Temple Tuesday: Sweetheart of the Dance

When Shirley Temple temporarily “retired” from the movies at the ripe old age of twelve in 1940, she still managed to appear in the press. One such occasion was at the California Military Academy Formal Commencement Ball, shown in the photo above. The accompanying caption:

IN PRIVATE LIFE…

Now that Shirley Temple has retired from the screen, she is finding time for real fun. Here she is dancing with Cadet Captain Raymond Berlinger at the formal commencement ball of the California Military Academy. Miss Temple was the honored guest at this affair.

The clipping below is from the Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, June 13, 1940:



Shirley Temple Enjoys Self at Ball

Retired from the movies at the age of 11, SHIRLEY TEMPLE would appear from this photo to be turning into a social butterfly. Be that as it may, as an “average little American girl,” the erstwhile film queen did enjoy herself hugely as as guest of honor at the California Military Academy’s Commencement Ball. Her escort, Cadet RAYMOND BERLINGER, took his responsibility most seriously.

This event was still being covered as late as Sunday August 25, in The Los Angeles Times:



Below is another shot from the same evening, which also provides a rare view of the (alleged briefly) adopted son of Jack Haley, the Tin Man from “The Wizard of Oz” (1939):



I say “alleged” because nowhere on the world wide web am I able to find any information about Haley having adopted and then given up a child. When I interviewed William Stillman, author of The Road to Oz: The Evolution, Creation, and Legacy of a Motion Picture Masterpiece, he was kind enough to provide this uneditedd version of a shot of Haley reading The Wizard of Oz to his other son, Jack Haley Jr. Typically when you see this photo, it is tightly cropped around Haley and Haley Jr., eliminating the other children from the California Military Academy.



From the interview:

Q: You mention Jack Haley's adopted/unadopted child who is pictured above, wearing his uniform from the Black-Foxe Military Institute while Haley reads “The Wizard of Oz.” Looks like there is no information about what happened to him after he left Haley’s guardianship. Seems baffling as to why the adoption occurred in the first place...as if some other piece of information is missing. Any thoughts?

A: Jay Scarfone and I did our darndest to trace the whereabouts of Haley’s adopted son but to no avail. As we intimate in “The Road to Oz,” outside of any insider information between Haley and his wife, it’s possible that the adoption was arranged because it was the trendy, philanthropic thing to do in Hollywood at that time. It doesn’t make sense, though, that Haley would’ve added an historically “unplaceable” child to his brood on top of his taxing professional commitments and, as it happened, the adoption was short-lived.

Did Haley actually briefly adopt another child or was the photo above just a publicity shot with a few children from the school? Back to Shirley…

She returned to the Academy almost a year later, at what appears to have been a Valentine’s Day themed dance (note the Cupid and heart decorations on the back wall).



The accompanying blurb:

SHIRLEY THE BELLE OF MILITARY ACADEMY BALL

Shirley Temple, guest of honor at the formal cotillion of the California Military Academy, does the La Conga on the dance floor. The young film star, who recently came out of “retirement” to sign a new contract with MGM, acted like any other girl of her age during the exciting evening. 2/19/41

Sharp-eyed Temple fans will recognize the dress Shirley wore to the cotillion, as it was featured in this MGM publicity session by the famed photographer, Clarence Bull:



…and at the Greek War Relief benefit held at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, February 8, 1941. MGM sure knew how to get the most mileage out of their costume department!



If you’re wondering why Shirley would attend two dances at the school, it was most likely because her brother George (aka “Sonny”) attended the nearby Black-Foxe Military Institute, graduating in 1939.

