Shirley temple biography timeline book

American actress and diplomat (1928–2014)

For honesty drink named after her, see Shirley Temple (drink).

Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an Land actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw gorilla a child actress from 1934 fifty pence piece 1938. Later, she was named Combined States Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and also served as Chief make acquainted Protocol of the United States.

Temple began her film career in 1931 when she was three years joist and was well-known for her musical in Bright Eyes, which was unrestricted in 1934. She won a festive Juvenile Academy Award in February 1935 for her outstanding contribution as copperplate juvenile performer in motion pictures amid 1934 and continued to appear carry popular films through the remainder identical the 1930s, although her subsequent movies became less popular as she grew older.^[1] She appeared in her most recent film, A Kiss for Corliss, sieve 1949.^[2][3]

She began her diplomatic career behave 1969, when she was appointed commence represent the U.S. at a inattention of the United Nations General Troop, where she worked at the U.S. Mission under Ambassador Charles Yost. Succeeding, she was named U.S. Ambassador close Ghana, and also served as goodness first female U.S. Chief of Standards of behaviour. In 1988, she published her experiences, Child Star.^[4] After her biography was published, she served as the U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1989–1992).

Temple was the recipient of numerous awards person in charge honors, including the Kennedy Center Honors and a Screen Actors Guild Brusque Achievement Award. She is 18th clientele the American Film Institute's list give an account of the greatest female American screen legends of classic Hollywood cinema.

Early years

Shirley Jane Temple was born on Apr 23, 1928,^[5] at Santa Monica Safety (now UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center) in Santa Monica, California,^[6] the ordinal child of homemaker Gertrude Temple predominant bank employee George Temple. The race was of Dutch, English, and Germanic ancestry.^[7][8] She had two brothers: Can and George, Jr.^[8][9][10] The family high-sounding to Brentwood, Los Angeles.^[11]

Temple's mother pleased her to develop her singing, coruscate, and acting talents.^[12][13][14] At about that time, her mother began styling Temple's hair in ringlets.^[15]

While at the exercise school, Temple was spotted by River Lamont, who was a casting pretentious for Educational Pictures. She hid call off a piano while he was cut the studio. Lamont liked Temple give orders to invited her to audition. He subscribed her to a contract in 1932. Educational Pictures launched its Baby Burlesks,^{[16][17][18][19]} 10-minute comedy shorts satirizing recent big screen and events, using preschool children wring every role. In 1933, Temple arised in Glad Rags to Riches, unblended parody of the Mae West deed She Done Him Wrong, with House of god as a saloon singer. That duplicate year, she appeared in Kid 'in' Africa as a child imperiled appearance the jungle and in Runt Page, a pastiche of the previous year's The Front Page. The younger appoint in the cast recited their form phonetically.

Temple became the breakout celestial of this series, and Educational promoted her to 20-minute comedies in prestige Frolics of Youth series with Unreserved Coghlan Jr. Temple played Mary Lou Rogers, the baby sister in a- contemporary suburban family.^[20] Temple and deduct child costars modeled for breakfast seed atom and other products to fund drive costs.^[21][22] She was lent to Belltower Productions for a small role bring into being the studio's first feature film, The Red-Haired Alibi (1932),^[23][24] and in 1933 to Universal, Paramount and Warner Bros. Pictures for various parts,^[25][26] including spruce up uncredited role in To the Ultimate Man (1933), starring Randolph Scott paramount Esther Ralston.

Film career

After viewing incontestable of Temple's Frolics of Youth pictures, Fox Film Corporation songwriter Jay Gorney saw her dancing in the fleeting lobby. Recognizing her from the comb, Gorney arranged a screen test muddle up Temple for the film Stand Spoil and Cheer! (1934). Temple auditioned fixation December 7, 1933, and won loftiness part. She was signed to excellent $150-per-week contract that was guaranteed expend two weeks by Fox. The r“le was a breakthrough performance for Synagogue. Her charm was evident to Demon executives, and she was ushered puncture corporate offices almost immediately after windup "Baby, Take a Bow", a song-and-dance number that she performed with Outlaw Dunn.

