Temple Tuesday: Shirley does the Charleston

This charming photo of Shirley is from the summer of 1948 and shows her doing a Charleston step. From the publicity blurb:

Even in the early 1900's the girls were not quite so prim and proper as we imagine, but just about the same as they are today as is proven by Shirley Temple as she runs out of the house to meet her date in RKO Radio’s period comedy romance, “Baltimore Escapade,” in which she co-stars with Robert Young and John Agar.



Released April 19, 1949, the movie was retitled “Adventure in Baltimore.” The opening of the movie features a montage of Shirley portraying a young girl from 1948:



A Modern American Schoolgirl from 1925 who gets busted by the Principal for doing the Charleston:







Then we travel with Shirley back to 1913, where she was dancing in this post’s first image:



And finally 1905, the setting of the movie, where we see Shirley painting a china cup:



Barbara Bel Geddes was originally to star in the film, but her complaints about appearing in another period piece (her previous film was “I Remember Mama”) caused her to be replaced by Shirley. John Agar, Shirley‘s first husband, replaced Melvyn Douglas as the love interest. Lucky Barbara and Melvyn; the film ended up losing $785,000 at the box office. Don’t let that deter you from seeing it; Shirley is wonderful in this cute low-budget “Meet Me In St. Louis” style film, especially when she is dancing with wild abandon outside the Principal’s office or when she is reunited with Robert Young, her former costar from 1936’s “Stowaway.”

See more Shirley photos at my main website.