Shirley’s home studio, Fox, celebrated her seventh birthday at least twice. In the photo above, Shirley is seen at the party given in the studio commissary on Friday, April 26. The accompanying publicity blurb calls it her sixth birthday, as a year had been shaved off her life to make her appear more remarkable to the public.
SHIRLEY TEMPLE CELEBRATES SIXTH BIRTHDAY
Shirley Temple, Fox Film Star, was hostess to 25 children today at a birthday party given on the studio lot. The youngsters entertained by the diminutive actress are the children of Los Angeles newspaper men. Shirley celebrated her sixth birthday and cut into a cake weighing 14 pounds. 4/27/35
I was hoping the child seen below was Spanky, from the “Our Gang” comedies, but alas, it is not.
On the same day, Shirley posed in front of the recently unveiled Alberto Vargas mural in the Fox Commissary.
Shirley Temple points with pride to her picture on the wall of the Café de Paris at Fox Film studio. Fox stars who have made five successful pictures are honored in this Mural Hall of Fame. Shirley has the honor of representing Hollywood in the collection. The portrait is by Alberto Vargas, noted Peruvian artist.
The party was supposed to be held ON her birthday, Tuesday, April 23, 1935, as reported by the Los Angeles Citizen News on April 22:
Shirley Temple Will Give Birthday Party
Being six years old is the occasion for Shirley Temple, child screen star, to celebrate tomorrow at the Fox Studio. She has invited 25 friends, some of them playmates from Santa Monica.
A day later, the plans were changed, as reported by the Daily Breeze:
‘Sniffles, Keep Shirley Abed on Sixth Birthday
Shirley Temple, the screen’s tiny but mighty star, observed her sixth birthday anniversary today in bed in her Santa Monica home, confined, according to her own diagnosis, by “sniffles.” A studio party to which 35 guests had been invited was postponed by personal messages the little actress dispatched over telegraph wires. The message read: “My birthday party has been postponed because I have the sniffles and have to stay at home. We will have the party in a few days and I will let you know about it and hope to see you there.” The child’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. George P. Temple, said Shirley was not seriously ill and that the party was deferred until probably Friday merely to safeguard her guests from possibly contracting the “sniffles.” Meanwhile, more than 100 birthday remembrances from fans, friends and relatives remained unopened, a pleasure to be reserved for Shirley at her party. At Shirley’s own request, the party is to be devoted principally to playing. To assure the little star of what she regards as a good time, Mrs. Temple said she had invited two of Shirley’s old-time friends who “play with her instead of staring at her.” The rest of the guests will be children of Southern California newspapermen. “Many of the children Shirley meets nowadays and wants to play with stand and stare at her,” Mrs. Temple said. “They seem awed by her presence. For this reason two of her old playmates will be at the party. They consider her merely another girl and not a novelty.” In addition to ice cream and cake and games, Shirley’s party will boast a Punch and Judy show and an act by trained animals. A motion picture show also will be presented and the movie will be the kind Shirley and all other children prefer, a comedy.
By April 29, the L.A. Times reported concerned readers that “Shirley Temple all better after a bad cold.” The party ended up occurring on Friday, April 26, and made the Daily News on the 29th:
One tiny mystery remains. If Shirley had the “sniffles” on the day of her birthday and the Fox party had to be postponed, then what is the backstory of the photo below and the accompanying caption?
Shirley Temple, who is starred in “Our Little Girl,” is shown looking at a fine cake Nick Janios, manager of the Fox Film Café de Paris, had made for her. Nick took the cake 55 miles to the baby star, who is working on location at Sherwood Forest, California.
Possibly Shirley filmed on the morning of her birthday where a cake was delivered to Sherwood Forest, and decided to postpone the party at the studio. Either way, it looks like Shirley scored TWO cakes! Janis can be seen again at Shirley’s April 1940 20th Century-Fox birthday with another one of his amazing creations:
See more Shirley Temple birthday photos at my main website.
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