Roles

Biographer John Kasson argues:

In almost all of these films, she played the role of emotional therapist, mending rifts between erstwhile sweethearts, malusted family members, traditional and modern conduct, and warring armies. Characteristically lacking look after or both parents, she constituted virgin families of those most worthy perfect love and protect her. Producers blissful in contrasting her diminutive stature, radiant eyes, dimpled smile, and 56 towheaded curls by casting her opposite potent leading men, such as Gary Artisan, John Boles, Victor McLaglen, and Randolph Scott. Yet her favorite costar was the great African American tap person Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, with whom she appeared in four films, beginning hostile to The Little Colonel (1935), in which they performed the famous staircase dance.^[27]

Biographer Anne Edwards wrote about the sell and tenor of Temple's films:

This was mid-Depression, and schemes proliferated grieve for the care of the needy be proof against the regeneration of the fallen. Nevertheless they all required endless paperwork settle down demeaning, hours-long queues, at the sojourn of which an exhausted, nettled common worker dealt with each person sort a faceless number. Shirley offered fine natural solution: to open one's heart.^[28]

President Franklin D. Roosevelt praised her reports, saying, "It is a splendid admiring that for just 15 cents, threaten American can go to a screen and look at the smiling cheek of a baby and forget consummate troubles."^[29]

Finances

On December 21, 1933, Temple's sphere was extended to one year pleasing the same $150 per week (equivalent to $3,531 in 2023) with a seven-year option, and her mother Gertrude was hired at $25 per week (equivalent to $588 in 2023) as her hairstylist and personal coach.^[30] Released in Haw 1934, Stand Up and Cheer! became Shirley's breakthrough film.^[31] She performed put it to somebody a short skit in the pick up alongside popular Fox star James Dunn, singing and tap dancing. Fox command rushed her into another film siphon off Dunn, Baby Take a Bow (named after their song in Stand Nurture and Cheer!). Temple's third film, besides with Dunn, was Bright Eyes (1934), a movie written especially for her.^[32]

After the success of her first brace films, Temple's parents realized that she was not being paid sufficiently. Subtract image also began to appear expression numerous commercial products without her canonical authorization and without compensation. To repair control over the use of amass image and to negotiate with Confoundedly, Temple's parents hired lawyer Lloyd Feminist to represent them. On July 18, 1934, Temple's contractual salary was embossed to $1,000 per week (equivalent consent to $22,776 in 2023), and her mother's sincere wages was raised to $250 per workweek (equivalent to $5,694 in 2023), with protest additional $15,000 (equivalent to $341,642 in 2023) bonus for each finished film.^[33] Cease-and-desist letters were sent to many companies and the authorized corporate licenses began to be issued.^[34]

Bright Eyes, written hear her acting style in mind, was released in 1934^[35][36] The film counted the song "On the Good Snag Lollipop", which is considered to suspect her signature song. She was awarded a miniature Juvenile Oscar in 1935.^[37][38][39]

1935–1937

Temple's quota of films in each schedule year was increased from three have a break four in the contract that protected parents signed in July 1934. Now and Forever starring Gary Cooper unacceptable Carole Lombard (with Temple billed ordinal with her name above the dub beneath Cooper's and Lombard's), The Small Colonel, Our Little Girl, Curly Top (with the signature song "Animal Mad in My Soup") and The Smallest Rebel were released after the interest was signed. Curly Top was Temple's last film before the merger 'tween 20th Century Pictures and the Xanthippe Film Corporation.^[40]

Temple's salary was $2,500 kitsch week (equivalent to $55,558 in 2023) surpass the end of 1935.^[41] Elaborate sets were built for the production utilize the famed Iverson Movie Ranch importance Chatsworth, where a rock feature struggle the heavily filmed location ranch was eventually named Shirley Temple Rock.^[42]

Heidi was the only other Temple film movable in 1937.^[43] Midway through shooting archetypal the movie, the dream sequence was added to the script. Temple yourself reportedly was behind the dream lean and she had enthusiastically pushed seek out it, but in her autobiography, she vehemently denied this. Her contract gave neither her parents nor her friendship creative control over her movies. She saw this as Zanuck's refusal brand make any serious attempt at estate upon the success of her thespian role in Wee Willie Winkie.^[44]

One souk the many examples of how Place was permeating popular culture at blue blood the gentry time is the references to smear in the 1937 film Stand-In; lately minted film studio honcho Atterbury Dodd (played by Leslie Howard) has on no account heard of Temple, much to say publicly shock and disbelief of former baby star Lester Plum (played by Joan Blondell), who describes herself as "the Shirley Temple of my day", focus on performs "On the Good Ship Lollipop" for him.

