Temple Tuesday: Zanuck Reunion, 1953

20th Century-Fox producer Darryl Zanuck received the Milestone Award in December 1953. From the photo’s accompanying publicity blurb:

FILM MAKER HONORED—Darryl F. Zanuck (left), 20th Century-Fox vice-president in charge of production, is shown here with the Milestone Award with which he was presented recently by the Screen Producers Guild, lauding him for his industry achievements. With Zanuck are Gov. Goodwin Knight of California; Carey Wilson, SPG president; and Shirley Temple, who made all of her childhood pictures with Zanuck.

What’s the background on this award? Look no further than the official website:

The Guild initiated its annual Milestone Award Dinner at which an extraordinary honoree would be recognized for his or her historic contribution to the motion picture industry. The Milestone Award is the Guild's highest honor, and may be awarded to an individual or team for their contributions to the entertainment industry.

The first winner was Jesse Lasky (1951), followed by L.B. Mayer. Other winners include Walt Disney (1957), Bob Hope (1962), Alfred Hitchcock (1965), Steven Spielberg (1999), and Bob Iger (2014). From 1967-1997 the award took a hiatus for unknown reasons. Sounds like something I should investigate for another post! If Shirley’s outfit looks familiar, that’s because I posted a shot of her wearing it a year later to the re-premiere of “Gone with the Wind” at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater on August 10, 1954.



While Shirley wore the same outfit, she did carry a different purse AND changed the orientation of the diamond clip on her decolletage from vertical to horizontal. The beautiful piece of jewelry from Tiffany & Co. was sold by Heritage Auctions in December 2016 for a cool $250,000. From the auction catalog:



Diamond, Platinum, Double-Clip-Brooch, Tiffany & Co. The brooch features full-cut diamonds weighing a total of approximately 5.25 carats, enhanced by baguette-cut diamonds weighing a total of approximately 1.75 carats, set in platinum, marked Tiffany & Co. Total diamond weight is approximately 7.00 carats. Gross weight 41.90 grams. Individual Clip Dimensions: 1-5/16 inches x 1 inch Combined Dimensions: 2-3/4 inches x 1 inch



The auction house missed a real opportunity by not giving the background on the brooch. Thanks to some sleuthing by Melissa, aka “The Colonel,” I learned that it was a gift from Fred Astaire’s sister, Adele, aka “Lady Cavendish.” After luncheon with Shirley at 20th Century-Fox studio in 1936, Adele and her husband, Lord Cavendish, sent Shirley the jewelry. That must have been some lunch! “Isn’t it beautiful!” Shirley said as she opened the package. Two days later, a gold badge commemorating Shirley’s membership into the Texas Rangers arrived from Governor James Allred and immediately won the favor of the little girl. “You better put this [the diamond brooch] away for safekeeping,” she told her mother. “I think I’d rather wear this badge!” The brooch was supposedly Shirley’s first piece of real jewelry. Mama Temple herself wore the brooch at the return to Fox party in November 1948 when Shirley was making “Mr. Belvedere Goes to College.”



While Shirley may not have completely appreciated the brooch as a child, it sure got some use in her adult life. Note what’s holding her cape together at the 1961 Oscars with Annette Funicello!



California Governor Goodwin Knight should look familiar to Disneyland fanatics. He was at the Park on opening Day (July 17, 1955). Here he is at left on the way to the opening ceremonies with Art Linkletter (striped shirt behind Walt), Walt Disney, and Santa Fe President Fred Gurley.



If you want more on the SPG (Screen Producer’s Guild), here’s the 411: The Producers Guild of America began as two separate organizations, with the Screen Producers Guild being formed on May 16, 1950. In 1957, television producers formed the Television Producers Guild. The two merged in 1962 to form the PGA under producer Walter Mirisch (“Some Like it Hot”).

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Back to the Commissary

In November 1948, Shirley Temple returned to 20th Century-Fox to make the movie, “Mr. Belvedere Goes to College.” Unsatisfied with the films that Darryl Zanuck was picking for their daughter, Shirley’s parents bought out the rest of her Fox contract in 1940 and left the studio. A “Welcome Back” party was held at the Fox Commissary for Shirley where many of her former coworkers popped up to celebrate. In the first photo on the far left is Frances Klamt, Shirley’s teacher. You can see her much better in this next shot, which also features Shirley’s stand-in, Mary Lou Isleib:



How Shirley and Frances looked in 1938 as they left her Fox Bungalow to commence filming on “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.” Where do the years go?



In ten years, Shirley’s career had seen a few changes. “Belvedere” was all about Clifton Webb’s character, Lynn Belvedere, and Shirley was the supporting character this time around. In this photo from the party, Clifton fiddles while director Elliott Nugent looks somewhat bored smoking his cigarette.



Note the mural behind Nugent:



Still there!



This publicity still for “Belvedere” sums up the situation: Clifton in the lead, Shirley in the background.



