Temple Tuesday: Where's Shirley?

This recent acquisition to my Shirley Temple collection had me baffled; I was fairly confident that it was from 1945, but had no idea where it was taken. The door behind Shirley was distinctive, but it didn’t match her Brentwood residence. The program in her hand made me think it could be a premiere or an event…but who knows without any writing showing. I turned to Shirley expert supreme, Rita Dubas, who had the mystery solved in less than 24 hours. See the Fox Carthay Circle Theatre below, in a 1953 image from my collection?



Rita pointed out the doors that were a perfect match to the ones in the Shirley photo.



She was also able to correctly identify the event as the Look Magazine Awards that were held there on February 20, 1945. Below is a photo from that event with Director Leon Shamroy, Shirley, Bing Crosby, Margaret O’Brien, Bob Hope, and Director Leo McCarey.



The award that Shirley was given:



Auctioned off years later by Theriault’s, here is the description from the catalog:

THE LOOK ACHIEVEMENT MEDALLION AWARD PRESENTED TO SHIRLEY TEMPLE IN 1945 Lot Number:  49 1 1/2" A gilded bronze medal with raised profile of a woman symbolizing the Look Magazine award has raised lettering on the back “Shirley Temple Look 1945 Film Achievement Award.” Included is a presentation booklet for February 20, 1945 events at the Carthay Circle Theatre in which Shirley Temple is cited for her performance in the 1944 film “Since You Went Away.” Realized Price:  $650 • Presale Estimate:  500+



The auction included the presentation booklet that we saw in the first photo from this post:



This photo from my collection is most likely from the same evening, taken at Ciro’s nightclub on Sunset Boulevard. Shirley is dancing with agent Henry Willson; Bob Hope is on the far right.



While I was stumbling down this rabbit hole, I came across this shot of actress Lois Maxwell from the 1948 Golden Globes. She is holding onto the most promising newcomer award for “That Hagen Girl,” which starred Shirley and Ronald Reagan.



Here’s a shot from my collection of Reagan and Maxwell:



Mary Astor won the Oscar for “The Great Lie” (1941). This publicity still for that movie shows her wearing the very same cape that Maxwell was wearing at the Golden Globes seven years later. Who do you think wore it better?



You just never know what goodies you’ll come up with once you start digging.

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.