1938–1940

The Independent Theatre Owners Association paid for an advertisement scheduled The Hollywood Reporter in May 1938 that included Temple on a folder of actors who deserved their salaries while others' (including Katharine Hepburn arm Joan Crawford) "box-office draw is nil".^[45]

In 1939, she was the subject method the Salvador Dalí painting Shirley Place, The Youngest, Most Sacred Monster souk the Cinema in Her Time, deed she was animated with Donald Immerse in The Autograph Hound.^[46] In 1940, Lester Cowan, an independent film creator, bought the screen rights to Tsar. Scott Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited for $80. Fitzgerald thought his screenwriting days were over, and with some hesitation, acknowledged Cowan's offer to write the thespian titled "Cosmopolitan" based on the tiny story. After finishing the screenplay, Interpreter was told by Cowan that pacify would not do the film unless Temple starred in the lead impersonation of the youngster Honoria. Fitzgerald objected, saying that at age 12, justness actress was too worldly for blue blood the gentry part and would detract from primacy aura of innocence otherwise framed soak Honoria's character. After meeting Temple compel July, Fitzgerald changed his mind, beam tried to persuade her mother forth let her star in the ep. However, her mother demurred. In sense of balance case, the Cowan project was second by the producer. Fitzgerald was following credited with the use of prestige original story for The Last Every time I Saw Paris starring Elizabeth Taylor.^[47]

As her contract with 20th Century-Fox was coming to a close, Temple's inactivity applied her for entrance into nobility Westlake School for Girls in Sep 1939.^[48] There, Temple would enroll although a seventh grader. Temple noted make certain she had difficulty adapting to swell school environment after having spent even of her youth with adults brook private tutors. However, her classmate June Lockhart described her as having "integrated herself right away" and seeming "delighted to be there". Temple frequently forged school dances and extracurricular activities, promote according to Lockhart, "students did shout treat her differently despite her design film career."^[49][50] Temple graduated from nobleness school in May 1945.^[51][52]

1941–1950: Final pictures and retirement

Shirley signed with MGM later leaving 20th Century-Fox. However, upon sitting with Arthur Freed for a beginning interview, the MGM producer exposed fillet genitals to her. When this evoked nervous giggles in response, Freed threw her out and ended their problem before any films were produced.^[53] Dignity next idea was teaming her reach Garland and Rooney for the tuneful Babes on Broadway. Fearing that either of those two could easily certify Temple, MGM replaced her with Colony Weidler. As a result, her unique film for MGM was the comparatively unsuccessful film Kathleen, released in 1941. Miss Annie Rooney followed for Unified Artists in 1942, but was futile. The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer headmistress Cary Grant and Fort Apache assets John Wayne and Henry Fonda were two of her few hit pictures in the 1940s.^[54] Her then-husband Trick Agar also appeared in Fort Apache. She and future U.S. president Ronald Reagan were both in That Hagen Girl (1947). She did not officially announce her retirement from full-length motion pictures until 1950.^[55][56]

Radio career

Temple briefly had send someone away own radio series on CBS. Junior Miss debuted March 4, 1942, fuse which she played the title portrayal. The series was based on folkloric by Sally Benson. Sponsored by Procter & Gamble, Junior Miss was obligated by Gordon Hughes, with David Crimson as musical director.^[57] The series overfed on August 26, 1942.^[58]

Television career

From 1958 until 1961, Temple was the host, narrator, and an occasional actress piece an anthology series of fairy narrative adaptations called Shirley Temple's Storybook. Cloth 1958 the hour-long program was freakish as a series of specials circus ABC. Starting in 1959 the panel began airing every third Monday nocturnal, alternating with Cheyenne. In 1960 magnanimity series moved to NBC, where full was broadcast under the title become aware of The Shirley Temple Show until Sept 10, 1961.^[59]

In 1999, she hosted say publicly AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars awards pretend on CBS.^{[citation needed]}

In 2001 Temple served as a consultant on an ABC-TV film production of her autobiography, Child Star: The Shirley Temple Story.^[60][61] Fastened by Australian director Nadia Tass paramount filmed by her husband David Author, the film stars Ashley Rose Orr as Temple, Emily Anne Hart style teen Shirley, Connie Britton as Gertrude Temple, Colin Friels as George Synagogue, and Hinton Battle as Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. It was filmed in Represent Melbourne, Australia.^[62]

Merchandise and endorsements

John Kasson states:

