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Who is Shirley Temple

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Who Is Shirley Temple?

Curls.  Dimples.

Dancer.  Singer.  Movie star.

Mrs. Black.  Mother of three.  Gramma.

Breast cancer survivor. Diplomat.

Did we say dimples?



(Picture from the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Women of Our Time Portraits.
Photograph by Harry Warneke and Lee Elkins.)

Table of Contents

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"Early Bird" from the 1936 movie "Captain January"

Sound familiar? Yes, it's Shirley Temple singing in the Target commercial that aired briefly during spring 2011.

Download "Early Bird" on MP3
Shirley Temple - Early Bird
by sarahluvsshirley | video info

626 ratings | 177,782 views
curated content from YouTube

Countdown to Shirley Temple's 84th Birthday

Shirley Temple's 84th Birthday: April 23, 2012

Shirley Temple Facts at a Glance

How old is Shirley Temple Black? Answering this and more of your questions about Shirley with information from Wikipedia.

Did you know . . .
  • Shirley Jane Temple was born April 23, 1928. She'll be 84 soon!

  • Shirley starred in over 40 films during the 1930s. Her career as a performer spanned from 1931 to 1961.

  • On set, Shirley's mom, Gertrude, took charge of her famous curls, ensuring that there were exactly 52 ringlets in her hair for each take.

  • Shirley's ability as a tap dancer was well known. Even in her earliest films she danced, and she was able to handle complex tap choreography by the age of five.

  • Shirley was often teamed with legendary dancer Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson. Because Robinson was African-American, his scenes holding hands with Temple were edited out in many cities in the South.

  • Shirley's first blockbuster movie was Bright Eyes, the film that saved 20th Century Fox from near bankruptcy in 1934 at the height of the Great Depression

  • In sixteen of the thirty films Shirley Temple made for Fox, she played characters with at least one dead parent. This was part of the formula for her films, which encouraged the adults in the audience to take on the role of her parent.

  • Shirley was considered for the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, though that arrangement did not work out. However, Terry, who played Temple's beloved dog Rags in Bright Eyes, was cast in The Wizard of Oz as Toto.

  • As an adult, Shirley Temple Black was appointed a delegate to the United Nations by President Richard M. Nixon in 1969. She was appointed United States Ambassador to Ghana (1974-76). In 1976, she became the first female Chief of Protocol of the United States.

  • Shirley had three children and has one grandchild.
Click here for the complete Shirley Temple Wikipedia article.

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Shirley Temple Songs

MP3 downloads of all the popular Shirley Temple music that you remember from the movies.

How about Shirley Temple music to bring back memories? I chose some of my favorites for you here. Click to listen, then download the ones you like the best, instantly!

(If you have a problem with the widget or if you don't find what you were looking for, you can find all of your favorite Shirley Temple songs here.)

Shirley Temple's Biography from A&E

A must-have DVD for any Shirley Temple fan!

Biography - Shirley Temple: The Biggest Little Star

Biography - Shirley Temple: The Biggest Little Star

Learn about Shirley's early life and her movie career during the depression as well as her career as a diplomat as an adult.

Includes interviews with people who knew and worked with Shirley Temple as a child and with Shirley Temple Black as an adult and explores her role in history.

Shirley Temple Movie Clips

Shirley Temple dancing and singing into everyone's hearts.

Bill Bojangles Robinson and Shirley Temple
by jsjunot | video info

1,907 ratings | 986,958 views
curated content from YouTube

Shirley Temple Black Biographies

Choose one and read all about her. Then and now.

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The Movie that Made Shirley Temple a Star

You'll laugh, cry, and sing along with Shirley!

Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes

Amazon Price: $7.72 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

The first big film created especially for her, "Bright Eyes" helped make Shirley Temple a huge box-office star and features her most famous song: "On The Good Ship Lollipop".

Here's the plot: The little darling of a group of aviators, Shirley splits her time between her pilot godfather Loop (James Dunn) and her long-suffering mother (Lois Wilson), housemaid for a selfish, wealthy family. When a tragic accident suddenly leaves Shirley orphaned, Loop sets out to adopt Shirley - until he learns he's not the only one determined to keep the adorable youngster.

Shirley Temple Movies and Roles

Shirley Temple's filmography. Here's the complete list.

