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.
Oh My Goodness
Shirley Temple Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm so sad that I could cry
With a very good reason why
I've no one to be gay with
That's why I wear a frown
No children I can play with
London bridge is falling down
I wanna make mud pies
In fact I'd like to be a mess
I wanna make mud pies
I know that I'd find happiness
If I got jam on my fingers
Chocolate on my face
And molasses all over my dress
You're the only friends I've ever had
But one minute you're good
And the very next minute you're bad!
At times I ought to hate you
You make me feel so blue
But honest I can't hate you
When you smile at me the way you do
Oh, my goodness!
Sometimes I want to leave you
You tell such awful lies
But I could never leave you
When I look into those great big eyes
Oh, my goodness!
I love you, do you love me
Honey, if you don't, why don'tcha
Honey, if you won't, why won'tcha
Am I gonna have trouble with you?
I really ought to scold you
You'll have me old and grey
But when it's time to scold you
I hold you in my arms and say
Oh, my. Oh, my...
Oh, my goodness!
Zometimes I ought to hashe you
You make me veel zo blue
But onest I can't hashe you
When you zmile at me, my lovely poupchen
Ach, mein gootness!
You are my ev'ry ting-a-vitch
You're like a day in spring-a-vitch
And you make my heart sing-a-vitch
Looky-looky-looksky, here comes trotsky
Oh, chah chornya
I lovee you, do you lovee me
Maya-kaya-kow-kow see see
Eenie-meenie mo-guss meenzie
Am I gonna have ta-louble with you?
Honey child, I really ought to scold ya
You'll have your mammy old and grey
Pickaninny, when it's time ta scold ya
I just hold ya in my lovin' arms and say
Oh, my-- heidi, heidi, heidi, hi!
Oh.... my goodness
The song "Oh My Goodness" by Shirley Temple is a sweet and innocent tune in which the singer expresses her sadness at not having anyone to play with or be happy around. The lyrics indicate that the singer is lonely and wishes for children to play with and joys of childhood such as making mud pies and getting chocolate all over her face. Despite occasionally wanting to leave or hate her friends, the singer deeply cares for them and cannot help doing so even if they occasionally betray her. The lyrics are full of childlike expressions of love and friendship, with the repeated phrase "Oh, my goodness!" acting as a climax to the emotions described.
The verses of the song portray a child's sense of loneliness and isolation, while the chorus speaks to the love and loyalty that the child feels for her friends. The lyrics are full of whimsical images of childhood, such as mud pies, London Bridge, and chocolate on the face, that are used to emphasize the singer's yearning for companionship. The last verse, which includes German phrases, is a nod to Shirley Temple's German heritage and also adds to the playful tone of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh me, oh my
I am feeling quite gloomy right now
I'm so sad that I could cry
I am on the verge of tears because I feel so sad
With a very good reason why
I have a valid reason for feeling down and blue
I've no one to be gay with
I don't have anyone to play and have fun with
That's why I wear a frown
That's why I have a sad expression on my face
No children I can play with
There are no kids around me that I can be friends with
London bridge is falling down
I am feeling down and hopeless
My fair lady
My female friend or ally
I wanna make mud pies
I want to create something messy and fun
In fact I'd like to be a mess
I don't mind getting dirty and messy
I know that I'd find happiness
I believe that if I make mud pies and become dirty, I'll be happy
If I got jam on my fingers
If I accidentally get sticky jam on my fingers
Chocolate on my face
If I smear chocolate all over my face
And molasses all over my dress
And spread sticky molasses all over my clothing
You're the only friends I've ever had
You are my only trusted companions
But one minute you're good
But sometimes you're kind and friendly
And the very next minute you're bad!
And sometimes you're mean and unfriendly
At times I ought to hate you
Sometimes I feel like I should dislike and be angry with you
You make me feel so blue
You cause me immense sadness and unhappiness
But honest I can't hate you
But the truth is, I can't bring myself to hate you
When you smile at me the way you do
When you grin at me in that way of yours
Sometimes I want to leave you
At times, I feel like running away from you
You tell such awful lies
You speak such dreadful falsehoods
But I could never leave you
But I could never actually leave you
When I look into those great big eyes
When I stare into your giant eyes
I love you, do you love me
I adore you, do you feel the same way about me?
Honey, if you don't, why don'tcha
Sweetheart, if you don't love me, can you tell me why?
Honey, if you won't, why won'tcha
Darling, if you won't love me, can you explain why?
Am I gonna have trouble with you?
Are we going to have issues or problems between us?
I really ought to scold you
I should rightfully reprimand you
You'll have me old and grey
You will make me grow old and gray with worry
But when it's time to scold you
But when the moment comes to scold you
I hold you in my arms and say
I embrace and comfort you instead
Oh, my. Oh, my...
Oh my goodness
You are my ev'ry ting-a-vitch
You are everything to me
You're like a day in spring-a-vitch
You are like a warm, sunny day in spring
And you make my heart sing-a-vitch
And you make my heart sing with joy
Looky-looky-looksky, here comes trotsky
Just look, here comes Trotsky
Oh, chah chornya
Oh, how wonderful
I lovee you, do you lovee me
I love you, do you care for me in the same way?
Maya-kaya-kow-kow see see
I have no idea what this means
Eenie-meenie mo-guss meenzie
I have no idea what this means
Am I gonna have ta-louble with you?
Are we going to have trouble or problems between us?
Honey child, I really ought to scold ya
Honey, I need to scold you properly
You'll have your mammy old and grey
You will drive me to old age and gray hairs
Pickaninny, when it's time ta scold ya
Sweetie, when I must reprimand you
I just hold ya in my lovin' arms and say
I will embrace and hold you tight with love regardless
Oh, my-- heidi, heidi, heidi, hi!
Oh my goodness
Oh.... my goodness
Oh my goodness
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARRY REVEL, MACK GORDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Reg
on I'm Gettin Nuttin for Christmas
This isn't Shirley Temple. She was 27 and long retired from show biz when it came out in 1955. The voice is Barry Gordon's, backed by the Art Mooney Orchestra.