The “La Conga” was a popular dance, thanks to being featured in the MGM Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney musical, “Strike Up The Band,” released September 27, 1940. Once again, MGM rarely missed an opportunity to cross-promote their stars. Below are instructions of how to do the dance, courtesy of the The Jackson Sun in Jackson, Tennessee, Sunday, October 27, 1940. In a touch of irony, Shirley’s last film at 20th Century-Fox, “Young People,” is also featured in this section:



As a bonus, here’s clip of Garland and Rooney exuberantly performing the aforementioned “La Conga” number:



See more teenage Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Behind the Scenes of Rebecca

This behind-the-scenes image from Shirley Temple’s “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” (1938) shows the child star at the piano with Jack Haley leaning in over her shoulder. A detailed view of Shirley and Jack, best known as the Tinman from “The Wizard of Oz” (1939):



Below in the detailed view you can see the crew, which includes Cinematographer/Photographer Arthur C. Miller at far left in glasses, Joseph LaShelle (uncredited second cameraman) behind the camera, and director Allan Dwan in front. Shirley’s brother Jack (uncredited second assistant director) is sitting in the background near the fireplace. Apparently this scene was filmed before he was removed from the picture by Director Dwan for an altercation he had with his famous sister over a prop turkey (you can read more about it here). Note the label on the camera for the Shirley Temple Police. The badges began on Shirley’s previous film, “Heidi” (1937).



One of the most coveted (and personal) pieces of Shirley memorabilia is an authentic Shirley Temple Police Force badge. The idea began when Shirley put a paper clip on still photographer Anthony Ugrin’s coat one day. She wrote about its origin in her 1945 autobiography My Young Life:

I told him that wearing the clip made him a policeman and I was chief of police. One of the prop men asked to join the force, so I put a paper clip in his lapel too, and pretty soon everybody on the set was going around ornamented with paper clips. Then I decided that the director (Allan Dwan, on the set of “Heidi”) should be chief of police and offered to abdicate, but the director wanted me to retain my high position and joined the ranks instead. Finally, the director presented me with a box of little tin badges with the inscription ‘Shirley Temple Police Force,’ painted on in black lettering. First thing every morning I’d line up the Shirley Temple Police Force for inspection and look at their badges. There was a 5-cent fine for people who had forgotten their badges, and a 1-cent fine for not having it polished, and thumping $5.00 fine for anyone who had lost a badge or given it away.…I made scads of money on fines, but I didn’t keep it. Part of it furnished a Girl Scout room in Santa Monica, another part helped to build a recreation room for boys in a Santa Monica school and the rest went to the Babies Milk Fund.

Members each signed the declaration that “I wish to join this police station for $10,000,000 per week. This will not be paid if I leave within 10 years.” The badge shown below was auctioned off in 2015 for $3,600.


Another behind the scenes shot from the musical number, “Come and Get Your Happiness.” Once again, LaShelle is behind the camera, Dwan in front of it, and Photographer Arthur C. Miller in the back leaning against the table:



Shirley is directing two pretty singing twins, who also appeared in “Just Around the Corner” (1938).



Below are announcer George Fisher and Shirley Temple at the Press Preview of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on March 4, 1938. Shirley had the opportunity to speak over the radio airwaves of the Mutual Broadcasting Network at 8:30pm Pacific Time.



The great Rita Dubas, Shirley expert supreme, identified the object in Shirley’s gloved hand as one of the coveted Police Force Badges. Not quite sure though…



Maybe this alternate shot from the evening will reveal what’s in Shirley’s gloved hands.



Bingo! It’s a Shirley Temple Police Badge. Of course Rita was right!



Rita also put together this incredible video with clips and other goodies from the preview:



See more “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Tales from Rebecca

I am a behind-the-scenes info nut, as it adds an extra dimension of fun when re-watching my favorite movies (which I tend to do). Here are a few fun tidbits from the set of Shirley’s 1938 film, “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.”

Apparently, the Quaker Oats Company objected when they learned that there was to be a song in the film about “crackly corn flakes” since Shirley was under contract to them to advertise their product, Quaker’s Puffed Wheat.



The company felt that if the song were included, they would look ridiculous, as Temple would seem to be promoting the competition, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. Because of this, Producer Darryl Zanuck ordered the title changed to “Crackly Grain Flakes.”



In another scene, Aunt Miranda (Helen Westley) asks Rebecca (Shirley) if she has had anything to eat. The girl says that her uncle bought her a candy bar, to which Aunt Miranda replies, “Candy bar! Gwen, take the child into the kitchen and get her something decent to eat.” The National Confectioners’ Association filed a $500,000 libel suit against 20th Century-Fox, claiming this scene did members of the association irreparable damage, and that it “libels a bar of candy and holds up the candy profession to ridicule and shame.” The suit was eventually dropped.



