Shirley Temple Black
1928 – 2014
From the world's #1 box-office star at age seven to a United States ambassador in her sixties — the long, unlikely arc of America's most famous child actress.
Early Life and Discovery (1928–1931)
Shirley Jane Temple was born on April 23, 1928, at Santa Monica Hospital in Santa Monica, California, to George Francis Temple, a bank employee, and Gertrude Amelia Temple (née Krieger). She had two older brothers, John and George Jr. From earliest childhood her mother encouraged her singing, dancing, and acting talents — and styled the ringlets that would soon be world-famous.
At age three, Gertrude enrolled her in dance lessons. There she was spotted by Charles Lamont, a casting director for Educational Pictures, who signed her to a contract in 1932 — just shy of her fourth birthday.
The Baby Burlesks and Frolics of Youth (1932–1934)
Educational Pictures launched her in the Baby Burlesks: ten-minute comedy shorts that satirized recent hit movies and the news of the day, using preschool children in every role. Because the cast was too young to read, they were taught to recite their lines phonetically.
Temple's standout entries in the series included Glad Rags to Riches (a Mae West parody of She Done Him Wrong), Kid 'in' Africa, and a newspaper-room spoof called Runt Page. Her work in the shorts won her a promotion to the longer-form Frolics of Youth series with Frank Coghlan Jr., where she played Mary Lou Rogers, the irrepressible baby sister of a contemporary suburban family. To help fund the productions, she and her young costars modeled for breakfast cereals and other tie-in products.
Fox Stardom (1934–1940)
Her break came when Fox songwriter Jay Gorney saw her dancing in a movie-theater lobby and arranged a screen test. She auditioned on December 7, 1933, and won a part in Stand Up and Cheer! (released May 1934), in the song-and-dance number 'Baby, Take a Bow' opposite James Dunn. Her initial Fox deal was $150 a week for two weeks; on December 21, 1933, it was extended to a year at the same rate, with her mother hired as hairdresser and coach at $25 a week. After her attorney Loyd Wright intervened, the studio raised her salary on July 18, 1934, to $1,000 a week — plus $250 weekly for her mother and a $15,000 bonus per completed film. By the end of 1935 she was earning $2,500 a week.
A staggering run of hits followed: Baby Take a Bow and Bright Eyes (1934, which introduced 'On the Good Ship Lollipop'); Now and Forever with Gary Cooper and Carole Lombard; The Little Colonel (1935, with the famous staircase tap opposite Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson); Curly Top (1935, source of 'Animal Crackers in My Soup'); The Littlest Rebel; Captain January (1936); Heidi (1937); Wee Willie Winkie (1937, directed by John Ford); Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938); and The Little Princess (1939), her first feature in three-strip Technicolor.
She was the United States' top box-office star for four consecutive years, 1935 through 1938. In February 1935 she received a Special Juvenile Academy Award for her outstanding contribution as a juvenile performer during 1934. Franklin D. Roosevelt famously remarked: 'It is a splendid thing that for just 15 cents, an American can go to a movie and look at the smiling face of a baby and forget his troubles.'
Her cultural reach went far beyond the screen. The Ideal Novelty and Toy Company's Shirley Temple dolls accounted for almost a third of all dolls sold in the United States during the mid-1930s — a Depression-era marketing phenomenon rivaled only by Mickey Mouse.
Later Films and Retirement (1940–1950)
After leaving 20th Century-Fox, Temple signed briefly with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Her sole MGM feature, Kathleen (December 1941), was unsuccessful. Miss Annie Rooney (1942, United Artists) also underperformed.
Two later pictures revived her standing: The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), opposite Cary Grant, and John Ford's Fort Apache (1948), with John Wayne and Henry Fonda. Other titles from the period include That Hagen Girl (1947, opposite Ronald Reagan) and her final feature, A Kiss for Corliss (1949).
She formally announced her retirement from films in 1950, at age 22.