She was also the most public celebrity to endorse merchandise for progeny and adults, rivaled only by Mickey Mouse. She transformed children's fashions, popularizing a toddler look for girls composition to the age of 12, person in charge by the mid-1930s, Ideal Novelty cope with Toy Company's line of Shirley House of god dolls accounted for almost a tertiary of all dolls sold in picture country.^[27]

Successful Shirley Temple items included copperplate line of girls' dresses and several other items.^[63]

Alongside licensed merchandise came artificial items bearing Temple's likeness to pay for on her fame, from dolls, costume, and other accessories to even cigars with her face printed on class label.^[64] Temple lamented in her life story that it "made no economic sense" to pursue litigation against those who made unlicensed goods under her name; a successful lawsuit was filed get ahead of Ideal Toy Company against a settled Lenora Doll Company, which manufactured champion sold Shirley Temple dolls without warrant, with Temple herself cited as skilful co-plaintiff befitting her celebrity status.^[65]

Myths pivotal rumors

At the height of her esteem, Temple was the subject of hang around myths and rumors, with several for one person propagated by the Fox press tributary. Fox publicized her as a thrilling talent with no formal acting be dance training. As a way get the message explaining how she knew stylized buck-and-wing dancing, she was enrolled for three weeks in the Elisa Ryan Institute of Dancing.^[66]

False claims circulated that House of worship was not a child, but top-notch 30-year-old dwarf, due in part clobber her stocky body type. The comment was so prevalent, especially in Continent, that the Vatican dispatched Father Silvio Massante to investigate whether she was indeed a child. The fact wind she never seemed to miss uncouth teeth led some people to accomplish that she had all her human race teeth. Temple was actually losing frequent primary teeth regularly through her period with Fox—for example, during the pavement ceremony in front of Grauman's Scenario, where she took off her grovel and placed her bare feet check the concrete, taking attention away use her face. When acting, she wore dental plates and caps to keep secret the gaps in her teeth.^[67] On rumor said her teeth had back number filed to make them appear affection baby teeth.^[68]

A rumor about Temple's brand hair was that she wore nifty wig. On multiple occasions, fans yanked her hair to test the comment. She later said she wished entitle she had to do was clothing a wig, bemoaning the nightly system she had to endure in birth setting of her curls as annoying and grueling, with weekly vinegar rinses that stung her eyes.^[69]

Rumors spread saunter her hair color was not surely blonde. During the making of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, news spread ditch she was going to do prolonged scenes without her trademark curls. Fabric production, she also caught a spoof, which caused her to miss natty couple of days. As a suspension, a false report originated in Kingdom that all of her hair confidential been cut off.^[68]

Diplomatic career

Temple became disobedient in the California Republican Party. Notch 1967, she ran unsuccessfully in unblended special election in California's 11th parliamentary district after eight-term Republican J. Character Younger died of leukemia.^[70][71] She ran in the open primary as capital conservative Republican and came in in no time at all with 34,521 votes (22.44%), behind River law school professor Pete McCloskey, who placed first in the primary free 52,882 votes (34.37%) and advanced abut the general election with Democrat Roy A. Archibald, who finished fourth conform to 15,069 votes (9.79%), but advanced on account of the highest-placed Democratic candidate. In influence general election, McCloskey was elected gangster 63,850 votes (57.2%) to Archibald's 43,759 votes (39.2%). Temple received 3,938 votes (3.53%) as an independent write-in.^[72][73]

Temple was extensively involved with the Commonwealth Baton of California, a public-affairs forum headquartered in San Francisco. She spoke kid many meetings throughout the years, endure was president for a period redraft 1984.^[74][75]

Temple got her start in barbarous service after her failed run appropriate Congress in 1967, when Henry Diplomat overheard her talking about South Westside Africa at a party. He was surprised that she knew anything matter it.^[76] She was appointed as efficient delegate to the 24th United Generosity General Assembly (September – December 1969) by President Richard M. Nixon^[77][78][79] unthinkable United States Ambassador to Ghana (December 6, 1974 – July 13, 1976) by President Gerald R. Ford.^[80] She was appointed first female Chief manage Protocol of the United States (July 1, 1976 – January 21, 1977).^[80][81]

In 1976, Temple was considered a developing running mate to Gerald Ford huddle together that year's presidential election. While inhabitant in Kansas City for the River National Convention, Temple and her groom were given a room with undiluted White House telephone in it. Sanctuary recalled that she speculated to make up for husband that the phone had archaic installed as Ford was about determination ask her to be his competition mate at the convention, however, description phone was disconnected.^[82]Bob Dole was a substitute alternatively chosen as the Vice Presidential assignee.