For the “Toy Trumpet” grand finale, Bill Robinson joined Shirley and her mother Gertrude at the Palm Springs Desert Inn to rehearse the number.



Temple was first made aware of racism when she learned Robinson was forced to sleep in the chauffeurs’ quarters. “But you’re not a chauffeur,” Shirley said to him when she found out. “I was unknowledgeable of the reality that racial prejudice was part of a complicated and powerful social system that enshrined such inequity,” she later wrote in her autobiography, Child Star.



A drum sequence was also to be included where Shirley would play along with the musicians on the set. She befriended studio drummer Johnny Williams, who taught her how to play. Dwan noticed her aptitude and ordered another drum set for her. However, Gertrude was against it, believing Shirley sitting with legs apart was unladylike. As Shirley recalled, “The film sequence was scrubbed, and drumsticks and traps disappeared, a donation to the local boys’ club.”



Shirley’s brother Jack was hired as third assistant director, to which she would later say, he “spent time thinking up things to take care of, one of which was me.” Dwan fired him after a dispute over a roasted turkey prop, used in a scene where Rebecca joins Tony (Randolph Scott) for lunch.



The turkey had been sprayed with insecticide and Jack loudly ordered her not to eat it, which she had no intention of doing. Out of spite, she popped the turkey in her mouth, prompting her brother to shake her to dislodge it. “Despite a slightly bitter taste, it was good turkey and my disobedience was immensely satsisfying.”

Are you ready to watch “Rebecca” again? See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley Hits Her Mark

One of the requirements of being a good actor is “hitting your marks.” If one doesn’t land where they’re supposed to during the shooting of a film, they run the risk of being out of the camera frame. For years, it has been typical for marks being put on the floor so that actors know where to stop and stand. This little trick is effective, but causes the actor to have to look down at the floor when walking, thus giving away the illusion of perfection. I noticed in this still from “Captain January” (1936) that you can see the chalk marks made for Shirley Temple, who is standing next to Sara Haden.



These marks weren’t just for children, though. Even veteran performers like Jack Haley and Alice Faye, shown here in “Poor Little Rich Girl” (1936), required the same assistance.



You can clearly see the marks for Haley AND Shirley; Faye’s are out of frame, but I guarantee that she had them, too.



Many years later, Shirley told talk show host Larry King that she really didn’t need the chalk marks. Instead, she used the same trick that Joan Crawford did; she used the heat of the overhead lights to let her know that she’d hit her mark. “I had to learn to hit my marks without looking at the floor, the little piece of tape.…I could do it by the feeling of heat on my face. If the light hit here and it hit my shoulder and it felt warm, I would know that I was in the right place. If it was cool, I’d say I’m not in the right place.” Even at age 6, Shirley showed a remarkable intelligence regarding her profession. See the entire interview here:



See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Haley Said, Shirley Said

1936’s “Poor Little Rich Girl” had a socko finale musical number, “Military Man” with stars Shirley, Jack Haley, and Alice Faye in military garb performing an intricate synchronized tap dance. According to Haley:

They dubbed in Shirley’s taps but didn’t tell Mrs. Temple. They shot it with her, then told Alice and me to come back later and do it again. At the preview Mrs. Temple was boasting, ‘Did you hear those taps? Could they have been any clearer? And you said Shirley couldn’t do it.’

Haley was known for his bitter recollections, including how much he hated working on “The Wizard of Oz.” While his character might have received a heart in the movie, Haley apparently left it in the prop department.

Shirley had her own recollection of the event in her autobiography Child Star:

