Temple Tuesday: Premiere Shirley!

On Sunday, June 13, 1937, it was announced that Shirley Temple would be attending her first premiere:

The world premiere of “Wee Willie Winkie,” starring Shirley Temple and Victor McLaglen in Rudyard Kipling’s story of bold adventure on India’s frontier, will be held at the Fox Carthay Circle Theater on June 25. As a little peacemaker and matchmaker with the Scotch Highlanders stationed in the Khyber Pass, Shirley has one of the most exciting and lovable roles of her career.



Shirley was nine years old at the time, and her parents decided it was okay for the little girl to stay up passed her regular bedtime for this special event. In the photo above, the Carthay Circle Theater is being readied for the grand premiere. Back at the Temple home that evening, trouble was brewing. As Shirley herself recalled in her autobiography, Child Star:

The evening of the film’s flashy premiere found Mother late for our departure from home, and so I wandered quietly into the downstairs library to kill time. To our mutual dismay, I came face-to-face with brother Jack holding to his lips a glassful of what I knew was whiskey. “Not one word to Mother and Dad,” he cautioned, knowing well their fury if he was caught drinking. “I will so,” I retorted, feeling as righteous as Winkie. “Listen,” he remonstrated. “George and I aren’t even invited to the premiere. Why can’t we have some fun too?” “Drinking is wrong,” I repeated, tilting my chin toward him as high as it would go. “I’m going to tell.” He smacked me hard on the bottom. “Tell, and you get another,” he said, then slapped me again for good measure. Nobody had ever struck me in anger. The situation had potential for a real shambles at the wrong time. I wanted to kick his shin, all because I was right and he was wrong. But why be a tattletale, I rationalized, when I would probably collect another slap, my parents would get upset, and the premiere would be ruined for us. I could get even later, so I strode away.

Below, Shirley decides which of her many dresses will have the honor of appearing on the red carpet. The one on the left was the winner.



The two shots below are from Shirley’s 1945 autobiography, My Young Life, and show the star getting ready for the premiere:



Sold off in the 2015 “Love, Shirley Temple” Theriault’s auction, her dress was described as follows:

Shirley Temple’s Special Occasion Party Dress. Of peach silk chiffon, the high-waist dress features a detachable lace yoke and ruffled sleevelets which achieve form by a stiffened net lining; narrow pleats fall from the bodice, and there is an attached under-dress. A bi-color sash of interwoven narrow silk ribbons with rosettes and dangling tassels serves as decoration. The dress has the original label of “Elise of Hollywood.”

Below is a photo of Shirley with Elise Deal, her personal dressmaker, who created the peach dress she wore to the premiere.





For the premiere, the peach dress was paired with the spectacular coat shown in the photo from Theriault’s auction house above left. From their catalog description:

White Coat with Foxtail Trim Worn to Premiere of “Snow White” and “Wee Willie Winkie.” Of fine cashmere wool, the silk-lined coat has self-covered buttons, and a lush white fur collar trimmed with foxtails, along with pair of gloves. Excellent condition. The coat, a favorite personal clothing item of young Shirley was worn to several important events including the premiere of "Wee Willie Winkie" and the Disney film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”

On June 15, 1937, the following premiere details were released:

According to present plans Shirley will attend the premiere in an English-type pony cart drawn by two little Shetland ponies. She will be introduced from the stage by Tyrone Power, selected as master of ceremonies.

While that sounded fun, it appears that somebody decided against the dramatic pony cart entrance! Three days later, even more tidbits were announced in The L.A. Times:

Radio stars plan to be at the premiere of “Wee Willie Winkie” at the Carthay Circle Theater on June 25. Shirley Temple, who will make her first personal appearance on a motion-picture theater stage, will stand beside Eddie Cantor and other radio favorites as they broadcast the ceremonies over a nationwide hookup. Among other celebrities at the premiere will be Eddie Cantor, Jack Benny, Burns and Allen, Mary Livingstone, Tony Martin, Kenny Baker, Cecil B. De Mille, Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Dick Powell, Nelson Eddy, Irving Berlin, the Ritz Brothers, Walter Catlett, Leah Ray, The Marx Brothers, Borrah Minevitch, Charles Winninger, Patsy Kelly, Judy Garland, George Givot, Mickey Rooney, Buddy Ebsen and Charles Butterworth. It is also planned to include on the air program Ben Bernie and Fred Allen, both of whom are scheduled for stardom in future Twentieth Century-Fox pictures. Tyrone Power will be master of ceremonies on the Carthay Circle stage.

