Shirley Temple
( 1928 - 2013)Added Date: August 04, 2022
Born: April 23, 1928
Died: February 10, 2013
Country: United States
Shirley Temple, who as a dimpled, precocious and determined little girl in the 1930s sang and tap-danced her way to a height of Hollywood stardom and worldwide fame that no other child has reached.
In 1931 she began her film career at the age of three. The little girl with overwhelming charm, a diminutive stature, sparkling eyes, dimpled smile, fifty-six blond curls and an air of relentless determination achieved international fame in “Bright Eyes, a feature film designed specifically for her talents. Film hits such as “Stand Up and Cheer”, Curly Top and Heidi followed year after year during the mid-to-late 1930s.
In our popular imagination she would always be America’s darling of the Depression years, when in 23 motion pictures her sparkling personality and sunny optimism lifted spirits and made her famous. From 1935 to 1939 she was the most popular movie star in America.
Shirley often played a fixer-upper, a precocious Cupid, or the good fairy in these films, reuniting her estranged parents or smoothing out the wrinkles in the romances of young couples. Elements of the traditional fairy tale were woven into her films: wholesome goodness triumphing over meanness and evil, or wealth over poverty, marriage over divorce, or a booming economy over a depressed one.
Her films were seen as generating hope and optimism during a time of great suffering – The Depression.
She appeared in 29 films from the ages of 3 to 10 but in only 14 films from the ages of 14 to 21. Temple retired from film in 1950 at the age of 22. But instead of retreating into nostalgia, she created a successful second career for herself in government.
She began her diplomatic career in 1969, when she was appointed to represent the United States at a session of the United Nations General Assembly. Later, she was named United States ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and also served as Chief of Protocol of the United States.
Shirley Temple lived a rich and varied life, leaving the screen at a very young age saying she ”had enough of pretend”. Instead she gave herself to public service, highlighting her “intelligence, tough mindedness and discipline”, proudly representing her country.
Her star will live on forever.
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