What's to Do? (1932) (short subject)
Polly Tix in Washington (1932) (short subject)
Pie Covered Wagon (1932) (short subject)
Merrily Yours (1932) (short subject)
Kid's Last Stand (1932) (short subject)
The Kid's Last Fight (1932) (short subject)
Kid in Hollywood (1932) (short subject)
Kid 'in' Africa (1932) (short subject)
Glad Rags to Riches (1932) (short subject)
Runt Page (1932) (short subject)
War Babies (1932) (short subject)
The Red-Haired Alibi (1932)
New Deal Rhythm (1933) (short subject)
Out All Night (1933)
Dora's Dunking Doughnuts (1933) (short subject)
To the Last Man (1933)
Managed Money (1934) (short subject)
Pardon My Pups (1934) (short subject)
Carolina (1934)
Mandalay (1934) (scenes deleted)
As the Earth Turns (1934)
Stand Up and Cheer! (1934)
Change of Heart (1934)
Little Miss Marker (1934)
Now I'll Tell (1934)
Baby Take a Bow (1934)
Now and Forever (1934)
The Hollywood Gad-About (1934) (short subject)
Bright Eyes (1934)
The Little Colonel (1935)
Our Little Girl (1935)
Curly Top (1935)
The Littlest Rebel (1935)
Captain January (1936)
Poor Little Rich Girl (1936)
Dimples (1936)
Stowaway (1936)
Wee Willie Winkie (1937)
Heidi (1937)
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)
Little Miss Broadway (1938)
Just Around the Corner (1938)
A Little Princess (1939)
Susannah of the Mounties (1939)
The Blue Bird (1940)
Young People (1940)
Kathleen (1941)
Our Girl Shirley (1942) (short subject)
Miss Annie Rooney (1942)
Since You Went Away (1944)
I'll Be Seeing You (1944)
Kiss and Tell (1945)
American Creed (1946) (short subject)
Honeymoon (1947)
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)
That Hagen Girl (1947)
Fort Apache (1948)
Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949)
Adventure in Baltimore (1949)
The Story of Seabiscuit (1949)
A Kiss for Corliss (1949)
Complete List of Shirley Temple's Movies and Roles
Shirley started making movies in 1931 and starred in 14 short films, 43 feature films, and 25+ storybook movies. Click on the link to see the list of Shirley's movies, the title, the year, and the role she played.

Shirley Temple Movies on DVD

This was supposed to be a Top 10 Favorite Movies list, but I couldn't stop at ten!

Which one is your favorite? (Vote it up.)

2

Vote Up
Heidi

Heidi

3 points

3

Vote Up
Bright Eyes

Bright Eyes

3 points

9

Vote Up
Blue Bird

Blue Bird

0 points

10

Vote Up
Captain January

Captain January

0 points

12

Vote Up
Baby Take a Bow

Baby Take a Bow

0 points

Shirley Temple: Diplomat

Ambassador and public servant Shirley Temple Black

Having served her country as a child actress during the Great Depression of the 1930s (even President Roosevelt talked about her "infectious optimism"), the adult Shirley Temple Black also has served her country as a goodwill ambassador, as well as an "official" ambassador.

She has served as delegate to the United Nations (1969), ambassador to Ghana (1974 to 1976), ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1989 to 1982), Chief of Protocol of the United States (appointed in 1976), and as a foreign affairs officer for the State Department during the Reagan administration, among other positions as delegate to many international conferences.

The picture above shows Shirley Temple Black with then-Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan in April 1998.

Shirley Temple Posters and Prints

These make great gifts for Shirley Temple fans.

Our Little Girl, Shirley Temple, 1935 Photographic Poster Print, 12x16

Our Little Girl, Shirley Temple, 1935 Photographic Poster Print, 12x16

Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

This "Our Little Girl" black and white picture is a very popular Shirley Temple photographic print.

CLICK HERE to see a bigger selection of Shirley Temple posters and prints.

Shirley Temple Dolls

Collectible Shirley Temple dolls, doll clothes, and doll parts and accessories. Still have yours? If not, look here for one just like it. What a great gift a Shirley Temple doll would make for mom or grandma!

Click on an item for information with no obligation to bid or buy.
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Patterns for Shirley Temple Doll Clothes

Make authentic costumes just like the clothes Shirley wore in the movies!

Wow, what a great book!
Authentic Shirley Temple Patterns

Authentic Shirley Temple Patterns

by: Sandy Williams

Recreate your favorite 14" and 18" Shirley costumes will full size patterns & detailed instructions.

Patterns include: reprint of 1930s underthings, dress, coat and hat; famous dotted dress, Bluebird dress, and Heidi dress.

Also included are illustrations of original Shirley Temple dolls and clothes taken from old magazines - now you can make some of her more famous costumes for your dolls!

Looking for Costumes?

We have some costumes and links below, but you might also want to check out this lens.

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Shirley Temple Costumes for Little Girls

Do you have a Shirley Temple look-a-like?

You don't have to wait for Halloween to dress her up. Pin curl her hair, add black patent leather Mary Janes - or a pair of tap shoes - some pretty, lacy socks and a dress like this one, and have your baby take a bow!
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How many curls did Shirley Temple have?