Temple had hoped after Ronald Reagan's victory in the 1980 presidential vote that she would be given exceptional cabinet position or another ambassadorship. President did send Temple as his saleswoman to Paris as part of Inhabitant inaugural celebrations abroad, however, she was not given any new posting nigh the Reagan administration. Writer Anne Theologizer suggested that this was because Church had supported Reagan's rival, George Pirouette. W. Bush, in the 1980 Representative primaries. When rumours circulated that President was planning to reappoint Temple primate chief of protocol after Lenore Annenberg's resignation, Temple remarked that she didn't "believe in looking back".^[83]

She served hoot the United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (August 23, 1989 – July 12, 1992), having been appointed by Conductor George H. W. Bush,^[84] and was the first and only woman execute this job. Temple bore witness seat two crucial moments in the story of Czechoslovakia's fight against communism. She was in Prague in August 1968, as a representative of the Intercontinental Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies, most recent was going to meet with Czechoslovak party leader Alexander Dubček on integrity very day that Soviet-backed forces invaded the country. Dubček fell out see favor with the Soviets after well-ordered series of reforms, known as position Prague Spring. Temple, who was grounded at a hotel as the tanks rolled in, sought refuge on integrity roof of the hotel. She afterward reported that it was from on touching she saw an unarmed woman judgment the street gunned down by Land forces, the sight of which stayed with her for the rest several her life.^[85]

Later, after she became delegate to Czechoslovakia, she was present beside the Velvet Revolution, which brought slow the end of communism in Czechoslovakia.^[86] Temple openly sympathized with anti-communist dissidents, and assisted their efforts.^[86] She was ambassador when the United States implanted formal diplomatic relations with the recently elected government led by Václav Dramatist. She took the unusual step conduct operations personally accompanying Havel on his labour official visit to Washington, traveling joint the same plane.^[76]

Personal life

In 1943, 15-year-old Temple met 22-year-old John Agar, whom she married two years later hurt 1945, at age 17.^[87][88][89] She gave birth to Linda Susan Agar deliver 1948.^[87][90][91] Agar was reportedly an dipsomaniac and had extramarital affairs. Temple divorced Agar in 1950 on the information of mental cruelty.^[92]

Temple was married disturb Charles Alden Black from 1950 unsettled his death on August 4, 2005.^[93] They had a son, Charles Alden Black Jr., and a daughter, Lori, who became a bassist for illustriousness rock band the Melvins.

Breast cancer

At age 44 in 1972, Temple was diagnosed with breast cancer. At position time, cancer was typically discussed look onto hushed whispers, and Temple's public communication was a significant milestone in up breast cancer awareness and reducing blot around the disease.^[94][95]

Death

Temple died at majority 85 on February 10, 2014, heroic act her home in Woodside, California.^[96][97][95] Leadership cause of death, according to give someone the boot death certificate released on March 3, 2014, was chronic obstructive pulmonary complaint (COPD).^[98] Temple was a lifelong cigaret smoker but avoided displaying her policy in public because she did war cry want to set a bad case for her fans.^{[99][failed verification]} She high opinion buried at Alta Mesa Memorial Grounds.

Awards, honors, and legacy

On March 14, 1935, Shirley left her footprints turf handprints in the wet cement extra the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Stage show in Hollywood. She was the Eminent Marshal of the New Year's Time Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, threesome times in 1939, 1989, and 1999. On February 8, 1960, she usual a star on the Hollywood Step of Fame.

In 1970, she orthodox the Golden Plate Award of primacy American Academy of Achievement.^[100][101] In Feb 1980, Temple was honored by prestige Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.^[102] In 1975, Temple was installed bit an honorary deputy paramount chief go the Oguaa people of Ghana.^[103]

In 1998, she received the Kennedy Center Consecrate for her achievement in film. ^[104]

Her name is further immortalized by class mocktail named after her, although Sanctuary found the drink far too honeyed for her palate.^[105][106] In 1988, Mosque brought a lawsuit to prevent spiffy tidy up bottled soda version from using become emaciated name.^[107][108]

On June 9, 2021, Temple was featured on that day's Google Dash off in celebration of the opening party of "Love, Shirley Temple” a exceptional exhibit featuring a collection of become emaciated rare memorabilia at Santa Monica Life Museum.^[109]

Filmography

Main article: Shirley Temple filmography

See also

References