Wow! That’s a lot of star power! “Wee Willie Winkie” was a turning point of sorts for Shirley. Zanuck paired the little girl with director John Ford in an epic tale that would have cross-appeal to boys AND girls and even their parents. Below, Shirley is captured relaxing between takes with director John Ford.



Zanuck’s gamble paid off, as the box office receipts surpassed Shirley’s previous film, “Stowaway.” It was announced by columnist Edwin Schallert in an interview with Shirley that the little musical star of yore was going away:

Shirley is quitting popular songs in the picture. Only those that fit will be used. “Auld Lang Syne,” she tells me, is the chief one.…When Shirley quits singing numbers written by tin-pan alley-ites like “On the Good Ship Lollipop” and “Animal Crackers in My Soup,” it’s surely the day of the revolution.

On the 20th, Aileene Parks breathlessly shared details of the after-party:

Shirley will be allowed to stay up to attend her own first premiere with her mother and father, who will give a buffet supper at their home in Brentwood following the performance. Among the Temples’ theater and supper guests will be Dr. and Mmes. Leo J. Madsen, Russell Sands, Messrs. and Mmes. Lloyd Wright, Howard Verbeck, Ralph P. Maskey, J. C. Ferguson, Allen Gwynne, Harry Beucher, Harry Isleib (father of Shirley’s stand-in), James Greever, Messrs. Jack and George Temple, Jr., Misses Hulda Anderson (Shirley’s wardrobe mistress), Frances Klamt (Shirley’s on-set teacher) and Katharine Hagan. Gene Markey (producer of the film) will have as his guests at the theater and later for supper at the Clover Club, Joan Bennett, Joan Crawford and Franchot Tone, Marlene Dietrich and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Ginger Rogers and Mr. and Mrs. David Selznick. There are many other parties planned, too numerous to mention on that same evening.



Above is a 1944 shot of the Clover Club and one of Betty Grable and Harry James dancing there; below is a 1945 photo of Betsy Blair and husband Gene Kelly outside the Clover Club, formerly at 8477 Sunset Boulevard before it burned down in 1952. This is where “Winkie” producer Gene Markey chose to host his after-party. A curious choice considering the Club had been raided just a few months before in February for illegal gambling, and a few months later in August its license was temporarily suspended for gambling violations. Oops.



As if the aforementioned after-parties weren’t enough, additional ones were detailed by the L.A. Evening Citizen News:

Mr. and Mrs. Darryl F. Zanuck will entertain Messrs. and Mmes. Mervyn Le Roy, Ernest Lubitsch, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., Charles Boyer, Countess di Frasso, Mrs. Bleck, Lady Ashley’s sister, Constance Bennett and Gilbert Roland at the Carthay and later at the Trocadero. Others who plan parties with the theater opening as an incentive are Messrs. and Mmes. Victor Orsatti (June Lang), Victor McLaglen, Cedric Gibbons (Dolores Del Rio) and Jean Hersholt.

Below is an exterior photo of The Trocadero:



Shirley descends the staircase of her Brentwood home, ready for the premiere!



Below is a photo used in Picture Post magazine showing Shirley entering her car on the way to the premiere:



Below is the Carthay Circle on the night of the premiere, which drew a crowd of more than 15,000 people!



A large statue of Shirley and Victor McLaglen was placed on the grounds of the theater, as the L.A. Evening Citizen News announced:

A giant illuminated statue of Shirley Temple and Victor McLaglen, made of bronzed hydrocal, will greet the thousands attending the world premiere of “Wee Willie Winkie” at the Carthay Circle Theater Friday night. Two tons of material were used to construct the statue. The gigantic statue will be placed at the intersection of Wilshire Blvd. and theater esplanade. The statue was constructed under the supervision of Jessie A. Jett and George Young, foremen of the department of plastic arts at 20th Century-Fox studios. Designed by Rudolph Parducci, well known sculptor, the statue shows McLaglen in a sitting pose in war-time uniform of the Seventh Scotch Highlanders, with little Shirley sitting beside him, also in kilts. In constructing the statue, Parducci was aided by Walter Hammand and Charles Gemorri, sculptors, and a staff of eight assistants.

