Nostalgia USA April 2016 Nostalgia USA April Issue 2016 | Page 8

ShirleyTemple

came int o our worl d on April 1938, t he chil d of George and Gert rude Templ e, wit h t wo ol der brot hers. Her
mot her was a driving f orce in her career encouraging her singing, enrol l ing her in dance school , and curl ing her air in ringl et s. She was
init ial l y so shy she hid behind a piano at dance school . But cast ing direct or Charl es Lamont saw t he precocious personal it y t hat t he worl d
woul d come t o l ove and signed her t o a cont ract wit h Educat ional Pict ures where she st arred in several product ions incl uding t he Baby
Burlesks series. Educat ional Pict ures ul t imat el y decl ared bankrupt cy, l eaving Shirl ey out of work at a t ender age on which she woul d l at er
quip: ?It was a pret t y dif f icul t sit uat ion f or any 5 year ol d.?
But as a cont inuing t heme in her l if e, her opt imism and quiet det erminat ion came t o her rescue. Not wil l ing t o give up, she was dancing in t he
l obby of a t heat re showing her l ast Educat ional Pict ures rel ease when she was spied by Fox Fil m songwrit er Jay Gorney, l eading t o her
appearance in t hat st udio?s 1933, ?Stand Up and Cheer!? l aunching her met eoric rise as a Hol l ywood sensat ion. There was no bigger st ar t han
Shirl ey Templ e in t he 1930?s, t he highest grossing st ar appeared in over 40 f eat ure f il ms and numerous short subject s over her career and is
credit ed by many f or pioneering product l icensing; her l ikeness appearing on everyt hing f rom dol l s, dishes, and even bars of soap.
As wit h most chil d st ars, her popul arit y began t o wane as she grew ol der, she ret ired f rom f il ms al t oget her in 1950. But Hol l ywood woul d not
be t he onl y st age f or Templ e?s t al ent s and she l at er t urned her f ocus t o business and dipl omacy. She served on t he Board of Direct ors of many
l eading U.S. corporat ions incl uding Wal t Disney, Del Mont e Foods and Bank of America. Henry Kissinger, overhearing her discussing Namibia
at a cockt ail part y was so impressed, he arranged f or her appoint ment as a represent at ive t o t he Unit ed Nat ions l aunching anot her career f or
her t hat ul t imat el y l ed t o her becoming a U.S. Ambassador t o Ghana and Czechosl ovakia, where she hel ped t hat count ry?s Vel vet Revol ut ion by
support ing dissident s and t aking t he unusual st ep of personal l y accompanying Czechosl ovakia?s f irst President Vacl av Havel on his f irst
of f icial visit t o Washingt on D.C.
Shirl ey Templ e died at her home in Woodside Cal if ornia on February 10, 2014, surrounded by f amil y. She was 85 years ol d. During her l if e
Shirl ey Templ e?s t al ent s and achievement s were recognized wit h many awards and honors, incl uding a special Juvenil e Academy Award, t he
Lif e Achievement Award f rom t he American Cent er of Fil ms f or Chil dren, t he Nat ional Board of Review Career Achievement Award, Kennedy
Cent er Honors, and t he Screen Act ors Guil d Lif e Achievement Award. Templ e l ef t her f oot print s and handprint s in t he wet cement at t he
f orecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theat re and has a st ar on Hol l ywood?s Wal k of Fame. On Sept ember 11, 2002, a l if e-size bronze st at ue of t he
chil d Templ e by scul pt or Nijel Binns was erect ed on t he Fox St udio l ot . In t he end, Shirl ey Templ e was more t han just an act ress, she was t he
quint essent ial American girl who charmed generat ions of viewers and put her t al ent s t o work f or good l ong af t er her st ar had waned.

FEATURES (click on the the video clips to watch)
Biography of Shirley Temple

Episode of Baby Burlesks 1st
Appearance of Shirley Temple

Shirley Temple Storybook:
The Little Mermaid 1961

Heidi 1937