her Al Jolson Routine.
in Stowaway.

Shirley as the street urchin, Dimples.

Another one of Shirley's songs, 'Hey! What Did The Blue Jay Say', opens the film 'Dimples', in which she plays a New Your street performer cared for by her pickpocket grandfather. Shirley desperately wants him to go straight but when she meets a high society lady and her theater loving nephew, she finds success on the legitimate stage. The film had audiences' reaching for there tissues when Shirley acted out her one and only death scene.

Shirley's last film of that year was 'Stowaway'. She had to learn several lines of Chinese especially for the film in which she is cast as an unwitting stowaway on-board an ocean liner after her missionary parents were killed in China. Audiences were treated to Shirley’s impersonations of then popular entertainers Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor!

1937

Shirley's Uniform.

In 1937, Twentieth Century Fox showcased Shirley as, 'Wee Willie Winkie' in this Kipling classic. This time Shirley is living in colonial India with her mother and grandfather Colonel and playing mascot to British troops in her own pint-sized uniform, (which incidentally Shirley loved and played in long after the days shooting had finished). When Indian rebels threaten to cause rebellion brave courageous Shirley saves the day and the peace.

Shirley with her onscreen mother June Lang.

This film differed from Shirley's previous films whereby it didn't have any dancing sequences and had to rely on Shirley's dramatic acting ability alone. Her acting skills were put to the test further in one notorious scene in which saw naughty Shirley, after trampling a flowerbed and spoiling her dress, being spanked by her on screen mother, June Lang. (A common occupational hazard for child stars in the movies back then). However, it was later decided that June Lang would receive so much hate mail from Shirley's adoring fans that there was a real danger that she might never work in films again, so the clip was reluctantly axed from the film. Even so Wee Willie Winkie was yet another box office hit and for Shirley it was her personal favorite of all her films!

But probably among her fans her most treasured film is another 1937 release, 'Heidi', starring Shirley as the little Swiss orphan girl who reaches the heart of her gruff grandfather and teaches a crippled girlfriend Klara, played by Marcia Mae Jones, to walk again. Marcia Mae Jones was another child star of the time and went on to co-star with Shirley in two other films.

Heidi: Left: Shirley with her onscreen Grandfather played by Jean Hersholt. Right: Shirley and Marcia Mae Jones.

1938

Shirley and George Murphy in
Little Miss Broadway.

Randolph Scott stared with Shirley as the
talent scout in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

Shirley and Bill Robinson in Just Around the Corner.

Shirley was still going strong in 1938 which saw the release of 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'. Shirley sported a new pony-tailed hairdo especially for the film which made front page news when the film was released. Shirley was cast as a self-reliant orphan who goes off to live with her aunt. She is soon discovered by her talent scout neighbor and becomes Little Miss America for a radio show in which she sings the much loved, 'Come and Get Your Happiness' and a medley of her previous hits from her other movies.

In Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Shirley conducts
a chorus of singing girls while singing:
'Come and Get Your Happiness'.

Another big film for Shirley in 1938 was 'Little Miss Broadway'. This time she played the perky charge of a group of musicians living in a hotel, she helps them put on a variety show to pay the rent and even wins over the mean landlady. The film's final sequence sees Shirley performing a fantastic dance routine with fellow actor, George Murphy over a fantasy New York skyline.

In 'Just Around The Corner', Shirley's architect father loses his job and it’s up to Shirley to talk a miserable tycoon into creating new jobs to help out Depression-riddled America. The film included yet another popular song: 'I Love to Walk in the Rain'.

1939

The Dream Sequence - The Little Princess.

Shirley and Ian Hunter who plays her father - Captain Crewe.

The 1939 film, 'The Little Princess', was a lavish Technicolor production and was hailed as, 'Shirley's greatest motion picture to date' when it first came out. Shirley was cast as an English schoolgirl at a fee paying Victorian boarding school whose father, is a soldier in the Boer War, and is reported killed in action. When the payments stop being made for her schooling Shirley is made to work as a servant and endures harsh treatment from her school’s headmistress, yet she continues to hold out hope that her father is alive. The movie's dream sequence in which Shirley dreams she is a real princess and sees herself dancing a ballet routine was claimed to be the most gorgeous fantasy ever filmed. Shirley also stared along side fellow child star, Sybil Jason, who played servant girl Becky, and who became Shirley's lifelong friend.

Shirley making a fuss of her handsome savoir.

Susannah of the Mounties.
Shirley gets ready to smoke the
peace pipe.

Later in 1939, Shirley stared in the frontier action saga, 'Susannah of the Mounties'. Shirley is left an orphan and the only survivor after a brutal attack upon her wagon train by the Blackfoot Indian Tribe. Fortunately she is found and looked after by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Shirley has a puppy-love crush on her handsome Mountie savoir who she fusses over and teaches him how to dance, but the Indians are on the war path and it's up to brave Shirley to save the day and smoke the pipe of peace! (Which she actually did).

1940

Shirley and Sybil Jason in Blue Bird.