Parducci also worked for Walt Disney, and made the sculpt for the Dumbo vehicles at Disneyland. He is shown below with one of them:



You can see the Temple/McLaglen statue in the screenshot below, taken from a video created by Shirley expert supreme Rita Dubas about the “Winkie” premiere (linked at the end of this post and a must watch!):



Just two days before the premiere,  The L.A. Times wrote:

Screening of “Coronation of George VI” in Technicolor as an added attraction. Opening of a Shirley Temple playhouse in which will be exhibited the child star’s personal playthings as well as the vast collection of dolls she has received from all over the world.



More images of the Carthay Circle Theatre on the night of Shirley’s premiere:





The following caption accompanied the photo below, showing the arrival of Tyrone Power and Sonja Henie:

Hollywood today had given Shirley Temple her biggest thrill as all the big stars turned out for her first premiere, “Wee Willie Winkie,” staged ‘mid blazing lights and fanfare at the Carthay Circle Theatre. But for some it was just another movie scene, for studio cameramen were on hand shooting film for use in another picture [more on that later!]. Photo shows cameramen at the premiere, their lenses trained on Tyrone Power and Sonja Henie, arriving in evening clothes.

The two 20th Century-Fox stars were paired in “Thin Ice” (1937) followed by “Second Fiddle” (1939).

Shirley’s arrival:



Her parents trail closely behind:





Behind Shirley’s mother, Gertrude, you can see bodyguard Grif:



The animated gif below was created using frames from “Ali Bab Goes to Town,” another 20th Century-Fox production.



On June 21, the L.A. Citizen News reported:

The crowds attending the premiere of “Wee Willie Winkie” at the Carthay Circle Theater Friday night probably will find themselves in the movies when “Ali Baba Goes to Town” is released. Eddie Cantor has announced that actual motion pictures for his new 20th Century-Fox picture will be filmed in front of the Carthay Circle the night of the premiere. David Butler, Eddie Cantor’s director, will make close-ups and medium shots of the crowds in the grandstands, of the crowds lining the esplanade, and those at all the vantage points outside the theater. It will not be necessary to purchase a ticket to “Wee Willie Winkie” or to be inside the theater in order to “crash the movies” on Friday night, because both Cantor and Butler intend to see that the outside crowds are photographed from every angle. Cantor will appear in some of the scenes, and thus a number of residents and non-residents of Los Angeles will not only get free screen tests, but will have the opportunity to appear with the world’s highest-priced screen comedian in actual motion and sound pictures.

Filming the premiere audience was a wise cost-cutting measure for Fox! Director David Butler would later recall in his autobiography:

I went out with about five cameras and shot that — Shirley, Fairbanks, everybody wo came into the theatre we shot. It was quite a thing when you saw Fairbanks…and everybody coming along there.…The idea of it was that we had to have everyone talk and have Eddie Cantor watching it.

Shirley is at the microphone with Eddie Cantor, making her first national radio appearance, broadcast “live” at the premiere:



From The L.A. Times:

Shirley Temple’s first appearance on the air waves will be made…today from the Carthay Circle Theater via KHJ and Mutual at 8:30 p.m. The child star has been offered fabulous sums for commercial broadcasts—all of which have been turned down. Listeners also will hear a description of the actual shooting of scenes for Eddie Cantor’s forthcoming film production, after which the comedian will appear as master of ceremonies of the broadcast. George Fischer is to preside at the microphone and David Broekman’s orchestra will provide the music.



Shirley would later recall the radio broadcast in Child Star:

When actor Tyrone Power introduced me over the national radio hookup, Father muttered that “Fox was a chicken.” Recently studio lawyers had rejected a proposition for $7,000 for one radio appearance by me, he groused, and now they were letting me talk for nothing.

