Shirley Temple’s films often featured other child hopefuls of the day, including the Kibrick brothers. Sidney Henry Kibrick (born July 2, 1928) made his first film appearance with Shirley in the feature “Out All Night” (1933), followed by “Kid’s Last Fight” (1933), part of the Baby Burlesk series. The freckled young boy can be seen above center, just before he and his cohort attempt to kidnap Shirley so that her boyfriend will lose the big fight. Film producer Hal Roach saw Kibrick performing with Shirley and cast him as one of the kids in the “Our Gang” series (also known as “The Little Rascals” for TV syndication). Kibrick is one of the last surviving members of the classic comedies. He performed in them from 1933 to 1943. He played a thug again (uncredited) in Shirley’s 1938 film, “Just Around the Corner.” In the photo below, he stands with his arms outstretched, fourth from the right. This was a deleted musical number from the end of the film. Kibrick remembered this about working with Shirley: “She tried her best to teach me how to dance, but I couldn’t do it!”
In an interview last summer, Kibrick shared his memories of working on the “Our Gang” comedies:
Myself and Butch [Tommy Bond] were the two tough kids who picked on Alfalfa [Carl Switzer] and Darla [Darla Hood]. My character’s name was Woim or “The Woim.” That was pretty much the basis of the show.…[Alfalfa] was a difficult kid. I didn’t bond with him. I don’t think a lot of the kids did. He created problems for everybody on set. He often wouldn’t do the job the way he was supposed to. It got to a point where he only wanted to do things the way he wanted to do them. He wouldn’t listen to the director Gordon Douglas all that much. Nobody really got along with him. Spanky was very popular with the kids. He was really friendly. And Darla was a gem. She was terrific. But Alfalfa really had a chip on his shoulder. He created problems for the rest of the kids. He treated me the same way he treated a lot of the other kids. He tried not to get along and ignored me. He picked on me. Now, I’m talking about him as a kid, you know?
Leonard Kibrick (photo above, center, wearing a hat) was four years older than his brother Sidney, and was in three Shirley Temple movies: “Poor Little Rich Girl” (1936, as Freckles, uncredited, in a deleted scene shot in Pasadena for the opening sequence of the film), “Dimples” (1936, children’s band member #1, seen below, on Shirley’s right):
…and “Just Around the Corner” (1938, gang member, uncredited, seen below, putting the coin in Shirley’s collection box for the Benefit for Uncle Sam):
Leonard also appeared in the “Our Gang” comedies (1934 to 1936), usually portraying a bully. Tommy Bond replaced Kibrick as the villain in the series (as “Butch”) in 1937, and Leonard's younger brother Sidney Kibrick portrayed Butch’s sidekick, “The Woim” (aka “The Worm”). A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Leonard Kibrick died of cancer on January 4, 1993 in Rancho Mirage, where he is buried. His tombstone reads: “Beloved Husband, Father, and Poppy.”
Another frequent young costar of Shirley’s was Diane Fisher, seen here in a bit part from “The Blue Bird” (1940). Afraid she won’t get called to join the other children on the silver ship that would reunite them with their earthbound parents, Fisher’s character sheds a tear. Of course, her name is called at the last minute!
Born in Gilmer, Texas on July 16, 1932, the adorable little girl lived with her mother in Hollywood, garnering bit parts in a number of big budget pictures, including “Gone with the Wind” (1939). This photo of Diane with Vivien Leigh shows that the little girl was involved in the production and dressed for the barbecue scene. Whether or not she can be seen in the finished film is doubtful. Anyone out there with a sharp eye?
Diane was so popular in “The Blue Bird” that she was cast again with Shirley in “Young People” (1940), as Susie.
You can see Diane patiently waiting for a piece of Shirley’s birthday cake below, distributed in between takes of “Young People.”
Fisher made one more film after “Young People,” and retired in 1940 at the ripe old age of eight, moving back to Texas. You can read her obituary here.
See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.
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