Adorable curly haired child star Shirley Temple, who sang and danced her way into hearts everywhere, has died. She was 85 years old.
“We salute her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and most importantly as our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and adored wife for fifty-five years of the late and much missed Charles Alden Black,” a family statement said.
Temple, who passed away at her home in San Francisco on Monday night, was born on April 23, 1928, and started her film career at the tender age of three. By age six she was a full-blown movie star, made famous by films such as Bright Eyes, The Little Colonel, Poor Little Rich Girl and Heidi.
During her youth Temple avoided the scandals and arrests that plague other child stars but once reflected that her fame may have robbed her of some of her childhood.
She stopped believing in Santa at age six, when “Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph”.
Temple grew up to become a pretty young woman, but audiences lost interest, and she retired from making movies at 21.
In her private life, Temple was only 17 when she wed John Agar, who would eventually star alongside her in two movies. Their five-year marriage produced a daughter, Susan.
In 1950 she wed Charles Black in a marriage that lasted more than 50 years until his death in 2005. She and Black had two children.
Despite her film career and her political activism later in life Temple said her greatest role was that of a wife, mother and grandmother.
“There’s nothing like real love. Nothing,” said Temple upon receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2006.
Shirley Temple Black is survived by her children, Susan, Charlie and Lori, her granddaughter Teresa and her great-granddaughters Lily and Emma.
Shirley Temple received her lifetime achievement award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2006.
Shirley Temple showing the Jonkers diamond at the South California Fair in Los Angeles in October 1933.
Shirley Temple in 1932 holding American actor, Bill (Bojangles) Robinson’s hand in a farmyard during a scene from Edgar Lewis’s silent film, The Littlest Rebel.
Shirley Temple in a 1936 poster for the film Stowaway, directed by William A Seiter.
Temple was the biggest film star in the world during the depression era bringing joy to the hearts of a struggling nation. Her portrait featured on a 1930s Christmas card.
Shirley stopped believing in Santa at age six, she once said, when “Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph”.
Temple developed into a pretty young woman but as an adult couldn’t maintain her early fame so she retired from films at age 21.
Shirley Temple wed John Agar in September 1945 at age 17. Their union lasted five years and they had one daughter, Susan.
Shirley Temple reads her fan mail at home in 1944 in Los Angeles in 1944.
Shirley Temple and her second husband, Charles Black, pose together at the premiere of director William Wyler’s film, ‘Roman Holiday’. The pair remained married for more than 50 years, until Charles died in 2005.
Shirley Temple with her daughter Susan, son Charles, daughter Lori and husband Charles at home in 1957.
Shirley on the set of The Shirley Temple Show in 1960.
Shirley became very politically active later in life. Here she is in 1968 speaking in front of a poster of Richard Nixon at a Republican Party election press conference at the Cafe Royal in London.
Shirley promoting her bestselling book Child Star in 1988.
Shirley with fellow child star Dakota Fanning in 2006.
Flowers for Shirley Temple are placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to mourn the star.
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