More screenshots from the “Ali Baba” footage showing the arrivals of Victor McLaglen:



Phyllis Brooks and Michael Whalen (who co-starred with Shirley in “Winkie”):



Douglas Fairbanks and Sylvia Ashley (who would divorce Fairbanks and marry Clark Gable next!):



Cedric Gibbons and Dolores Del Rio:



The Ritz Brothers:



From my collection, a shot of the Ritz Brothers being escorted by a policeman down the red carpet of the Carthay that evening:



Florence and Jack Haley:



Ann Sothern and Cesar Romero (another “Winkie” costar):



The Fox special efffects department superimposed an “Ali Baba” marquee over the one for “Wee Willie Winkie”:



Thanks to the magic of Photoshop, I was able to stitch together this panoramic view of the evening from “Ali Baba”:



Below is a shot of Cantor that was filmed later and edited into the “Winkie” premiere footage:



None of the stars in the premiere footage were listed in the credits at the end of the film:



The next day, the reviews were mainly positive, like this one from the L.A. Daily News:

Even if Twentieth Century-Fox had not carried on an extensive advertising campaign, or bombarded newspapers with a 21-gun publicity drive or introduced it to the world with an elaborate premiere, theatergoers would have discovered for themselves anyway that “Wee Willie Winkie” is an excellent picture.



Last night a long stream of expensive cars drove slowly through traffic-laden streets, drew up one by one at Carthay Circle, and delivered a collection of motion picture celebrities who filed through mouth-agape onlookers into the theater where the film had its first screening The usual formalities were observed, with the introduction of cast and officials by Tyrone Power, acting as master of ceremonies. Shirley Temple, who with Victor McLaglen shares honors in the picture, made her first appearance on the stage of any theater. “Wee Willie Winkie” unless everybody’s guess is wrong, will shower both gold and glory upon Twentieth Cetury-Fox. Box office response should be tremendous not only from Shirley Temple’s admirers, but also from the non-Temple fans who are bound to find out that “Wee Willie Winkie” is something more than a “Shirley Temple picture.” In every department—from its script to final editing—the film is definitely Class A, which means that its director, Mr. John Ford, may regard it as a personal triumph.

Even Quaker Puffed Wheat showered Shirley with praise!

And in a case of “You ain’t seen nothing yet, folks,” check out this fantastic video by Shirley expert supreme Rita Dubas, highlighting many other great details about the “Winkie” premiere:



See more “Wee Willie Winkie” photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Busy in Dayton

“Since You Went Away” (1944) was David Selznick’s blockbuster follow-up to “Gone with the Wind.” Clocking in at nearly three hours, it is a beautiful portrait of how one family (all women) survived at home with the father away at war. For Shirley Temple, it was the film that put her back on the Hollywood radar after a string of disappointing vehicles. Above, parents Gertrude and George Temple, Shirley, and Private Andy Hotchkiss (Shirley’s date) attend the “Since You Went Away” premiere, July 18, 1944. It was held at the Fox Carthay Circle Theatre. Below, the star of the film, Claudette Colbert, arrives at the premiere, surrounded by Lt. Commander Joel Pressman (Colbert’s husband at the time), Captain Don Wilcox, and Commander Michael Sanchezat.



Just for reference, here’s a previously posted shot of the Fox Carthay Circle Theatre, circa 1947:



Selznick kept Shirley (and her parents) busy with the release of the film. The three traveled to Dayton, Ohio, to attend the Midwest premiere of the film. Why Dayton? Trust me, I wondered that as well! From the Journal Herald Dayton, September 14, 1944:

We of Dayton know that the original story was written by erstwhile Daytonian, Margaret Buell Wilder, and appeared first in the pages of The Herald. We also know that the roles portrayed by Claudette Colbert, Shirley Temple and Jennifer Jones were in real life those of Mrs. Wilder and her own two daughters.



Dayton was all abuzz about Shirley’s arrival, as the local press reported:

Manager Bill Reisinger [for the Dayton midwest premiere theatre, Loew’s] and Bob Goodfrie, United Artists representative here in the interests of the picture, are so excited over the news that it is pretty hard to pin them down on basic facts in regards to the visit of the biggest movie star Dayton has ever entertained. Of course, much has yet to be arranged but from what is known now, it is likely Miss Temple will arrive from New York during the morning [September 13, 1944], be met by representative citizens and the press, escorted through the city to her hotel. Later in the day she will hold a tea—not a cocktail hour, for Shirley is just new at the sweet sixteen stage—for the press.