Our job as a trio was to match our tap noises in synchrony with a long and athletic filmed segment being projected against a screen. Dancing together, it took only one false tap from any of us to ruin the take. Dance director Jack Haskell was a taskmaster for flawless movement and precise timing.…As we paused to pinpoint some little problem, I stared away, meditatively working my tongue against a precariously loose tooth. Noticing my averted gaze, Haskell brusquely ordered I look at him when he was speaking.…Haley, in particular, had trouble getting synchrony with his filmed image, and seemed annoyed at me because my taps kept matching perfectly. He obviously knew the mechanics cold, but without music and only a projected image to guide him, his timing remained way off. Even Faye grimaced occasionally, while frustration and fatigue gradually began to erode our basic sense of camaraderie. At the time, director Irving Cummings had been observing how each of us was reacting under stress. …The recording session dragged on, and by late afternoon my legally permitted workday was soon ending with the dance still not in order. Frustrated herself, Mother made a cutting observation comparing Haley’s precision and endurance to mine. It was tinder to a powder keg. Instantly he shot back that I was the problem, not him. Jumping into the breach, Haskell ordered another break. “We’re not going to finish. The law says Shirley can’t work at night, so let’s get her taps recorded alone now.”…Sound technicians would then have to match our taps together on one master record. Like anyone else, I eventually get tired, but seldom in the legs. Haley and Faye stood aside. I wiggled at my tooth and smiled to set my mood.…Drawing a deep breath, I began.…Each nerve tap came across crisp and sharp and synchronized on the first try, but I couldn’t smile during the last few stanzas. The loose tooth had finally detached, arriving on my tongue like a cough drop. “Time to go,” said Mother, grabbing my hand and marching past Haley with a long stride I recognized as triumphant.

Take that, Haley.

Who looks alert and ready to outperform her costars?

Here’s Shirley with Director Irving Cummings. You can almost hear him now: “Just ignore that bitter sourpuss. You can dance circles around him!”

In between takes, Shirley poses with Doc Bishop. From the vintage publicity blurb:

An old friend of Shirley’s, Doc Bishop of the Publicity Department of 20th Century-Fox, poses with her during the filming of her picture “Poor Little Rich Girl” in 1936.

Here’s the number in all its colorized glory. Judge for yourself, but Shirley gives no sign of not being completely in charge:

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Jersey Girl: THE CONCLUSION!

It’s finally here! The final day of Melissa’s (aka Jersey Girl and The Colonel) San Diego visit. We spent the quintessential sunny San Diego afternoon on Coronado Island. On the sidewalks there were “stars” as part of the November Coronado Film Festival. They looked temporary, as the decals were already beginning to peel and crack. Great idea for a permanent walk of fame though (hint hint Coronado). “Wizard of Oz” fan that she is, Melissa had to get close to Jack Haley’s (the Tinman) star.



I was sure to find Marilyn’s. All the major stars and Director Billy Wilder had stars, since “Some Like It Hot” had many scenes filmed right here at the Island and at the Hotel Del Coronado (our destination).



Melissa hates surprises. HATES. She is a maker of lists, itineraries, and starts to pack for trips at least a month advance. For realz. Naturally, I had to plan a huge surprise for her...and tell her that there was a surprise in advance, and let her stew on it for a few months. Cause that’s the kind of guy I am. The surprise turned out to be her good friend Lori, who traveled down from the OC to spend the afternoon with us. Melissa was truly surprised and we had a lovely afternoon. So there, Melissa!



We had lunch with a view at Sheerwater, The Hotel del’s oceanside restaurant.



Lunch (and the company!) was out of this world.







The obligatory walk to the beach and the ocean followed. Unlike most San Diego tour groups, the beach is not necessarily #1 on my list of things to do. EVERYONE does the beach...and I ain’t everyone.





Melissa did her best Marilyn, sans Tony Curtis.





Sand castles are often found on the Coronado beach, as it is probably one of the nicest beaches in Southern California, without the boozy/sloppy tourists that frequent the other ones.



A final selfie of the gang before heading back.



I would be remiss without posting any of my detailed shots. A door from the del hardware:



The lobby light fixture, which has been Hilton-ized. Yes...the del is now owned by The Hilton.



Compare to my 2012 photo:



Back home after much needed naps, Melissa and I completed craft time. This particular project was making our own miniature Grauman’s slabs.



And then it was off to Little Italy, for the final cute outfit and the final meal (urp). Yes...there’s a lotta’ food consumption when you hang with me.



For old school Italian, we went to Mona Lisa restaurant.



The gnocchi got Melissa’s seal of approval!



The new plaza fountain in Little Italy:



...and the final selfie.



A great time was had by all, so until April - try not to miss me, Melissa!

See more Daveland photos at my main website.