Shirley's first film of 1940 was the fantasy 'Blue Bird' which saw Shirley playing for the first time a truly disagreeable brat who wants more than just her happy home life. She along with her onscreen brother, and her cat and dog which are changed by magic into human form, embark on a dream quest to find the Blue Bird of happiness, where among other places they visit are the past and the future. This film saw Shirley once again co-staring with fellow child star Sybil Jason.

Blue Bird was Twentieth Century Fox's answer to MGM's box office hit 'The Wizard of Oz' which cast Judy Garland in the lead role of Dorothy Gale. Originally MGM studios wanted Shirley Temple to play Dorothy, but Twentieth Century Fox, refused to release Shirley from her contract.

Jack Oakie, Shirley, and Charlotte Greenwood
dancing on stage in, Young People.

In Shirley's second and last 1940 release, 'Young People', Shirley is an orphan adopted by a show business couple. The family leaves show business to make a new life on a farm but the small town doesn't take to 'show folk', but Shirley sets out to change their feelings. Ironically the film was a forerunner of what was about to come. The film hinted to its audience that Shirley was about to leave show business for real, and it turned out to be so, for that was the last film Shirley made as a young child for Twentieth Century Fox. Shortly after, at the age of 12 Shirley decided to have a break from filming and went to Westlake School for Girls to get a proper education. However, she still managed to make a further two films this time for the MGM film studio, but there two vehicles for her, 'Kathleen' in 1941 and 'Miss Annie Rooney' in 1942 were both failures. Shirley was growing up and the world was changing. The Depression was over and the United States had just entered the Second World War. Shirley's young film career was officially over and though she later returned to Hollywood and stared in a number of films they never achieved the success that her early films did.

Film posters of the time showing two popular films in which 'Grownup' Shirley Temple stared in:
'Kiss and Tell' 1945 and 'The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer'. 1947

Beautiful Grownup Shirley.

Shirley Temple Black and her family. Husband Charles,
son Charles Jr. and daughters, Linda Susan and Lori.

In 1945, when Shirley was just 17 she married John Agar, a Army Air Corps Sergeant and had a daughter, Linda Susan, but the marriage became troubled and ended in divorce. Then in 1950 she met and married Navy intelligence officer, Charles Alden Black, and that same year announced that she was retiring from films altogether. Shirley busied herself being a mother and had two more children a son, Charles Jr. and a daughter, Lori. Shirley returned briefly to the TV in 1958 with a children's series called, 'The Shirley Temple Storybook', which were a mixture of fables and fairy tales.

Promotional picture for the
Shirley Temple Storybook
TV series. 1958

In 1967, Shirley entered politics but her political career was put on hold in 1972, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The tumor was removed and following the operation, she announced it to the world and in doing so, she became one of the first prominent women to speak openly about breast cancer.

Shirley and President Nixon.

Shirley's political career continued and eventually she was appointed United States Ambassador to Ghana (December 6, 1974 – July 13, 1976). She was appointed first female Chief of Protocol of the United States (July 1, 1976 – January 21, 1977), and She served as the United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (August 23, 1989 – July 12, 1992).
Shirley Temple Black was a true example of a star. Not only did she entertain her country but she served it as well! During a 1996 interview, she said she loved both politics and show business. “It’s certainly two different career tracks,” she said, “both completely different but both very rewarding, personally.”

Shirley Temple Black in 2005.

Shirley Temple Memorial.

Shirley sadly passed away of natural causes at her Californian home on February 10, 2014, age 85 years. She had achieved so much in her life, she had not only been an actress, a mother and a Politician but she had also served on numerous boards of directors of large enterprises and organizations including: The Walt Disney Company, Del Monte, Bank of America, the Bank of California, BANCAL Tri-State, Fireman’s Fund Insurance, the United States Commission for UNESCO, the United Nations Association, and the National Wildlife Federation. She had also written a best selling book, 'Child Star' in which she described her experiences as a child actress. Throughout her life Shirley had received countless awards including the Life Achievement Award, but the ultimate honor came on September 11, 2002, when a life-size bronze statue of the child Shirley Temple, by sculptor Nijel Binns, was erected on the Twentieth Century Fox Studio lot. The citation on the dedication plaque sums it all up. It reads simply: 'Inspiring children of all ages - Shirley Temple'.

Shirley in the dress that started it all.

Shirley Temple - Inspiring children of all ages.

Though Shirley Temple is no longer with us, her legacy continues to capture the imagination and hearts of people all over the world. She continues to be a perfect role model for children who love to watch her movies which even today still hold all the same Hollywood sparkle and magic that they did when they first came out. Shirley's cheerful personality, wholesome nature, and amazing talent shines through the screen to bring out the very best in children, feeding their inspiration to sing and dance and to follow their dreams of becoming a star. Many of Shirley's songs are still performed by a new generation of girls at pageants and talent competitions and therefore with this in mind Shirley Temple deserves a place of honor here!

Here below is Pageant Stars USA's tribute movie which was made in 2013 to celebrate Shirley's 85th Birthday!
It shows at least one clip from all her 22 main movies and a few from her short movies too!