The press photo below was snapped of Shirley as she traveled from Columbus, Ohio to Dayton on the “American.” She visited with Sailor Carl Johnson and Captain John Harrison and the three signed their “short-snorters.”



Want to know what a “short-snorter” is? From Wikipedia:

A banknote inscribed by people traveling together on an aircraft, a tradition started by Alaskan bush flyers in the 1920s and spread through the military and commercial aviation. During World War II, short snorters were signed by flight crews and conveyed good luck to soldiers crossing the Atlantic. Friends would take the local currency and sign each other’s bills creating a “keepsake of your buddy’s signatures.”

Here’s a sample of some WWII short snorters:



Another shot (from San Francisco) shows Shirley signing some short snorters. From the accompanying caption:

Shirley Temple, star of “Since You Went Away” and “I’ll Be Seeing You,” autographs a long Short Snorter Bill belonging to Bernard Abramson. Abramson is a Pharmacist Mate First Class who was shot down in the Caroline Islands near Truk. Shirley autographed literally thousands of these bills for the boys at the San Francisco Stage Door Canteen, on a recent trip to visit the hospitals in that area.



A closeup of the bills:



Back to Dayton! From the Dayton Herald, Wednesday, September 13, 1944:



SHIRLEY TEMPLE, lovely Hollywood star, won over everybody within sight when she arrived in Dayton this morning to appear in person at the premiere of “Since You Went Away” at Loew’s tonight, in which she is one of seven stars. Here she is, shown on arrival at the Union Station, with Mayor Frank Krebs (left) handing her “the key to our city and our hearts,” while Mrs. Krebs, at the right, is handing her a bouquet of roses “from the womanhood and young people of Dayton.” Immediately back of Shirley is her father, George Temple, and at left, her mother. Broadcasting back of Mayor Krebs is Martin Starr, Hollywood commentator and head of United Artists radio department.

A few vintage shots and postcards of Dayton’s Union Station, which first opened in 1900, and included a seven-story clock tower, visible in the below photo:







Back to Shirley and her 1944 Dayton trip. From the local headlines:

Star Captures Dayton’s Heart
Shirley Temple Arrives For Tonight’s Premiere

Youth at its most captivating stage, sweet 16, made an overwhelming conquest at noon today when Shirley Temple arrived in Dayton to spend a couple of hectic days filling local engagements. Several thousand persons, mainly teen-age girls and feminine adults, but a considerable number of men as well, crowded the interior of the Union Station and swarmed around the entrances as Shirley, accompanied by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Temple, made their way from the train to the cars waiting to parade them through the city to the Van Cleve hotel [shown below].



“Isn’t she sweet” went up from the crowd as Shirley, smiling bewitchingly all the time she was jostled about, made her way through a narrow path cleared by the police. Everyone, it appeared, was struck by the manner in which she had traversed the years when she played child roles on the screen to her present status and did not hesitate to give audible expression to their sentiments. On the train from New York she was the idol of a carload of soldiers.…Despite “advancing” years, Miss Temple has held her admirers and there are claims in some quarters that she is the No. 1 pin-up girl of the armed forces of the U.S.A., including soldiers, sailors and marines. As Brig Hilton in “Since You Went Away,” Shirley plays her first role for Selznick, who, we are told, regards her as his most precious movie property.

Shirley poses with her mother and father below as they arrive at the hotel. Shirley is mustering a smile, but she does appear a bit weary after greeting the throngs of fans. 



