Shirley Temple

Shirley Temple was a child actress of the 1930s who became popular with audiences because of her perky on-screen personality. She continued acting into her adult years, and even had two of her own tv series: "Shirley Temple's Storybook" (1958) and "Shirley Temple Theatre" (1960).

One of my favorite fantasy movies of all time is a Shirley Temple feature, "The Blue Bird" (1940). Her role is that of 'Myltyl'. 'Mytyl' and her brother 'Tyltyl', a woodchopper's children, are led by the 'Fairy Berylune' on a magical trip through the past, present, and future to locate the Blue Bird of Happiness.

When she left the movie business in the 1960s, she ventured into politics and eventually held several diplomatic posts, including U.S. Ambassador to Ghana in the 1970s and to Czechoslovakia in the 1980s.

In 1981, I sent two photos to Ms. Temple, to her residence in Woodside, California. She signed both and returned them within a month. They can be seen here and here. She signed her full married name as she was known at that time, Shirley Temple Black.

Here is a slideshow featuring photos of Ms. Temple from child to adult.


And here she is singing her signature song 'On the Good Ship Lollipop' from the 1934 movie "Bright Eyes".