See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley Returns to Fox

In November 1948, Darryl F. Zanuck and 20th Century Fox had a little “Welcome Home, Shirley” party at the Commissary, in honor of Shirley returning to the lot after an eight-year absence. She was about to begin filming “Mr. Belvedere Goes to College.” Here, Zanuck pins an orchid on Shirley, and then welcomes her co-star Clifton Webb:



Jane Withers, who played Shirley’s bratty nemesis in “Bright Eyes” showed up with husband William Moss:



...and how the two girls looked fourteen years earlier. My how they have grown!



In her autobiography Child Star, Shirley wrote that her mother elected to skip the party for a visit to the doctor, but as you can see from this photo, both her parents attended, despite the differences they had with Zanuck towards the end of Shirley’s contract at Fox.



No idea who these folks are, and from the look on Shirley’s face, she probably ducked away soon after this photo was shot.



Shirley examines a box of roses with former co-star George Murphy; not sure who the other young lady is, but it doesn’t appear to be the woman he was married to at the time.



George and Shirley a decade beforehand (note Claude Gillingwater, who played the judge) in “Little Miss Broadway”:



Former costars Charlotte Greenwood and C. Aubrey Smith gave Shirley a warm welcome:



Jack Oakie, Shirley, and Charlotte Greenwood from eight years before in “Young People”:



Shirley and Smith in 1937’s “Wee Willie Winkie”:



Shirley and her stand-in, Mary Lou Isleib, surround their former schoolteacher, Frances Klamt:



Shirley and Mary Lou back in 1938 on the set of “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm”:



The uncomfortable shot of the evening goes to…Richard Widmark and Shirley!



See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: The Boy Next Door

We often hear about how Shirley Temple came THIS CLOSE to having the role of Dorothy that made Judy Garland a legend. What you probably don’t hear about is something else they actually DID share: the boy next door. Surely you remember him. He’s the guy who lived at 5133 Kensington Avenue that inspired Judy to sing “The Boy Next Door” in 1944’s “Meet Me In St. Louis.” He was played by Tom Drake, who had a moderately successful career but definitely not one that would pop to the top of most memorable. He was born Alfred Sinclair Alderdice; I can see why he changed his name. That’s a mouthful for a billboard. Once was not enough for Judy though; she also made “Words and Music” with him in 1948. They only had a few seconds of screen time together though, as she was only on board for two musical numbers. That’s Janet Leigh (of “Psycho” fame) on the right.



In 1949, Shirley won Drake away from Judy, as she was the one who ended up with him in “Mr. Belvedere Goes to College,” also starring Clifton Webb.



It’s a mildly amusing film with Shirley as a war widow with a son; Drake plays a college student job coordinator. Of course they fall in love, but not without a few little roadblocks along the way.



It may have all been a moot point, as it appears based on a few sources that Tom actually preferred “the boy next door.”

See more Shirley photos at my main website.

Temple Tuesday: Shirley & George

This previously posted shot is of George Murphy and Shirley doing one of my very favorite Temple tap numbers, “We Should Be Together” in 1938’s “Little Miss Broadway.” The chemistry between these two is off the charts; Murphy’s smooth style and winning smile made him a perfect Shirley costar.

Eleven years later, Temple returned to the Fox lot to make “Mr. Belvedere Goes to College.” A large party was held to honor the momentous occasion (her return...definitely not the movie itself!) and Shirley was reunited with Murphy:



In October 1967, Murphy and Temple smiled again for the cameras as she entered the political arena with a bid for California's 11th congressional district. Republican Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen is on the right, kissing the cheek that was first kissed (on screen at least!) by Dickie Moore in “Miss Annie Rooney.” The original caption for this publicity shot:

Shirley Temple Visits Capitol. Washington, D.C.: Former child screen star Shirley Temple Black gets a welcoming kiss from Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen when she visited his office today. Mrs. Black is a Republican candidate for the seat of the late screen star Arthur Younger (R-Calif.). At left is another former screen star, Sen. George Murphy (R-Ill).



After a fairly successful career on the screen, Murphy transitioned to the political arena, serving from 1965 to 1971 as U.S. Senator from California, the first notable U.S. actor to be elected to statewide office in California, before Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He’s also the only U.S. Senator represented by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

See more Shirley Temple photos at my main website.

Shirley Goes Home

After a few less-than-stellar films, Shirley Temple's contract with Twentieth Century Fox was terminated early and the former blockbuster child star went into a short retirement. Eight years later in 1948, Fox welcomed the star back for the film, "Mr. Belvedere Goes To College." Here's the publicity blurb that accompanied this vintage photo:

SHIRLEY WELCOMED BACK TO OLD STUDIO

Shirley Temple is shown with her parents Mr. and Mrs. George Temple, at the party which welcomed the former child star back to her old studio in West Los Angeles.

See more Shirley Temple photos on my Shirley Temple web page.