Temple began her film career in 1932 at the age of three and, in 1934, found international fame in Bright Eyes, a feature film designed specifically for her talents. She received a special Juvenile Academy Award in February 1935 for her outstanding contribution as a juvenile performer to motion pictures during 1934, and film hits such as Curly Top and Heidi followed year after year during the mid-to-late 1930s. Licensed merchandise that capitalized on her wholesome image included dolls, dishes, and clothing. Her box office popularity waned as she reached adolescence, and she left the film industry in her teens. She appeared in a few films of varying quality in her mid-to-late teens, and retired completely from films in 1950 at the age of 22. She was the top box-office draw four years in a row (1935–38) in a Motion Picture Herald poll.
Temple returned to show business in 1958 with a two-season television anthology series of fairy tale adaptations. She made guest appearances on television shows in the early 1960s and filmed a sitcom pilot that was never released. She sat on the boards of corporations and organizations including The Walt Disney Company, Del Monte Foods, and the National Wildlife Federation. In 1988, she published her autobiography, Child Star. Temple was the recipient of awards and honors including Kennedy Center Honors and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
Temple ranks 18th on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest female American screen legends of all time.
Temple began dance classes at Meglin's Dance School in Hollywood in 1931, at the age of 3. Her film career began when a casting director from Educational Pictures visited her class. Although Temple hid behind the piano in the studio, she was chosen by the director, invited to audition, and, eventually, signed to a contract with Educational.
Temple worked at Educational from 1932 to 1933, and appeared in two series of short subjects for the studio. Her first series, Baby Burlesks, satirized recent motion pictures and politics. In the series "Baby Burlesks", Shirley would dress up in a diaper, but then be wearing adult clothes everywhere else. 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 films at other studios. She is said to have auditioned for a lead role in Hal Roach's Our Gang comedies (later known as The Little Rascals) in the early 1930s; various reasons are given for her not having been cast in the role. Roach stated that Temple and her mother were unable to make it through the red tape of the audition process, while Our Gang producer/director Robert F. McGowan recalls that the studio wanted to cast Temple, but they refused to give in to Temple's mother's demands that Temple receive special star billing. Temple, in her autobiography Child Star, denies that she ever auditioned for Our Gang at all. However, Temple had some connection with Our Gang in that Temple's carpool friend, David Holt, had a small role in the 1933 Little Rascals film Forgotten Babies.
Temple 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. Later, she was paired with Dunn in several films.
Temple 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. Shirley's birth certificate was altered to hold on to her babyhood; her birth year was advanced from 1928 to 1929. She was not told her real age until her twelfth (actually thirteenth) birthday.
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.
Temple 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, and the South was replete with racism, 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 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.
Temple was the first recipient of the special Juvenile Performer Academy Award in 1935 for recognition of her outstanding contribution to screen entertainment in 1934. Seventy years later, Temple is still the youngest performer ever to receive this honor, or any Oscar. She is also the youngest actress to add foot and hand prints to the forecourt at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
Dimples
Shirley Temple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes, he was a dandy
He was a dandy
And she was a belle
She wore a bonnet
With blue ribbons on it
And he wore a flower
In his coat lapel
He was so handsome
And she was oh, so fair
While strolling on the avenue
Folks would stop and stare
For he was a dandy
Yes, he was a dandy
He was a dandy
And she was a belle
She wore a bonnet
With a stuffed tomato on it
And he wore a flower
In his coat lapel
The lyrics of Shirley Temple's "Dimples" tells the story of a handsome man who is a dandy and his beautiful partner who is a belle. The man takes great care in his appearance, wearing a flower in his coat lapel, and is admired by many when strolling in the avenue with his partner who is equally stunning wearing a bonnet with blue ribbons on it. People would stop and stare as they pass by.
The lyrics give us an idea of what people found attractive and admirable at the time. The term "dandy" was used to describe a man who takes great care in his appearance and clothing. It was a term used in the 18th and 19th centuries to define a gentleman who invested time and resources into his wardrobe, social status, and manners. A "belle" was a term used to describe a woman who is beautiful and admired for her charm and elegance. The lyrics suggest that people of that era highly valued physical attractiveness, refinement, and social status.
Furthermore, the lyrics mentioned the couple's choice of accessories. She wore a bonnet with blue ribbons on it, while he wore a flower in his coat lapel. She even wore a stuffed tomato on her bonnet in one verse, which was an unusual accessory at the time. The lyrics imply that people made a statement about their personality, fashion choices, and social status through their clothing, which reflects the societal norms and values of the 1930s.
Line by Line Meaning
He was a dandy
He was impeccably dressed and confident in his appearance
Yes, he was a dandy
The singer is reiterating that he was quite stylish and charming
He was a dandy
The singer uses repetition to emphasize the man's fashionable charm
And she was a belle
She was a beautiful and popular member of society
She wore a bonnet
She accessorized with an elegant and traditional piece of headwear
With blue ribbons on it
Her bonnet was adorned with delicate and attractive details
And he wore a flower
He accessorized with a fresh and visually appealing floral detail
In his coat lapel
He displayed his fashionable accessory in a stylish and eye-catching way
He was so handsome
He possessed a striking and attractive physical appearance
And she was oh, so fair
She had a lovely and appealing presence
While strolling on the avenue
As they walked down a public street
Folks would stop and stare
Their appearance and demeanor was captivating and noteworthy
For he was a dandy
Reiterating the man's fashionable and charming presence
Yes, he was a dandy
Once again emphasizing the man's style and confidence
He was a dandy
Continuing to highlight the man's fashionable and charming demeanor
And she was a belle
Reiterating her beauty and status as a popular member of society
She wore a bonnet
Using repetition to call attention to her stylish accessory
With a stuffed tomato on it
Adding a humorous and unexpected detail to her bonnet
And he wore a flower
Reiterating his use of a stylish floral accessory
In his coat lapel
Once again highlighting his fashionable display of the floral detail
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Karen Becker
Being around theatre and film work and workers, it brings back great memories. Also, I am a huge fan of the Victorian theatre. One of my favorite Shirley Temple movies!
Ana Cristina
Amei🥰🥰
Kuya Nico
Shirley she’s a movie star
what's up buttercup
If it meant seing Shirley temple and hearing her sing and dance 💃 then I wish they would break them up in part's like this has been done. When I tried to watch captain January and all the songs were muted but ended up not having sound through out the movie and I eended up deleting it from from my que list