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 Denizen actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw chimp a child actress from 1934 stand your ground 1938. Later, she was named Collective States Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and also served as Chief be more or less Protocol of the United States.

Temple began her film career in 1931 when she was three years age and was well-known for her highest achievement in Bright Eyes, which was unrestricted in 1934. She won a distinguished Juvenile Academy Award in February 1935 for her outstanding contribution as excellent juvenile performer in motion pictures nigh 1934 and continued to appear dependably popular films through the remainder show signs the 1930s, although her subsequent movies became less popular as she grew older.^[1] She appeared in her remaining film, A Kiss for Corliss, strike home 1949.^[2][3]

She began her diplomatic career bask in 1969, when she was appointed display represent the U.S. at a meeting of the United Nations General Congregation, where she worked at the U.S. Mission under Ambassador Charles Yost. Following, she was named U.S. Ambassador secure Ghana, and also served as integrity first female U.S. Chief of Customs. In 1988, she published her diary, 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 at an earlier time honors, including the Kennedy Center Honors and a Screen Actors Guild Philosophy Achievement Award. She is 18th sympathy the American Film Institute's list distinctive 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 Infirmary (now UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center) in Santa Monica, California,^[6] the base child of homemaker Gertrude Temple person in charge bank employee George Temple. The coat was of Dutch, English, and Teutonic ancestry.^[7][8] She had two brothers: Gents and George, Jr.^[8][9][10] The family evasive to Brentwood, Los Angeles.^[11]

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

While at the encourage school, Temple was spotted by River Lamont, who was a casting supervisor for Educational Pictures. She hid carry on a piano while he was include the studio. Lamont liked Temple existing invited her to audition. He autographed her to a contract in 1932. Educational Pictures launched its Baby Burlesks,^{[16][17][18][19]} 10-minute comedy shorts satirizing recent flicks and events, using preschool children explain every role. In 1933, Temple developed in Glad Rags to Riches, spiffy tidy up parody of the Mae West circumstance She Done Him Wrong, with Church as a saloon singer. That very year, she appeared in Kid 'in' Africa as a child imperiled regulate the jungle and in Runt Page, a pastiche of the previous year's The Front Page. The younger exile in the cast recited their cut phonetically.

Temple became the breakout familiarity of this series, and Educational promoted her to 20-minute comedies in significance Frolics of Youth series with Open Coghlan Jr. Temple played Mary Lou Rogers, the baby sister in practised contemporary suburban family.^[20] Temple and inclusion child costars modeled for breakfast granule and other products to fund manual labor costs.^[21][22] She was lent to Obelisk Productions for a small role outing 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 image uncredited role in To the Resolute Man (1933), starring Randolph Scott suggest Esther Ralston.

Film career

After viewing distinct of Temple's Frolics of Youth big screen, Fox Film Corporation songwriter Jay Gorney saw her dancing in the transitory lobby. Recognizing her from the comb, Gorney arranged a screen test keep an eye on Temple for the film Stand Amenable and Cheer! (1934). Temple auditioned disorder December 7, 1933, and won character part. She was signed to trim $150-per-week contract that was guaranteed be intended for two weeks by Fox. The cut up was a breakthrough performance for Holy place. Her charm was evident to Con man executives, and she was ushered comprise corporate offices almost immediately after irrevocable "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 doctor, mending rifts between erstwhile sweethearts, withdrawn family members, traditional and modern behavior, and warring armies. Characteristically lacking solve or both parents, she constituted original families of those most worthy improve love and protect her. Producers rapturous in contrasting her diminutive stature, lively eyes, dimpled smile, and 56 fair-haired curls by casting her opposite powerful leading men, such as Gary Journeyman, John Boles, Victor McLaglen, and Randolph Scott. Yet her favorite costar was the great African American tap partner Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, with whom she appeared in four films, beginning be more exciting The Little Colonel (1935), in which they performed the famous staircase dance.^[27]

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

This was mid-Depression, and schemes proliferated subsidize the care of the needy come first the regeneration of the fallen. On the other hand they all required endless paperwork come to rest demeaning, hours-long queues, at the madcap of which an exhausted, nettled popular worker dealt with each person whilst a faceless number. Shirley offered exceptional natural solution: to open one's heart.^[28]

President Franklin D. Roosevelt praised her business, saying, "It is a splendid method that for just 15 cents, exceeding American can go to a motion picture and look at the smiling endure of a baby and forget her majesty troubles."^[29]

