Temple Tuesday: When I Grow Up

In what can only be called a musical tour de force, Shirley Temple performs “When I Grow Up” in 1935’s “Curly Top.” Ray Henderson, Ted Koehler, Edward Heyman, and Irving Caesar created the song specifically for the little star. Yes…four people collaborated on this number for Shirley! In the film, Elizabeth (Shirley) has been adopted by a wealthy gentleman; as a result of her good fortune, she decides to hold a benefit for her former orphanage.



Shirley arrives on stage wearing a yellow dress with daisies, designed by René Hubert. How do I know it was yellow when the film was shot in black and white?



Because it still survives today and is in the hands of a private collector. From the Theriault's auction catalog:

Of delicately textured fine silk in pale daffodil-yellow color, the dress features wide pleats falling from the fitted yoke with V-shaped edging that is repeated on the short puffed sleeves. The dress is trimmed with applique white velvet daisies and leaves. The studio label "4982" is inside the dress.



The dress was also part of a paper doll set from the 1930s printed by the Saalfield Publishing Company.



The Ideal Toy Company produced dolls wearing a modified version of the dress in multiple colors. Shirley was a merchandising bonanza during the Great Depression!



The next stage represented by Shirley in this number is Sweet Sixteen. Cute close-ups abound!



I was able to view this dress in person when it was on display at the Santa Monica History museum in 2015, just before it was auctioned off:



At the tender age of seven, Shirley made a very charming bride! Here she is with director Irving Cummings and some poor sap who had nothing else to do but hold up Shirley’s train!



This outfit also survived and was auctioned off. From Theriault’s:

The ivory satin gown has padded bodice, very wide collar with pleated ruffle at the edge, full short sleeves with pleated edging, flared bias cut full-length skirt with pleated ruffle at the hem. Included is the original wedding veil with elaborate embroidery, designed to fit the head in cap-like manner, and a pair of fingerless lace gloves. The gown and gloves are in excellent condition, the veil is extremely frail. The gown has studio label of "4993".







Shirley’s final incarnation is an old grandmother. Her performance in this segment is incredible; the subtle nuances of both her movements and voice show that she had a gift for mimicry.





The makeup crew aged both her forehead and hands, visible in this detailed view:





While the outfit didn’t surface, the spectacles did! From Theriault’s:

The owl-eyed gold rim spectacles are presented in their original black leather case bearing the label of Dr. Bartle Tallman, Optometrist, Beverly Hills, along with a handwritten note "Shirley's specs worn in Curly Top".



Just when you think the number is winding down, Shirley bounces out of the chair, lifts her skirt, and does a lively tap number for the ages, choreographed by Jack Donohue.



Granny exits, and Shirley returns in the daisy dress again, doing more taps WHILE she jumps rope! If it sounds like it’s over the top, well…it completely is, but Shirley manages to pull it off.



Here’s the number in case you haven’t seen it for yourself. Unfortunately, it’s a colorized version!



See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

A Jester in Tomorrowland

That’s right; a Jester on a unicycle is riding through Tomorrowland at Disneyland, circa July 1964. The most famous unicycler at Disneyland was Christopher Fair. Alas, he left in 1963, so this is obviously his replacement.



The same guy (and outfit) circa 1965 in Fantasyland, which is where you most typically saw this character:



Christopher Fair, circa July 1963:



The location of the first image is near the entrance of Tomorrowland, where the state flags once resided. Here’s the one for New York, from roughly 1956/1957:



A detailed view of the info on the pole’s plaques:



A view from Spring 1960:



A genuine FauxD© shot from April 1965:



See more photos at my main website.

Alice Puffs

In this July 1975 image, shot fifty years ago (yes, sometimes I attempt math), at first glance it looks like a cool photo taken from a Skyway bucket floating over the Alice in Wonderland attraction at Disneyland. When zooming in, one might also notice a few strange little puff balls, as seen in this detailed view:



In July 1958, just one month after the attraction opened, the “puff balls” were solid:



…and also in September:



Still there in February 1960:



(along with the Stephen King creepy twins)



As late as July 1967, the light fixtures were solid globes:



By April 1970, the puffballs had appeared.



I can only guess that there was some advancement in electronics that Imagineers felt could give a more organic feel that the solid globes did not.



August 1970:





There is a true lack of images in my collection from the 1970s until the 2005; my first decent exterior shot below from June 2010 shows all the lights have been removed:



The only lighting were these fanciful floral fixtures, circa October 2014:





It always fascinates me to see what minor/major changes these classic attractions go through, often dictated by the styles and fashions of that particular era.

See more Disneyland Alice in Wonderland attraction photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Little Miss Marker sets, Pt. 2

Back to my collection of set stills from Shirley Temple’s “Little Miss Marker” (1934) we have a poker table inside the office of Big Steve (Charles Bickford). It is only briefly seen after the game is over, as Steve tells Bangles (Dorothy Dell) that he needs to pawn his recent jewelry gift to her. She is none too happy about this!



Although it doesn’t get much screen time, you can tell a lot of thought was put into dressing the set. Just look at the notepad from the game; it even uses the correct character names!



Shirley’s character is first seen on this set, Sorrowful’s Booking Office.



The matching screen shot with Little Miss Marker (Shirley) and her father, who is about to pawn his daughter off so that he can place a bet.



The bet goes awry, and Shirley is left in the charge of Sorrowful Jones (Adolphe Menjou) and his buddies. While in their care, she sees a barbershop pole and tells her not-too-swift bodyguards that she wants the “big stick of peppermint.” As you can see in this publicity still, they oblige.



The view of Sorrowful’s office from his booking window:



A corresponding screenshot with Marker and her father (Edward Earle):



The board seen in the background:



A detailed view, showing the sheet for the Hialeah Park racetrack in Florida, which opened as a racetrack in 1932.



The real Hialeah Park racetrack in Florida:





The nite club set was one of the largest sets in the film:



I need to know more about the paintings that dressed the set. They have the flair of Tamara de Lempicka’s work, albeit slightly amateurish looking.





A detailed view of the instruments left by the band:





This publicity still gives a corresponding view of this portion of the set:



The bar:



Another interesting painting:



A screenshot showing the bar:



If you wonder what the bar was stocked with, wonder no more!



How about that phone?



Does every bar carry Cream of Mushroom soup? That’s a cocktail I’m not familiar with!



The corresponding screenshot from the back of the bar:



Another set still showing the nite club:



The corresponding screenshot from the beginning of the film, as the men are about to bet on how much Marker weighs:



This set still includes the actors:



A blurry detail of Adolphe Menjou:



A corresponding screenshot:



This stitched panorama shows the scene just before Shirley makes her entrance:



The men are portraying characters from The Boy’s King Arthur (read more about the book in Shirley’s hands from my previous post):



Bangles and Marker make their entrance:



A publicity still showing Marker at the King Arthur party, held in her honor:



Yes, there will be a part 3!
 
See more “Little Miss Marker” photos at my main website.