Shirley "Curly" Temple

Shirley “Curly” Temple

Shirley Temple, now Shirley Temple Black, was born in Santa Monica, California on April 23, 1926. She was Hollywood’s youngest performer and later on a famous Hollywood superstar! Her movies and cute curly hair is legendary to this day around the world. Shirley’s first step in acting was appearing in short films when she was able to walk for the first time. She performed in a series of short films in the mid-1930. In 1933, she made an incredible 11 films in one year. Her movie “Stand Up and Cheer” was Shirley’s big breakthrough in the movie business and received an award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1935, she also received an Academy Award for the classical film “Curly Top” and “Heidi”. Unfortunately, outside of her business life, Shirley struggled with being in movies and being taken away from her normal life.

She yearned for a normal education. While being in the entertainment business, Shirley had to be tutored instead of going to school like all the other kids. She finally began to pull away from being a huge star in Hollywood and at age 12; she left the movie making industry and went to high school. After her 22^nd birthday, Shirley retired in 1950, but made uncountable appearances on television shows and a sitcom that was never released. She attempted to make even more movies and television shows, but was, unfortunately, unsuccessful. However, she did sit on the boards of the Walt Disney Company, Del Monte Foods, and the National Wildlife Federation.

Shirley Temple unsuccessfully for the United States Congress in 1967, however, she was made the ambassador to Ghana in 1974 and in Czechoslovakia in 1989. Shirley soon published her autobiography entitled Child Star. She received many awards and honors in her later years such as the Kennedy Center Honors and a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. Shirley Temple’s curly hair, cute little face, and memorable songs and dances are still favorites around the world and loved by everyone. Shirley Temple is, without a doubt, an incredible actor and a natural one at that. I enjoy watching her movies and listening to her singing. To me she is an icon and a true superstar.