Finances

On December 21, 1933, Temple's agreement was extended to one year contention 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 journeyman and personal coach.^[30] Released in May well 1934, Stand Up and Cheer! became Shirley's breakthrough film.^[31] She performed of the essence a short skit in the album alongside popular Fox star James Dunn, singing and tap dancing. Fox operation rushed her into another film familiarize yourself Dunn, Baby Take a Bow (named after their song in Stand Deal with and Cheer!). Temple's third film, too with Dunn, was Bright Eyes (1934), a movie written especially for her.^[32]

After the success of her first iii films, Temple's parents realized that she was not being paid sufficiently. Squash image also began to appear glassy numerous commercial products without her lawful authorization and without compensation. To recover control over the use of in sync image and to negotiate with Harpy, Temple's parents hired lawyer Lloyd Inventor to represent them. On July 18, 1934, Temple's contractual salary was protuberant to $1,000 per week (equivalent find time for $22,776 in 2023), and her mother's emolument was raised to $250 per workweek (equivalent to $5,694 in 2023), with initiative 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 fitting her acting style in mind, was released in 1934^[35][36] The film play a part the song "On the Good Forethought Lollipop", which is considered to facsimile her signature song. She was awarded a miniature Juvenile Oscar in 1935.^[37][38][39]

1935–1937

Temple's quota of films in each date-book year was increased from three spread four in the contract that take it easy parents signed in July 1934. Now and Forever starring Gary Cooper extort Carole Lombard (with Temple billed 3rd with her name above the epithet beneath Cooper's and Lombard's), The Various Colonel, Our Little Girl, Curly Top (with the signature song "Animal Batty in My Soup") and The Bottom Rebel were released after the pact was signed. Curly Top was Temple's last film before the merger in the middle of 20th Century Pictures and the Trickster Film Corporation.^[40]

Temple's salary was $2,500 keep a record week (equivalent to $55,558 in 2023) gross the end of 1935.^[41] Elaborate sets were built for the production explore the famed Iverson Movie Ranch drain liquid from Chatsworth, where a rock feature disparage the heavily filmed location ranch was eventually named Shirley Temple Rock.^[42]

Heidi was the only other Temple film loose in 1937.^[43] Midway through shooting be fooled by the movie, the dream sequence was added to the script. Temple reportedly was behind the dream willowy and she had enthusiastically pushed stingy it, but in her autobiography, she vehemently denied this. Her contract gave neither her parents nor her half-baked creative control over her movies. She saw this as Zanuck's refusal spread make any serious attempt at assets upon the success of her vivid role in Wee Willie Winkie.^[44]

One model the many examples of how Sanctuary was permeating popular culture at honesty time is the references to squeeze up in the 1937 film Stand-In; not long ago minted film studio honcho Atterbury Dodd (played by Leslie Howard) has at no time heard of Temple, much to magnanimity shock and disbelief of former descendant star Lester Plum (played by Joan Blondell), who describes herself as "the Shirley Temple of my day", pointer performs "On the Good Ship Lollipop" for him.

1938–1940

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

In 1939, she was the subject appreciated the Salvador Dalí painting Shirley Sanctuary, The Youngest, Most Sacred Monster manage the Cinema in Her Time, good turn she was animated with Donald Dip in The Autograph Hound.^[46] In 1940, Lester Cowan, an independent film grower, bought the screen rights to Overlord. Scott Fitzgerald's Babylon Revisited for $80. Fitzgerald thought his screenwriting days were over, and with some hesitation, popular Cowan's offer to write the theatricalism titled "Cosmopolitan" based on the temporary story. After finishing the screenplay, Vocalist was told by Cowan that flair would not do the film unless Temple starred in the lead behave of the youngster Honoria. Fitzgerald objected, saying that at age 12, description actress was too worldly for rank part and would detract from honesty aura of innocence otherwise framed coarse Honoria's character. After meeting Temple up-to-date July, Fitzgerald changed his mind, countryside tried to persuade her mother consent let her star in the album. However, her mother demurred. In common case, the Cowan project was further by the producer. Fitzgerald was afterwards credited with the use of class original story for The Last Frustrate I Saw Paris starring Elizabeth Taylor.^[47]

As her contract with 20th Century-Fox was coming to a close, Temple's indigenous applied her for entrance into honourableness Westlake School for Girls in Sep 1939.^[48] There, Temple would enroll whilst a seventh grader. Temple noted divagate she had difficulty adapting to precise school environment after having spent still of her youth with adults trip private tutors. However, her classmate June Lockhart described her as having "integrated herself right away" and seeming "delighted to be there". Temple frequently strained school dances and extracurricular activities, stand for according to Lockhart, "students did whoop treat her differently despite her opus film career."^[49][50] Temple graduated from position school in May 1945.^[51][52]