And if you want to see what made her weary, just look at her itinerary for one day! Local ads announced Shirley’s appearance to help sell War Bonds at Rike’s Department Store, one of the many locations the young teen visited that day:



The trio of shots below give a small representation of all that Shirley did in Dayton when she arrived. Shirley sang “Roll Out the Barrel” with the ATSC quartet at Patterson Field (below left). Apparently, all singing on Shirley’s trip was forbidden by Selznick, who preferred that she not become typed. He wanted to build her into an all-round actress.  Mrs. Temple told reporters that Shirley might do another musical in a few years. This never happened. At Patterson Field hospital, Shirley spread a little cheer for Sgt. Francis W. Robechard, while surrounded by Nurses Aides Mrs. L.F. Baker and Mrs. Florence Bombard (below center).Dayton Journal reporter Kay Kunka interviewed Shirley Temple at a tea for members of the press at the Van Cleve hotel and found Shirley “sweet and sixteen, gracious and unassuming” (below right).  



As Kunka reported:

…since her arrival at the Union station during the noon hour, she had been greeted by Mayor Krebs, whisked away to be paraded through the city, spent her lunch time at Patterson Field, and attended a press tea t the Van Cleve hotel at 4:30pm. Critics from Cleveland, Toledo and Cincinnati, as well as representatives of Dayton papers, pressed the young lady with questions of all kinds, which she answered with a frank and unassuming graciousness. She seemed prouder of the adventures of her two brothers in the service than of her own successes, but was enthusiastic over he new part in “Kiss and Tell.”

Another reporter, W. Ward Marsh of The Plain Dealer, added this to Shirley’s comments about her brother:

She pointed to her two brothers. “Little fellows,” she describes these two strapping men well over six feet, and she wonders why women can’t do as much as men are doing in these war days. Her older brother, George, is a marine sergeant in the Mojave right now, but he was a tail gunner in the South Seas and was in service at Pearl Harbor during the sneak attack. Her younger brother, Jack, is in Culver City now, taking a military intelligence course. Shirley deprecates her efforts at entertaining—not only in hospitals here but in California and her own camp tours—and all the other things she does which make her contributions to the war effort far, far greater than she knows.

Local papers showed Shirley primping for the premiere in her hotel room. The caption:

TYPICAL of all young girls, Shirley puts finishing touches on her golden-red (natural) hair, which she wears at shoulder length.



Her arrival at the premiere had this caption:

REWARD FOR THE THOUSANDS who impatiently awaited Shirley Temple’s arrival at Lowe’s theater. last night was her introduction from a rostrum before the theater by Martin Starr of United Artists.



The lovely gown Shirley wore underneath her fur coat can be seen in the promotional photo below. Selznick got his use out of the dress by having Shirley also wear it in his next film, “I’ll Be Seeing You,” another wartime drama.



Here are two previously posted shots showing Shirley in her fur coat and an orchid in her hair as she arrives at the Wednesday, September 13, 1944 Dayton premiere held at the Loew’s theater at 8:30pm:



Local reporter Kay Kunka breathlessly wrote about the premiere the next day in the papers:

Inside the theater, Martin Starr, head of the United Artists radio department, introduced Miss Temple to a capacity audience of 2,200 persons.…[Shirley] turned to greet the expectant audience. Citing the need for nurses’ aides in the country’s hospitals, she appealed for more volunteers. “I hope you brought your handkerchiefs,” she concluded, “for this is a very sad picture. And watch for the little bulldog—he steals the show.” The repeated demands of a throng of teen-agers drew her to the upper lobby for a brief greeting.



And that wasn’t it for Shirley, the next day was just as busy, as Kunka continued with her feature:

Today will also be a busy day for Shirley, for she has a date at 11 a.m. at the hospital in the Veterans Administration Facility; at 6:15 p.m. she will take part in the dramatic presentation covering the nurses’ aide work for the Red Cross over WHIO; Club Co-ed will hold a special party for her at 8 p.m., and at 8 p.m. she will attend the enlisted men’s dance at Wright Field. Her few spare moments have been spent autographing war bond purchases at downtown stores.

Shirley and her parents departed Dayton on the morning of September 15, 1944, leaving for Chicago first on their way back to Hollywood, where Shirley would begin her senior year studies at Westlake High School the following week.

As a footnote: a portion of Dayton’s Union train station was demolished in 1964, with the rest getting removed in 1989; Rike’s Department Store was imploded in 1999; and the Hotel Van Cleve was town down in June 1969 to make way for a parking lot. Joni Mitchell would not be happy.

Thanks to Melissa (aka “The Colonel”) for digging up all the vintage newspaper clippings!

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.