Marriages and Family
Temple married actor John Agar in 1945, at age 17. They divorced in 1950 on grounds of mental cruelty and had one daughter, Linda Susan Agar (born 1948).
Later that same year she met businessman Charles Alden Black at a cocktail party in Hawaii. They married in December 1950 and remained together until his death on August 4, 2005 — fifty-four years. Their two children together were Charles Alden Black Jr. and Lori Black, who would go on to play bass in the rock band the Melvins.
Diplomatic and Public Career (1969–1992)
Temple's interest in foreign affairs deepened over the 1960s. According to her own account, a turning point came when Henry Kissinger overheard her discussing South West Africa at a Washington party and was surprised by her command of the subject.
U.N. General Assembly Delegate (1969). Appointed by President Richard Nixon to the 24th United Nations General Assembly.
U.S. Ambassador to Ghana (December 6, 1974 – July 13, 1976). Appointed by President Gerald Ford. In 1975 she was installed as honorary deputy paramount chief of the Oguaa people.
White House Chief of Protocol (July 1, 1976 – January 21, 1977). Serving under Presidents Ford and Carter — the first woman to hold the post.
U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (August 23, 1989 – July 12, 1992). Appointed by President George H. W. Bush. She arrived in Prague just months before the Velvet Revolution, openly sympathized with anti-communist dissidents, and personally accompanied Václav Havel on his first official visit to Washington — traveling on the same plane.
Temple had been in Prague once before, in August 1968, as a representative of the International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies and on her way to meet Czechoslovak party leader Alexander Dubček. She was there on the very day Soviet-backed forces invaded — an experience that shaped her later sympathies for the country.
Health and Death
In 1972, at age 44, Temple was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her decision to talk openly about the disease — at a time when cancer was rarely discussed in public — is considered a landmark moment in breast-cancer awareness in the United States.
She died on February 10, 2014, at her home in Woodside, California, at age 85. Her death certificate, released March 3, 2014, listed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as the cause.
Honors and Legacy
Special Juvenile Academy Award (February 1935). Footprints and handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre (March 14, 1935). Hollywood Walk of Fame star (February 8, 1960). Rose Parade Grand Marshal in 1939, 1989, and 1999. Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1970). Kennedy Center Honors (1998). Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award (2005). AFI ranked her 18th on its 1999 list of the 50 Greatest American Screen Legends (female).
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Shirley Temple born?
Shirley Temple was born on April 23, 1928, at Santa Monica Hospital in Santa Monica, California. Her full birth name was Shirley Jane Temple.
How did Shirley Temple die?
Shirley Temple died on February 10, 2014, at her home in Woodside, California, at age 85. Her death certificate lists chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as the cause.
Was Shirley Temple really a U.S. ambassador?
Yes. She served as U.S. Ambassador to Ghana (1974–1976) and as U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1989–1992). Between those postings she was White House Chief of Protocol (1976–1977), the first woman in that role.
What was Shirley Temple's most famous song?
'On the Good Ship Lollipop,' from the 1934 film Bright Eyes. Her other signature numbers include 'Animal Crackers in My Soup' from Curly Top (1935) and 'Baby, Take a Bow' from Stand Up and Cheer! (1934).
Did Shirley Temple have children?
Yes, three. With her first husband John Agar she had Linda Susan Agar (born 1948). With her second husband Charles Alden Black she had Charles Alden Black Jr. and Lori Black.
How old was Shirley Temple in her first movie?
She was three years old when she signed with Educational Pictures in 1932 and began appearing in the Baby Burlesks shorts. She was six when her breakthrough feature Stand Up and Cheer! was released in May 1934.
What was Shirley Temple's real name?
Her real name was Shirley Jane Temple. After her second marriage in 1950 she was known professionally as Shirley Temple Black.
How many years was Shirley Temple the top box-office star?
She was the United States' number-one box-office draw for four consecutive years, from 1935 through 1938 — the highest-earning Hollywood star of any kind during those years, while she was still a child.