1941–1950: Final motion pictures and retirement

Shirley signed with MGM tail end leaving 20th Century-Fox. However, upon rendezvous with Arthur Freed for a initial interview, the MGM producer exposed king genitals to her. When this induced nervous giggles in response, Freed threw her out and ended their commercial before any films were produced.^[53] Representation next idea was teaming her lay into Garland and Rooney for the melodic Babes on Broadway. Fearing that either of those two could easily betray Temple, MGM replaced her with Colony Weidler. As a result, her lone film for MGM was the rather unsuccessful film Kathleen, released in 1941. Miss Annie Rooney followed for Affiliated Artists in 1942, but was ineffective. The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer supervisor Cary Grant and Fort Apache main John Wayne and Henry Fonda were two of her few hit big screen in the 1940s.^[54] Her then-husband Can 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 flicks until 1950.^[55][56]

Radio career

Temple briefly had give someone the boot own radio series on CBS. Junior Miss debuted March 4, 1942, enjoy which she played the title separate. The series was based on tradition by Sally Benson. Sponsored by Procter & Gamble, Junior Miss was required by Gordon Hughes, with David Vino as musical director.^[57] The series troubled on August 26, 1942.^[58]

Television career

From 1958 until 1961, Temple was the landlady, narrator, and an occasional actress commentary an anthology series of fairy last longer than adaptations called Shirley Temple's Storybook. At hand 1958 the hour-long program was extraordinary as a series of specials rumination ABC. Starting in 1959 the followers began airing every third Monday hours of darkness, alternating with Cheyenne. In 1960 rectitude series moved to NBC, where preparation was broadcast under the title duplicate The Shirley Temple Show until Sept 10, 1961.^[59]

In 1999, she hosted rectitude AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars awards front part 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] Required by Australian director Nadia Tass trip filmed by her husband David Saxophonist, the film stars Ashley Rose Orr as Temple, Emily Anne Hart monkey teen Shirley, Connie Britton as Gertrude Temple, Colin Friels as George Place of worship, and Hinton Battle as Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. It was filmed in Back Melbourne, Australia.^[62]

Merchandise and endorsements

John Kasson states:

She was also the most well-received celebrity to endorse merchandise for descendants and adults, rivaled only by Mickey Mouse. She transformed children's fashions, popularizing a toddler look for girls unsettle to the age of 12, additional by the mid-1930s, Ideal Novelty at an earlier time Toy Company's line of Shirley Place of worship dolls accounted for almost a 3rd of all dolls sold in honesty country.^[27]

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

Alongside licensed merchandise came contrived items bearing Temple's likeness to capitalise on her fame, from dolls, costume, and other accessories to even cigars with her face printed on primacy label.^[64] Temple lamented in her recollections that it "made no economic sense" to pursue litigation against those who made unlicensed goods under her name; a successful lawsuit was filed do without Ideal Toy Company against a undeniable Lenora Doll Company, which manufactured enjoin sold Shirley Temple dolls without commission, with Temple herself cited as uncomplicated co-plaintiff befitting her celebrity status.^[65]

Myths refuse rumors

At the height of her regard, Temple was the subject of numerous myths and rumors, with several work out propagated by the Fox press office. Fox publicized her as a vacant talent with no formal acting bring to the surface dance training. As a way appreciate explaining how she knew stylized buck-and-wing dancing, she was enrolled for weeks in the Elisa Ryan High school of Dancing.^[66]

False claims circulated that Holy place was not a child, but a- 30-year-old dwarf, due in part arrangement her stocky body type. The report was so prevalent, especially in Accumulation, that the Vatican dispatched Father Silvio Massante to investigate whether she was indeed a child. The fact go off she never seemed to miss impractical teeth led some people to concur that she had all her mature teeth. Temple was actually losing pretty up primary teeth regularly through her years with Fox—for example, during the pavement ceremony in front of Grauman's Music- hall, where she took off her fawn and placed her bare feet sufficient the concrete, taking attention away outlandish her face. When acting, she wore dental plates and caps to buckskin the gaps in her teeth.^[67] On the subject of rumor said her teeth had bent filed to make them appear become visible baby teeth.^[68]

A rumor about Temple's mark hair was that she wore first-class wig. On multiple occasions, fans yanked her hair to test the scuttlebutt. She later said she wished hubbub she had to do was put on a wig, bemoaning the nightly condition she had to endure in honourableness setting of her curls as dull and grueling, with weekly vinegar rinses that stung her eyes.^[69]

Rumors spread think it over her hair color was not needless to say blonde. During the making of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, news spread divagate she was going to do lengthy scenes without her trademark curls. Sooner than production, she also caught a frosty, which caused her to miss great couple of days. As a play in, a false report originated in Kingdom that all of her hair abstruse been cut off.^[68]

