Actors - Shirley Temple

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	Actors - Shirley Temple

Shirley Jane Temple (born April 23, 1928), later known as Shirley Temple Black, is an American diplomat and former film child actress. Not only was she the most famous child actress of the 1930s, she is also considered to be the most famous child actor/actress of all time. Her films continue to enjoy popularity today, particularly among young girls.

Film career

Born in Santa Monica, California, she starred in over 40 films during the 1930s. She was the only daughter of banker George Francis Temple (1888-1980) and his wife Gertrude Amelia Krieger (1893-1977). She had two older brothers. Temple began her career at the age of three, after being chosen from her dance class by a visiting director. Between the end of 1931 and 1933 she appeared in two series of short subjects for Educational Pictures. Her first series, Baby Burlesks
, satirized recent motion pictures and politics. The series was considered controversial by some viewers because of its depiction of young children in adult situations. Her second series at Educational, Frolics of Youth, was a bit more acceptable, and cast her as a bratty younger sister in a contemporary suburban family.

While working for Educational Pictures, Temple also performed many walk-on and bit player roles in various other movies. She was finally signed to Fox Film Corporation (which later merged with 20th Century Pictures to become 20th Century Fox) in late 1933 after appearing in Stand Up and Cheer with James Dunn. She would stay with Fox until 1940, becoming the studio's most lucrative player. Her contract was amended several times between 1933 and 1935, and she was loaned to Paramount for a pair of successful films in 1934. For four solid years, she ranked as the top-grossing box office star in America. To hold on to her babyhood, Shirley's birth certificate had been altered. Only on her twelfth birthday did she realise she was actually thirteen .

Her popularity earned her both public adulation and the approval of her peers. Even at the age of five, the hallmark of her acting work was her professionalism: she always had her lines memorized and dance steps prepared when shooting began. She was the first recipient of the special Juvenile Performer Academy Award in 1935. Seventy years later, Temple is still the youngest performer ever to receive this honor. She is also the youngest actor to add foot and hand prints to the forecourt at Grauman's Chinese Theater.

Temple was paired with James Dunn in several films. She also made pictures with Carole Lombard, Gary Cooper, Adolphe Menjou, and many others. Arthur Treacher appeared as a kindly butler in several of Temple's films.

Temple's ability as a dancer (especially a tap dancer) is well known and celebrated. Even in her earliest films she danced, and she was able to handle complex tap choreography by the age of five. She was teamed with famed dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson in The Little Colonel
, The Littlest Rebel, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
and Just Around the Corner. Robinson also coached and developed her choreography for many of her other films. Because Robinson was African-American, his scenes holding hands with Temple had to be edited out in many cities in the South.

Aside from the films, there were many Shirley Temple product tie-ins during the 1930s. Ideal's numerous Temple dolls, dressed in costumes from the movies, were top sellers. Original Shirley Temple dolls bring in hundreds of dollars on the secondary market today. Other successful Temple items included a line of girls' dresses and hairbows. Several of Temple's film songs, including "On the Good Ship Lollipop" (from 1934's Bright Eyes), "Animal Crackers in My Soup" (from 1935's Curly Top) and "Goodnight my Love" (from 1936's Stowaway) were popular radio hits. She frequently lent her likeness and talent to promoting various social causes, including the Red Cross.

The role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, played by Judy Garland, was originally intended for her. She was unable to appear in the film when a trade between Fox and MGM fell through. She was also rumored to be the inspiration for Bonnie Blue Butler in Gone With the Wind and was one of the early contenders for the role in the motion picture, but was too old by the time the film went into production.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Shirley Temple ]

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Actors - Shirley Temple

Film career

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