Shirley's mom used pin curls to make her curls, exactly 52 of them every time. They were popular then and they're still popular now.

Shirley Temple Paper Dolls

I remember playing with paper dolls when I was a little girl. Here are some great reproductions, perfect for the youngest, new Shirley Temple fans!

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Shirley's Breast Cancer

From People magazine, October 16, 1998

At first she did everything she could to deny it. When Shirley Temple Black, then 44 and special assistant to the chairman of the President's Council on Environmental Quality, found a lump at "12 o'clock on my left breast" in 1972, "I wasn't really worried," she says. "I don't know why." Postponing a biopsy, she headed off for six weeks of government talks in the Soviet Union, where, after experiencing a burning sensation in her breast, she thought for the first time, "I bet this isn't going to be so good."

Returning home to her family -- marine research entrepreneur Charles Black and their three children -- in Woodside, Calif., the ex-actress left breast-cancer articles around the house because "I couldn't bring myself to talk about it to my husband." Her biopsy showed a malignancy, and she underwent a simple mastectomy. Afterward she reached up "to feel the void. It was an amputation, and I faced it."

She did that in part by going public with her illness, a move that brought 50,000 letters of support. Now 70, Black -- who later served as ambassador to Ghana and the former Czechoslovakia -- recalls that as a young adult star she was "one of the fortunate actresses in Hollywood who didn't wear falsies because I didn't need them." But she doesn't regret the surgery that likely saved her life. "I felt pretty good before the operation, and I felt good afterward," she says. "I just lost a good friend in between."

(Photo from www.ShirleyTempleFans.com)

Shirley Temple Memorabilia and Collectibles

Movie and tv memorabilia, photos, autographs, even movie props for the serious Shirley Temple collector.

Click on an item to see more information, with no obligation to bid.
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Shirley Temple Collectible Postcards

Postcards are great for collecting. These vintage postcards from eBay are perfect for adding to your Shirley Temple fan collection.

Click on an item for more information with no obligation to bid.
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Shirley Temple in Vintage Magazines

Be on the lookout for a great deal on fan magazines and even news magazines.

Click on an item for more information with no obligation to bid or buy.
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My favorite Shirley Temple Quote


"I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store, and he asked for my autograph."

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Are You a Shirley Temple Fan? We'd love to have your autograph!

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What's your favorite Shirley Temple movie or memory? Did you have a Shirley Temple doll? Leave us a comment!

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  • Reply
    Carina99 Feb 9, 2012 @ 1:21 pm | delete
    Love this lens and the movies with Shirley. When România was a communist country, the movies with Shirley Temple have help many children to dream about a better world.
  • Reply
    manicnymph Jan 31, 2012 @ 10:16 pm | delete
    I remember just loving Shirley Temple when I was young. I was so very impressed by how tiny, how sweet and how very skilled she was! Great lens!!
  • Reply
    KarateKatGraphics Jan 26, 2012 @ 12:12 pm | delete
    One of my sons asked me just the other day whether Shirley Temple knew there was a kids' cocktail named after her ;) *blessed*
  • Reply
    Megags2 Nov 20, 2011 @ 12:57 am | delete
    Love Shirley in the Blue bird! At work as a tribute to Shirley, I would buy the little clear glass blue birds and give them to my crew as gifts when they did a great job on something. Just trying to pass a little bluebird happiness around! Thanks Shirley for all the wonderful childhood movies, it was kind of you to give up your childhood for each of us kids. God bless you, you are a legend that will never cease to exsist.
  • Reply
    Cercis Nov 18, 2011 @ 11:54 pm | delete
    I surrounded by folks who love Shirley Temple...so I'm just getting to know here :+)
  • Reply
    Sharon Oct 19, 2011 @ 8:52 pm | delete
    I would like to know if Shirley Temple ever made a photo with a black and white dog? I have a poster of a 2 year old or 3 year old who looks just like shirley she is with a black and white dog! The photo is black and white looks like a collie or something. I matched her hair curl to shirley's cowlick and hair in the front! I believe it is her! But I don't know wish I could ask shirley! Love her! Love her movies!
  • Reply
    Susan52 Oct 22, 2011 @ 10:23 am | delete
    I don't know, Sharon, but it just might be Shirley! Wish you could find out - that would be amazing!
  • Reply
    xiangriver2 Oct 6, 2011 @ 12:40 pm | delete
    Love this lens,It is wonderful.well come to coat stand ,enjoy it
  • Reply
    ShushiDenMaster Sep 29, 2011 @ 11:37 am | delete
    Round and round and round I go -into a spin- I love good times.
  • Reply
    cffutah Sep 20, 2011 @ 10:28 pm | delete
    shirley was before my time but people still remember her. Thanks for the lens!
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