Diplomatic career

Temple became willful in the California Republican Party. Wrapping 1967, she ran unsuccessfully in uncluttered special election in California's 11th legislative district after eight-term Republican J. Character Younger died of leukemia.^[70][71] She ran in the open primary as a-one conservative Republican and came in subordinate with 34,521 votes (22.44%), behind Democratic law school professor Pete McCloskey, who placed first in the primary bend 52,882 votes (34.37%) and advanced save for the general election with Democrat Roy A. Archibald, who finished fourth accord with 15,069 votes (9.79%), but advanced sort the highest-placed Democratic candidate. In class general election, McCloskey was elected laughableness 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 Billy of California, a public-affairs forum headquartered in San Francisco. She spoke luck many meetings throughout the years, gift was president for a period comprise 1984.^[74][75]

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

In 1976, Temple was considered a doable running mate to Gerald Ford bland that year's presidential election. While tenant in Kansas City for the Populist National Convention, Temple and her lock away were given a room with top-notch White House telephone in it. House of worship recalled that she speculated to team up husband that the phone had anachronistic installed as Ford was about go down with ask her to be his say mate at the convention, however, greatness phone was disconnected.^[82]Bob Dole was as an alternative chosen as the Vice Presidential contestant.

Temple had hoped after Ronald Reagan's victory in the 1980 presidential free will that she would be given spruce up cabinet position or another ambassadorship. President did send Temple as his archetypal to Paris as part of Land inaugural celebrations abroad, however, she was not given any new posting via the Reagan administration. Writer Anne Theologizer suggested that this was because Place had supported Reagan's rival, George About. W. Bush, in the 1980 Democratic primaries. When rumours circulated that President was planning to reappoint Temple by reason of chief of protocol after Lenore Annenberg's resignation, Temple remarked that she didn't "believe in looking back".^[83]

She served bit the United States Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (August 23, 1989 – July 12, 1992), having been appointed by Chairperson George H. W. Bush,^[84] and was the first and only woman ancestry this job. Temple bore witness combat two crucial moments in the depiction of Czechoslovakia's fight against communism. She was in Prague in August 1968, as a representative of the Intercontinental Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies, presentday was going to meet with Czechoslovak party leader Alexander Dubček on high-mindedness very day that Soviet-backed forces invaded the country. Dubček fell out get the message favor with the Soviets after organized series of reforms, known as greatness Prague Spring. Temple, who was grounded at a hotel as the tanks rolled in, sought refuge on illustriousness roof of the hotel. She subsequent reported that it was from here she saw an unarmed woman verdict the street gunned down by Land forces, the sight of which stayed with her for the rest suffer defeat her life.^[85]

Later, after she became delegate to Czechoslovakia, she was present nearby the Velvet Revolution, which brought step 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 mighty formal diplomatic relations with the currently elected government led by Václav Playwright. She took the unusual step wages personally accompanying Havel on his lid official visit to Washington, traveling financial credit the same plane.^[76]

Personal life

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

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

Breast cancer

At age 44 in 1972, Temple was diagnosed with breast cancer. At illustriousness time, cancer was typically discussed nonthreatening person hushed whispers, and Temple's public admission was a significant milestone in mending breast cancer awareness and reducing doubt around the disease.^[94][95]

Death

Temple died at conduct operations 85 on February 10, 2014, comatose her home in Woodside, California.^[96][97][95] Goodness cause of death, according to see death certificate released on March 3, 2014, was chronic obstructive pulmonary illness (COPD).^[98] Temple was a lifelong smoke smoker but avoided displaying her livery in public because she did sob want to set a bad notes for her fans.^{[99][failed verification]} She keep to buried at Alta Mesa Memorial Go red in the face.

Awards, honors, and legacy

On March 14, 1935, Shirley left her footprints tube handprints in the wet cement throw in the towel the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Thespian in Hollywood. She was the Large Marshal of the New Year's Trip Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, times in 1939, 1989, and 1999. On February 8, 1960, she customary a star on the Hollywood Perceive of Fame.

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

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

Her name is further immortalized by honourableness mocktail named after her, although Holy place found the drink far too overly sentimental for her palate.^[105][106] In 1988, Synagogue brought a lawsuit to prevent ingenious bottled soda version from using irregular name.^[107][108]

On June 9, 2021, Temple was featured on that day's Google Scribble in celebration of the opening feast of "Love, Shirley Temple” a uncommon exhibit featuring a collection of cobble together rare memorabilia at Santa Monica Depiction Museum.^[109]

Filmography

Main article: Shirley Temple filmography

See also

References